Page 26 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

Personalities:
OC:
2IC:
CSM: CQMS(M): CQMS(T): Asslt Pnrs:
Javelin: Mortars:
Recce: Snipers:
Maj Alex Burgess MC Lt Nick Cockle
WO2 Andy McNulty CSgt Mick Herbert CSgt Jack Sinclair
Sgt Chris Lavelle &
Cpl Nick Andrews
Capt Reece Courtney & Sgt Stewart Crawford Capt Ted PrettyJohn & WO2 Don Johnson Capt Tom Margetts CSgt Gary Hill & Sgt Dave White
24
Dragon (Earl of Chester’s) Coy
Maj Alex Burgess MC
This year has seen a further change of personalities within the Company, including: Capts Tom Margetts in Recce and Ted PrettyJohn in Mortar Platoons respectively, WO2s Andy McNulty as CSM, Don Johnson as Mortar Platoon 2IC and CSgt Gary Hill in Sniper Platoon. We therefore wish a fond farewell to Capts Oli Elliott and Andy Zeal, WO2s John Dickinson and George Moitt and CSgt Jay Waters
(UK) STRIKE Bde. The Bde conducted a simulated operation in difficult terrain, facing a future force enemy that overmatched our capabilities but provided a great opportunity for junior commanders to step up and operate in a new platform. At the same time, interoperability and acquisition ideas were tested, while shaping the emerging concept of employment for what is now the
– we would like to wish them well for the future and thank them for their dedicated service to the Company and Battalion.
the Company has performed strongly; winning the Battalion March & Shoot, the Coltman Stretcher Race over the Malvern Hills and a Gold Medal on exercise Ex CAMBRIAN PATROL
BOXER vehicle.
On returning from
the United States,
the Company congregated at Castlemartin Ranges for a combined mounted and dismounted
range package, generating twelve new CVR(T) Gunners and Commanders and ten new Warrior gunners, whilst requalifying
the remaining crews.
Readiness for
operations has
remained the key
output of the Battalion,
and over the last year
the Company has
been deployed several
times - both overseas
and within the UK. Ten members of
the Company were selected to support A (Grenadier) Company on their Op CABRIT (Estonia) deployment, and since January we have had a steady footfall of around forty deployed on Op ORBITAL (Ukraine) until mid-December. The Company was also stood up for Op YELLOWHAMMER
in March to support the UK Government
to manage a difficult departure from the European Union but was stood down at the last minute as an extension to the process was granted.
Meanwhile, under Snipers, the Company conducted Application of Fire and LFTT practices on Individual and Platoon Weapon Systems. This was reinforced by another Live Firing Tactical Training Package in October, where the Company honed its field-firing skills.
The Company also contributed an ISTAR Screen to Ex VIRTUAL EAGLE, a successful run out of several concepts, using a portable Battle Group simulation system. During the Ex, Recce, Javelin and Mortars used current platforms (CVR(T) SCIMITAR, Warrior and CVR(T) Spartan), before
trading these in for future force platforms (Ajax, Warrior 2 and Ares), against a very capable enemy threat. The findings of the missions were analysed and will go some way to deciding how other Battle Groups
will operate with these better armoured and more manoeuvrable vehicles.
In competitions the Company has performed strongly; winning the Battalion March & Shoot, the Coltman Stretcher Race over the Malvern Hills and being awarded
a Gold Medal on exercise Ex CAMBRIAN PATROL - the British Army’s premier patrolling competition. We have also cleaned up at the Inter Company Sports events, winning all but one of the six sports on offer. The Company was also successful at the Inter Company Boxing Finals, winning the event and taking the ‘Best Heart’ – LCpl Jones, and ‘Best Coach’ – Pte Rodgers awards, as well as the two head coaches, Cpl Jones and LCpl Enright, putting a great exhibition bout.
It has indeed been a busy year for
the Company, who have been asked to support civilian-facing activities, ranging from recruiting to sports and charity events. The highlight was undoubtedly being asked to represent the Battalion at the Armed Forces Day National Event in Salisbury, where the weather was scorching and saw upwards of forty thousand people attend, including many veterans, members of the Public and Serving Members of the military.
With Christmas Leave rapidly approaching, the Company is planning Support Weapon Cadres for the New Year, building up to the major collective training exercise in October - Ex PRAIRIE STORM 3 in Canada. This will consist of a thirty- eight-day package including live-firing
and instrumented missions to validate the Battle Group. Following this, we expect to commence Pre-Deployment and Mission Specific Training towards deployment to Afghanistan in May 2021.
In the margins, I am sure that there will be exercises on SPTA, Ranges and Armoured Infantry training across the UK, recruiting and a multitude of other tasks – it promises to be hard-work, but full of opportunity and as ever, Dragon Company is relishing the challenge.
Instead, members of the Company found themselves moving in short order to Fort Lewis in Washington State to take part
in Ex JOINT WARFARE ASSESSMENT
(Ex JWA), with D Company representing 1 YORKS BG as a MIV Bn, as part of 1
D Coy Foreword-Boxing
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