Page 25 - RADC 2017

MILITARY MATTERS
The Dental Corps in Command
Major Lee Beales, RADC
I have recently taken over as OC A(11) Armoured Medial Squadron at 4 Armoured Medical Regiment. A proud day and a true privilege.
I command my 103 troops, maintain
my 7 armoured vehicles and manage the trials and tribulations of soldiers. This is
a role that I earned through hard work, completing the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land), followed by a two year thrashing as SO2 Medical in 12 Armoured Infantry Brigade, to finally achieve Squadron command.
In my new role I have been working out where to focus my energies and what my first 100 days in post will say. Currently it sits at 100 days in role, 29 days in office, 79 days on exercise. One of these exercises was covering my previous deployed role
as SO2 Med for a BATUS HICON. This was a lucky fate as I had an Armd Med troop supporting 1 YORKS on Ex PRAIRIE STORM 2. This was an ideal opportunity to get out and visit my troops, one of whom was Major Tom Drinkel RADC, A(11) Sqn, 4 Armd Med Regt.
I managed to get onto the Prairie to visit the deployed medical elements and had a good chat with Tom during my visit to the MRS. He was enjoying moving around the battlefield as part of the Medical Reception Station and Light Surgical Group - the most rearward point of this MEDEVAC chain. I dropped off a few cold cans of sprite and wished him well for the rest of the exercise.
This started me wondering....
How can we best make use of us dentists
on the battlefield (within the confines of BATUS training)? I managed to write a serial into the Bde plan. This was directly after a battle group attack, where a dentist is sent into a village to assist the local population and conduct some humanitarian aid (HA). Major Drinkel, prepare to be tested, prepare to be busy, and prepare to represent the Corps....
G+28 2230. The battle group has set a H-hr. of 0300 to have cleared the village to allow the HA to be conducted. Reports into Bde were that the BSG (Fwd.) medicals FEs were delivering care with a plan to collapse the MRS to push HA from 0330 hrs.
G+29 0330. H-hr. has been delayed G+29 0500 H-hr.
G+29 0621 the village still not clear and
will not manage this before 1000 hrs. G+29 0601 Bde HQ staff begins writing
a new FRAGO to deliver to the BSG (Fwd.) BG.
G+29 0713 Radio orders delivered to the BSG (Fwd.) medical elements to deliver HA to a new location.
G+29 0750 HA is being delivered to the local population. Phew.
The DCOS for 12X visited the HA support being delivered and returned to Bde HQ. Upon his return he provided me an update on what he saw...
DCOS: ‘The OC Med Sqn is injured and the dentist has taken over command, and is doing very well’
Beales: ‘It took me 3 years hard work to get command and Drinkel is doing it after a week’
DCOS: ‘Don’t worry he still has the PQO wonky helmet.’
Beales: ‘Ex Dentibus Ensis!’
Well done Maj Tom Drinkel demonstrating the wider benefit of the RADC to the Fd Army and doing us proud.
Maj Drinkel discusses the finer details of facial aesthetics, ED
Despite the wonky helmet, there was no shortage of admirers for Maj Drinkel, Ed.
RADC BULLETIN 2017 23