Page 8 - RADC 2017

Ex Starlight Serpent
Major Rob Smith, RADC
A trawl for Ex STARLIGHT SERPENT arrived in my inbox in Nov 2016. The
trawl requested RADC volunteers to
join 4 Armoured Medical Regiment
(4 AMR) between 27 Feb and 03 Mar
2017 on a Collective Training Level 1 exercise on Salisbury plain. Having only recently returned to DPHC (Dental) from my assignment at the Eastman Dental Institute, the opportunity to get back to ‘green stuff’ was too good to miss. Myself and four RADC soldiers (LCpl Larwood, LCpl Naulls, Cpl Chance, and Cpl Shaw) were fortunate enough to be selected,
and joined the incumbent 4 AMR RADC personnel (Maj Dobie and Maj Drinkel) on this exercise.
Deploying RADC personnel on this exercise provided the opportunity to: experience living and working in austere conditions, enhance field skills, and develop an understanding of the function of a Role 1 MRS.
From the offset the RADC individual augmentees were made to feel welcome by 4 AMR personnel. On arrival we hit the ground running, getting a quick brief before getting cammed up and helping put up the MRS. The skills involved in the efficient building of tentage is not one that is routinely practiced by most RADC personnel, and proved a useful refresher. Once the MRS had been built, the RADC contingent split off and kitted out the Dental Section of the MRS with
LCpl Emma Larwood, RADC
Ex Starlight serpent was my first exercise since leaving ATC Pirbright as a recruit, and after having served the past few years on assignment in Episkopi, Cyprus. So not only was conducting a military ‘green skills’ exercise a shock to the system, the British winter weather was too. I appreciated being part of a larger unit, working with various cap badges and witnessing how we can all come together as a team. Having never experienced “Med Reg” life, I enjoyed and learnt a few things as well as meeting some fantastic positive characters.
LSgt Sherwin Chance, RADC
I love being in the field so when the opportunity arose for Ex Starlight Serpent I ensured I was in and amongst it. The 4AMR SP were welcoming and engaging from day one which made it quite easy to transition into the field. We hit the road running by setting up tents for the MRS, Field Hospital, etc. We were fully immersed in the casualty extractions, triaging scenarios, but not being our area of expertise we were given the tasks of scribing, role playing and observing during the syndicate exercise. We also took part in the roaming patrols and sentry duties. The experience invoked fond memories of my Infantry years and the role the medical team played in supporting the tip of the blade, especially on Herrick 10.
6 RADC BULLETIN 2017
MILITARY EXERCISES