Page 18 - QDG 2023

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
B Squadron
I have the privilege of commanding B Squadron 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, stepping into some big shoes left by a previous bonehead, Maj O’Shea; perhaps one day, I too will master the genteel art of sabraging champagne with a lance.
What was utterly clear from the begin- ning is that I inherited a great team who knew how to balance work and play. Indeed, so much so, that our first serial as a team was a week in which we had the inter-squadron athletics and a delightfully demanding Commanding Officer’s PT challenge. We won both. We probably mastered this physical prowess from the miles and miles run in Kuwait on Ex DESERT WARRIOR for St David’s Day in between teaching the Kuwaitis the nuances of armoured warfare. Armoured warfare being no substitute for close quarter urban battle... with water balloons. No-one is quite sure how it started, but we know how it ended – one wrecked minibus and 16 wet troopers. Perhaps some more rank-rec- ognition would have been worthwhile as the Kuwaitis kept muddling the SSM’s massive crown with the OC’s very small one. The saluting stopped once the old adage of commission vs warrant was explained to them (you know it: you commission something but you warrant a service...).
Kenya on a short-term training team was a great opportunity to go on safari and explore Nairobi deliver some critical East African Defence Engagement to the Kenyan Armed Forces on the front- line with Al-Shabaab. Lt Clark and Sgt Humphreys managed to reduce their entire (Chinese procured) fleet avail- ability to zero within a week – so just doing what they do in the UK but in a sunnier climate. How Lt Mower has not
been eaten by a lion is unknown. It also conveniently afforded Maj O’Shea a long recce as he heads out to be SO2 Safaris.
celebrated) the mutiny by our transat- lantic colleagues, hosting Brig General “Knuckles” Campo, the Lord-Lieutenant,
Lady Dannatt and other dignitaries in the second best social event of 2023 (see: Waterloo 208).
Taking a break from defending democracy around the world we focussed on some reten- tion positive exercises in the form of a canoeing trip in Sweden led by Lt Walsh and some Alpine activity in Austria under Lts Logan and Mower. Who knew Swedish mosquitoes could almost drive a man insane (ask LCpls Dempsey and Eyles). Hitting the ground running in September, we quickly
converted to Humvee and deployed onto Ex DIAMONDBACK in the National Training Centre, California.
In between the strategic
level Defence Engagement
operations, a detachment
for Op GOLDEN ORB was
being assiduously guided
in turnout and drill by WO2
McKinnon. Senior Regiment
of the Line, QDG marched
proudly at the head of the
RAC contingent before our
new monarch – the odd
regiment with the long pointy
things and flags seemed
quite close to the back, but a
successful rear guard always
guarantees success. As if
we couldn’t have enough
pomp and circumstance,
B Sqn under Sgt Brown
turned the dilapidated old air traffic control tower at Swanton Morley into the Eisenhower Tower and observed (never
No-one is quite sure how it started, but we know how it ended
– one wrecked minibus and 16 wet troopers
Dav 220’s first 6 Nations without a pint
Nothing in front but the enemy