Page 17 - QDG 2023

Capt Holland sets a pace he knows he can’t maintain
he is doing his part for host nation rela- tions by purposefully losing every game.
Secondly, and in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are to deter Putin from further aggression. Of note, the Wagner Group arrived in Belarus over the summer. Inspired by the perceived dilettantism of the Royal Lancers, they no doubt intended to seize the Suwalki Gap at the earliest opportunity. No such incur- sion has taken place under our watch. Intelligence is always a dark art and one should never assume, but we can make informed assessments. Careful analysis by LCpl Griffiths, our COIST, does seem to suggest that the lack of cross-border operations by Prigozhin’s military is directly correlated to A Squadron’s entry to the Area of Operations.
Finally, we are here to train and benefit from our deployment to Poland. Though,
Cpl Hopkins finds 20p on the floor
at the time of writing, we have only spent two months here, there has been a huge amount of valuable training ongoing. Drawing on our resident Arctic Warfare Instructors, Sgt Couch and Cpl Hopkins, the Squadron have been through the
travails of extreme cold weather training. Particularly interesting was the Cold Weather Operators’ Course, delivered by Royal Marine instructors. The Squadron only recently completed an Urban Oper- ations training week, run completely in-house by Sgt Lunness. In the New Year, we anticipate a great deal more work with our multinational partners, whilst also seeking time to get out and explore what wider Poland has to offer.
I began this article by saying that the environs of Bemowo Piskie left me feeling somewhat detached from our adventures in Mali. The truth is, despite our change in surroundings, there are immutable elements that remain the same. I have been hugely impressed by the soldiers and officers of A Squadron who continue to embody the values in the tradition of this fine sub-unit. As has ever been the case, they approach every scenario with vigour and determination, whatever the circumstances and I know that they will continue to do so into 2024. I would also like to thank those that support from afar. Friends, family, members of the regiment current and former. Your support is central to everything we do and our task would be unachievable without it. With 2024 now imminently upon us, we look forward to yet another ‘busy year’ in Poland and beyond, but particularly in returning to the UK.
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
15
The winning team.
JEB