Page 5 - QDG 2023

As I reflect on 2023, it has been a significant year for 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. Highlights for me have been the Coronation of our then Colonel-in-Chief, with the Regiment well represented with a marching contingent and Standard Party that did us all proud, and subse- quently welcoming Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales on her first visit. We look forward to a long and close relationship with Her Royal Highness and it is clear to me that she will add great value to our Regimental community.
For those serving at Regi- mental Duty I would think the year flashed by in a blur as they delivered so many outputs for Defence in California, Canada, Texas, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Kuwait and Poland. Most of these commitments have been at troop or squadron level and the Regiment will not be all together in one place for another 18 months.
So, ‘join the Army and see
the world’ still seems to be
a valid strapline and being an officer or soldier in QDG means it remains true that ‘it is not just a job but an adventure’ and it is pleasing to read how the Regiment has managed to preserve sport and adventurous training opportunities. So, the offer remains good, helped by a 9.7% pay increase for our most junior soldiers, plus subsidised food and accommoda- tion – including a guaranteed home for families at a time when many in society struggle to secure a property – and what remains a best-in-class pension scheme. However, I am concerned about the effect of such a pace of life on families and how this will impact on what hitherto have been our impressive retention rates. The contribution made to fighting power by Service families and their sacrifices are often underappreciated and we need to remain mindful of the truism ‘recruit the soldier, retain the family.’ This is why securing the best long-term basing and accommodation solution for The Welsh Cavalry is such a key priority.
Recruiting is an increasingly dark cloud on the horizon. Whilst QDG is currently fully manned, the projection is dire due to a precipitous fall in inflow -
the consequence of force reductions, recent computer system failures, buoyant employment, and a rise in outflow. The wider QDG community can help fight the recruiting battle by encouraging young- sters into our ranks.
If anyone doubts the effect that our wider regimental community can have on our serving personnel, the RCA’s Christmas Hamper appeal is a great example of how you all can impact reten- tion and morale. Our soldiers and those from the attached arms deployed in Poland, and their families they left behind over Christmas, all felt remembered
and appreciated through the heartwarming generosity of all of those that contributed to the appeal. Furthermore, the Corps and Regiments of all of those that were deployed with QDG were humbled by the example of how a truly family regiment treats its people.
I am pleased to report some very positive develop- ments across our regimental community this year. The move to a fully inclusive model for the Regimental Comrades’ Association, whereby everyone who is serving or has served in QDG is automatically a member for free, will significantly enhance our connectedness – but this does require people to enrol, which merely involves providing Home HQ their contact details.
We have also launched VHub’s ‘QDG Connect’ a smart phone app which enables you to connect with other members of the QDG community, acts as a communications hub for all Regimental news and events, and has useful links and tips. Users can establish their own
groups, re-establish comms with old mates and use it to facilitate reunions. I see it as a means of unlocking the networking potential of our community. Please download it from the App Store (‘VHub for Armed Forces’), select QDG, create your own profile, use it and help us refine it.
A consequence of our better connect- edness has been the plethora of bottom-up initiated reunions and 2023 saw Gulf War 2 20-year Squadron reunions, whilst Kosovo 25-year and Gulf War 1 35-year reunions are planned for 2024. Such events are an important way that a family regiment can continue to foster comradeship from cradle to grave.
Enjoy this year’s journal and read about all the exploits and achievements of our people who help keep QDG First and Foremost!
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 3
Colonel of the Regiment’s Foreword
So, ‘join the Army and see the world’ still seems to be a valid strapline and being an officer or soldier in QDG means it remains true that ‘it is not just a job but an adventure’