Page 22 - Bugle Issue 18 Auntumn 2021

EX WARFIGHTER
- Texas’ WarSim
Warriors
In mid-March, a team of five Riflemen from 3 RIFLES left Brize Norton for Fort Hood Texas. Representing the Battalion in the 1X LOCON, the team was headed up by The Household Cavalry Regiment, along with Artillery, REME, Engineers, Intelligence, Med and Air attachments. Ex WARFIGHTER saw UK 3XX work alongside the French Division under the US 3XXX in a multinational validation exercise.
Following two weeks of isolation in “tent city”, the preparation phase of the exercise began with a capabilities brief from the Battalion representatives. 3 RIFLES outlined the Mechanised and Strike concepts, as well as the strength and diversity of the Rifle and Fire Support Company’s. Following this, the “pucksters”, Cpl Goode and LCpl Holderness, were whisked away to learn the tricks of the trade in the computer based WarSim.
Lt Newman acted as the Night Liaison Officer to Div HQ, donning 4R as required during frequent IDF/CBRN attacks
and filtering necessary information
up and down the chain. Meanwhile, Lt Waddington and 2Lt Hori manned the net as watchkeepers, feeding information to the Battle Captains and relaying the battle picture from the pucksters.
The real stars of the show were, of course, the pucksters themselves. From their WarSim computers they effectively and rapidly carried out the Commander’s orders and controlled the troops on the ground. For an 8-day exercise, working 13-hour days, they tirelessly focussed on the mission until victory.
From convoy escorts and rear-
guard security to Coy attacks and river crossings, 1X and 3XX were praised for carrying out the Commander’s intent perfectly and putting on an impressive display of strength to the American Corps and French Division, with which we were working.
Lt Waddington, OC 6 Pl
By the
end of the exercise the students had endured some of the worst the British winter and the Cadre Staff could throw
at them
to come out the other side successful
Top Student Rfn Powell (4 RIFLES)
Top Fitness Rfn O’Donnoghoe (1 RIFLES) Riflemans’ Rifleman Rfn Hargreaves (RTT)
3 RIFLES
The 3 RIFLES JNCO Cadre 2021 started on a bitter January morning in Edinburgh. The students who paraded that cold morning had removed themselves from the comforts of Christmas leave to be counted on the role call for what would be a long and arduous 7 weeks of Infantry Junior Commanders Training.
The cadre started in Edinburgh for Zero week – this was designed to prepare students both physically and mentally for the cadre with lessons, introduction to command tasks, foundation PT, kit checks and interviews. After a final weekend to relax and prepare
the cadre then moved to Otterburn for the Army Leadership and Development Program (ALDP) and Infantry Tactics Phase. This included the Army leadership doctrine, Battle PT, Command Tasks and Section Leadership Presentations. The Cadre was also privileged enough to receive a talk from Justin Davis who is a Rifleman who was wounded as a result of an IED whilst serving with 2 RIFLES in Afghanistan - unfortunately losing both legs above the knee. He spoke to the students about Mental Resilience during his recovery and his successful ascents of Mont Blanc
and Kilimanjaro, I believe this left a lasting impression on everyone. The course then applied everything they had learnt in the classroom to the Tactics Phase – initially conducting a re-teach of basic section tactics led by their Section Commander instructors, before gradually handing over command to students in role.
With the shake-out exercise complete and the sections ‘zeroed’ the Cadre
then deployed on an eight-day FTX. Along with a very arduous MEL of day and night actions the weather and the terrain were particularly challenging. The final attack involved a 5km insertion carrying mortar greenies through two valleys and waist deep snow, before conducting an assault up an ice-cold river supported by the Recce, Mortars and MG Platoons. By the end of the exercise the students had endured some of the worst the British winter and the Cadre Staff could throw at them to come out the other side successful and prepared to be a JNCO in The Rifles.
Leaving behind the hills, the rivers and the snow of Otterburn, the Cadre moved to the beaches of Barry Buddon for the range safety and battle exercise qualification. This gave
the JNCOs the qualifications and experience needed to assist and manage the safety of Coy training. The course returned to Edinburgh for a final few days of drill rehearsals, barrack duties and the Ex PENTLAND DANCE event.
Standing on the same parade ground for their Passing Off Parade as they had seven weeks prior, all the students had accomplished what they set out to do on that cold January morning. Of the 67 students who formed up at the start of the course, 43 were successful in becoming the next JNCOs in The Rifles.
Capt RAL Evans, Intelligence Officer
JNCO CADRE 2021
CADRE AWARDS