Page 48 - The Chapka 2016

46 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) The Training Wing
It has been a turbulent year with many changes in both man- power and policy within the Training Wing. The churn of staff has been astonishing with some members of the team barely last- ing a few days before they were seen running for the hills. This has included two Training Officer’s in the form of Captains Ryan and Mansfield, three Training Warrant Officers in the form of WO2 Doherty, Staff Sergeant Doak and finally WO2 Hackney, a long list of Driving & Maintenance specialists including: Staff Sergeant Doak, Staff Sergeant Lansberry, Sergeant Davies, Ser- geant Stephens, Sergeant Miller, Sergeant Barrowcliffe and Cor- poral Gandidzanwa. In fact the only constant during this time has been a stalwart RGSS Staff Sergeant Mukunganungwa who still remains in post. Unfortunately, all of this manpower was not present at the same time so in reality we have been working on our bare bones.
The need to train our soldiers never ceases, be it career progres- sion or trade competencies. Staff Sergeant Doak, in the role of Trg WO, has successfully organised and delivered PNCO train- ing (with support from the squadrons) for over 40 Lancers to get that first step towards promotion to Lance Corporal. The deliv- ery of pre-course training for RAC PAM 1 and other events has been an on-going battle and I would like to extend my gratitude to the squadrons for supporting this activity with their instruc- tors – ever keen to invest in their soldiers.
Only 8 months on from amalgamation, The Royal Lancers re- turned back to Castlemartin (CMR) for another successful gun- nery annual gunnery camp under the steady hand of Staff Ser- geant Mukungunugwa as RGSS. The main effort of the three week firing package was mounted gunnery with crews aspiring to pass the Annual Crew Test (ACT). Although our primary role is reconnaissance, the ACT is designed to test crew capability to engage and destroy targets on the battlefield. Yet again prov- ing the robustness and hunger for success, the Regiment closed down ranges with 100% first-time passes across the board.
Soon after CMR the majority of the Regiment deployed as OPFOR BG during Exercise PRAIRIE STORM PS1 & 2. As we returned from BATUS, the Training Wing scheduled a B3 BGTI Crew Gun- ners Course in order to train new crew gunners for the up-coming readiness year and furthering soldiers’ progression within the RAC career pipeline. 24 student gunners were taken on strength and 23 successfully completed the course as competent crew gunners.
It is now full speed ahead with another year’s training looming on the horizon. Funnily enough Castlemartin and BATUS shaped objects are appearing on the radar again. Although the number of training places at Bovington has been reduced, this will not stop us striving towards delivering highly trained soldiers, into the right position at the right time so the squadrons can deliver.
SMM
2016 has been an exceptionally busy year for the Royal Lancers Catering Department and there has been some major changes with the arrival of new members: Staff Ser- geant Smith has been posted in as the Unit Catering Manager with the outgoing Staff Sergeant Hitchcock departing for 22 Signal Regiment in Stafford. We said farewell to Sergeant Whitehead after 25 years of outstanding service and Sergeant Elliot was assigned to The Royal Lancers in his place.
During this year there has been numerous Regimental and Brigade functions: Christmas Balls, Cocktail Parties at the Commanding Officer’s house and Brigade Dinner Nights, but of note was the prestigious opportunity to cater for Gen- eral Officer Commanding 1(UK) Division at his residence, Danesmead House in York, where Staff Sergeant Smith and Lance Corporal Atkin delivered an outstanding function for the General and high ranking members of US Army.
If you haven’t already guessed, the ‘busy year’ couldn’t have been conducted without some feeding so the department have seen deployments to CAST and CATT in Germany, on Salisbury Plain and in Canada. In addition, Private Levy deployed to the Falklands working as part of a joint service kitchen alongside the RAF with Corporal
Fewell also deploying, employed as a pro- duction supervisor running a large team of chefs. Whilst there, Corporal Fewell com- peted against the RAF in the Island’s an- nual catering competition and came first, winning the trophy for the Army.
This year the department has had a fan- tastic pass rate on career courses at the Food Service Wing, Worthy Down. The
Catering Department would like to congratulate the follow- ing: Corporal Fewell and Corporal Magson on the Produc- tion Supervisor Course; and, Lance Corporal Wake and At- kins on their Chef Class One Course.
Finally, the chefs from The Royal Lancers took part in the annual Tri-Service Catering Competition, Exercise JOINT CATERER. Lance Corporal Atkin entered into the Open Field Team Challenge as team captain of a joint unit team. The scenario was to produce a two course meal for 20 covers from a 10 Man Ration Pack and Private Allan entered into the open hot pudding category. Both chefs put on an excel- lent show, receiving bronze medals for their performance, which at such a high profile event is an outstanding effort. The year was rounded off with Sergeant Gillespie winning the Seniors’ Garrison cake competition, producing a three tier, Kipling-esque spectacular.
Catering Department
Corporal Fewell and his team in the Falklands