Page 25 - QDG Volume 9 No. 5

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards MT – you can’t park there!
2024 has been an immensely ■■■ and
dispersed year for the Motor Transport
department and the Regiment as a whole.
A Sqn’s OP CABRIT 14 came to a close,
handing over to B Sqn on ROTO 15 and
onwards to C Sqn on ROTO 16. Members
of the department including Sgt Powell,
SSgt Korovulavula, A/Cpl Owen & LCpl
Scott have taken their experiences to
Poland in support of NATO’s Forward
Land Forces efforts, deterring our adver-
saries in the east.
Spring saw a change
in management as the
department bid farewell to
Capt Hopkins, with Hoppy
taking post as RCMO and
welcomed Capt Rosendale
HCR, arriving on commission
from Army headquarters as
the new MTO. With orders
to deploy to Poland as NSE
Commander, Capt Rosen-
dale handed the reigns to
WO2 Ewbank MTWO who
steered the ship through
seemingly endless audits
The MT pairing
skilfully
trained our
partner
nations in
the knack of
driving on the
correct side of
the road
and inspections, multiple
deployments and the usual
fast balls.
With a pre assurance
inspection under the belt, summer saw
Cpl Thomas deploy to California in
support of EX DIAMOND BACK with C
Sqn. Here, he single handedly wrangled
a large hire car fleet, drivers hours and
one too many punctures for
his liking.
With the hopes of a quieter
second half of 2024, news
arrived of the Regiments
involvement with OP INTER-
FLEX. MT deployed teams of
two to operate out of Wathgill
camp, Yorkshire on rotation
for the next 6 months. Their
tasks included managing a
sizable fleet of hire cars which
would be used by Dutch
and Danish training delivery
units. The MT pairing skilfully
trained our partner nations
in the knack of driving on
the correct side of the road,
how to not reverse into things and that a
drive through McDonalds is an obstacle
to be avoided - too often anyway. Cpl
Whitting held the fort in RBSM, delivering
some sterling work in turning as many
An OP INTERLEX pickup truck which was
definitely not driving off road, driving too fast
or being driven without due care and attention!
The aircon was quite broken 23
Capt Rosendale leads the BPTA
Remembrance service with UK, US
& Romanian troops in attendance.
QDG Soldiers as possible into part time
coach drivers. These new drivers worked
to deliver Ukrainian Soldiers to training
venues so they can prepare themselves
for operations in their home land.
As the QDG looked to hand over their
role in OP INTERLEX, MT reflect on
the 2000 brave Ukrainian Soldiers they
welcomed into the UK and transported
to Wathgill, then returning them for their
flights home.
Squinting ahead to 2025, MT look
forwards to the challenges of the next
round of exercises and operations.
JR
MTWO