Page 95 - Mind, Body and Spirit No. 105 2021/22

2021 marked the end of an era for this callsign, leaving the Airborne Forces after 10 years in maroon and putting on a new “hat” with 2 RIFLES in Northern Ireland. A jump which
I thought was going to be a world apart from what I was used to. The pace of life is different over on this part of the UK and conducting training brings about all sorts of hoops that you have to jump through to be as effective as your counterparts on the mainland, but overall, there is not much difference. A light infantry unit held at high readiness, the role of 2RIFLES RAPTCI has required me to be as reactive as I have been proactive. Joining the Battalion during COVID lockdown meant that I had to do what every other RAPTCI was doing to maintain a level of fitness across the Battalion.... ZOOM PT! Alone on the gym floor with a laptop propped up on a plyo box with 400+ unfamiliar faces staring back at me, this baptism of fire ensured that my integration into the battalion was established relatively quickly and everyone knew that the new “Corps Guy” liked reverse lunges and sumo squats.
Fast forward a couple of months and the Battalion are on a plane out to BATUK to take over the Battle group and conduct the first rotation of the new Exercise ASKARI STORM. Hijacking the CO’s TAC, 4 months in Kenya reminded me why I transferred into the RAPTC. Going from the comfort of a nice warm gym to living out of a bergen for 40 days making sure that the “enemy” didn’t get their hands on the CO at the same time as picking “bastard bush” thorns out of my backside was enough for me to remember why! However,
SSgt (SSI) J Clarkson RAPTC briefing members of the 2 Rifles BG on the acclimatisation process during Exercise Askari Storm, Kenya
all being said, the experience will stay with me forever. The cliché saying, “civvies pay thousands” couldn’t be more accurate; waking up in the mornings to giraffe and zebra surrounding your hide and going to sleep to the roar of lions and cackle of hyenas was mind- blowing. That, combined with living in the bush with the Masai for 5 days, made a 4-month deployment worthwhile.
Exercise over, the troops are spread out doing the community engagement piece in their designated locations and this callsign is given the keys to the AT vehicle to ensure that the battlegroup achieve their allocation of places on multi-activity and foundation courses. This enabled me to see a whole different side to Kenya to what I initially thought I was going to get. To have such places as Savage Wilderness and Rift Valley as approved providers is a luxury that I never thought would be afforded to us. Being back on the water in an open boat was another reminder as to why I chose a career as an RAPTCI. What other trade in the Army allows for such a diverse job specification...? There will always be the standard sports competitions, community engagement and officiating duties. That’s part of the trade! The rewards are plentiful and are out there if you go looking for them.
As for the future, who knows? A rotation of high readiness could mean anything for this Battalion, but one thing I do know is that the men and women of 2RIFLES will remain laser focused on winning in whatever they do.
38 INFANTRY BRIGADE
2ND BATTALION, THE RIFLES
SSgt (SSI) D Clarkson RAPTC
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SSgt (SSI) J Clarkson RAPTC with CO 2 Rifles during the Battalion’s Salamanca Day Celebrations
SSgt (SSI) J Clarkson RAPTC takes members of the Masai for Improvised PT