Page 14 - QDG 2023

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
A Squadron
As is tradition, I will begin this article with the steady stream of platitudes to which the readers of this journal will have become accustomed. 2023 has indeed been a busy year and once again a memorable one for the first of the ‘First and Foremost,’ A Squadron QDG. Readers will recall my prede- cessor’s excellent article from 2022’s edition, covering the Squadron’s Saharan exploits as part of the UN’s mission to Mali. Sitting as I do, looking out over the snowscapes of Eastern Poland, it could in many ways not feel more far removed from our adventures in the Sahelian dunes. Not only have we traded sand on our boots for frost on our jackets, but we also face a very different geopolitical context.
A Squadron entered the year with a schedule that was already filled to the rafters. Expecting to imminently spend six months training Ukrainians as part of Op INTERFLEX, the Squadron was poised to do its part to combat Russian aggres- sion. A hectic period had preceded, with the Squadron having fought hard to qualify itself for the task. Unfortunately, the requirement was downscaled and so the Squadron was stood down
at the last minute, with our antipodean cousins taking up the mantle instead. Naturally, this was a disappointment, but it proved fortuitous given the subsequent demand of pre-deployment activities.
Undeterred by the altered plans, A Squadron delved into the less glamorous aspects of training, notably G4, where the more mundane facets of army life took centre stage. The transfer of the BUF and the addition of loan vehicles, whilst not the most glamorous action, later proved invaluable during A Squadron’s Pre-De- ployment Training (PDT) process.
Amidst the tedium of BES
and CES checks, a few fortu-
nate individuals escaped the
clutches of the UK for more favourable surroundings. Lt
Asquith, at this juncture still reluctantly tethered to C Squadron, spent an arduous winter in Scandinavia, participating in the Nordic Skiing Championship. This is, of course, a far cry from the champagne lifestyle he is used to, which was instead being enjoyed by Tpr Firth in Verbier – an
example of social mobility that Dickens himself would be proud of.
In a reprise of the dark days of 2020, A Squadron was again called forward into the breach to address the public sector’s failings. This time, industrial action on the part of ambulance drivers forced the government to call upon its insurance policy once again. LCpl Flood-McCann and Tprs Baker, Gray-Thomas, Clements and Dawson ventured forth and earned the nation’s gratitude for their service.
As winter finally bid its farewell, A Squadron redirected its focus towards preparing for Op CABRIT, coordi- nated by the steady (if not slightly tired) hand of its Second-in-Command, Capt Holland. Under- strength since its return from NEWCOMBE, rein- forcements were required to bring the Squadron up to its tour strength. Old faces, long seeking to get back to the premier sub-unit of the line, returned in strength. On the officer front, Troop Leaders Lts Webster and Gamman, fresh from Warminster’s gentlemanly tactics course, joined the ranks, marking the debut of new leadership in the Squadron. Now of the appropriate constitution, A Squadron began training
in earnest.
This new ensemble’s first sojourn
was to be a ‘back to basics’ exercise on Salisbury Plain, where the first step was, perversely, to ‘unlearn’ the experience of recent deployments. Lessons of the previous two years, COIN and peace- keeping in focus, had to be purged in
the face of a totally different threat and enemy in the guise of Putin’s military. Shifting emphasis from Malian jihadis on motorbikes to Russian BTRs and T72s, mindsets were quickly readjusted in our first foray back to our traditional forma- tion reconnaissance role.
Whilst A Squadron were preparing for its new warfighting role, the military as a whole was preparing for an equally important event. Op GOLDEN ORB was the name dedicated to the coronation of King Charles III, drawing in personnel from across the British Armed Forces. A Squadron’s own representation came in the form of SSgt Chater and Lt Spicer. No doubt, they were quietly content with missing A Squadron’s BCS exercise. That is, until they arrived at RMAS and quickly found that marching around a parade square is slightly more arduous than a few weeks on SPTA. Nevertheless, they took centre stage at an event that will no doubt remain in the public conscious- ness for many years to come.
With the King safely coronated thanks to our protection, A Squadron returned to more serious affairs. In an affirmation of the JNCO cohort’s martial prowess, June saw the return of Cpls Brewster, Edmunds, Shepherd, Williams, and Hopkins, all freshly qualified as Crew Commanders. An excellent performance from this largely junior cohort, particu- larly as the Royal Armoured Corps re-focuses itself on the Golden Thread of this qualification.
Drawing on Sgts Howells and Lunness as its newly-qualified A Quals, A Squadron conducted its dismounted range package in late-Spring. To the credit of these individuals, all proceeded impeccably, with high quality training delivered to our soldiers. It seemed that the pre-deployment process would go without a hitch. Optimism sat palpably
The first glance of Hohenfels Camp quickly confirmed fears, as decrepit buildings entered sight and any and all phone signal dissipated.