Page 18 - QDG Volume 9 No. 5

16 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
C Squadron
2024 was a challenging and rewarding
year for C Squadron, defined by deploy-
ments spanning the arid Mojave
Desert to the icy landscapes of Poland.
Throughout, the Squadron demon-
strated professionalism, adaptability, and
teamwork, maintaining consistently high
standards despite the demanding opera-
tional tempo.
The year started of with a Squadron
personal development week, focusing
on Op Teamwork, fitness, careers and
finishing with a brief on Squadron history,
presented by Lt Col (ret’d) HFA Sugden
MC QDG - C Sqn leader during TELIC
1. The week also had the first Squadron
dinner with Col Sugden as guest of
honour.
In the first few months, we also had
to say farewell to the longest serving
member of C Sqn, WO2 (SSM) Gareth
Roberts - who posts to RQMS 7 LBCT
before taking up post as RSM RRY. We
also wished farewell to Sgt Casey to HQ
Sqn and Sgt Griffiths to B Sqn.
The Squadron then got stuck into
preparations for Exercise Diamondback,
the Squadron’s deployment to California.
This phase started with Exercise READY
EAGLE at Longmoor Training Area, a
rigorous training package designed to
sharpen core skills in preparation for the
challenges ahead. From force-on-force
engagements to a Squadron-level raid
on a bunker manned by the ever-re-
sourceful SQMS. Marksmanship was
tested and refined at Lydd Ranges, where
troops advanced through pairs fire-and-
manoeuvre drills and culminated in live
grenade practice. By the conclusion of
READY EAGLE, C Squadron was fully
prepared for the complex and demanding
scenarios that awaited them in California.
Where is the rest of the Sqn? Pretty much C Sqn’s motto
Before After
Exercise DIAMONDBACK was the
year’s standout deployment. For five
weeks, C Squadron operated in the
Mojave Desert, serving alongside 2-13
Cav during a 10-day exercise against the
OPFOR, otherwise known as Blackhorse.
The desert’s searing heat and unfor-
giving terrain demanded the highest
levels of tactical ingenuity, resilience, and
cohesion. Pitted against a well-equipped
and capable opponent, the Squadron
I hate photos, the editor asked for them