Page 5 - 1RHA 2021

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Commanding Officer’s Foreword Lieutenant Colonel R I Taylor RHA
2021 has been a demanding year framed by operations in the United Kingdom and overseas, whilst
continuing to invest in and strengthen our culture of readiness. The Regi- ment played a significant role in the first Divisional Artillery Group exercise in a decade, establishing solid founda- tions from which to build as we look positively towards the post-Integrated Review world which, based on current
understanding, will see our Regiment maintain its affiliation to the newly titled 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team.
This year, for the first time in our professional memories we have operated in the wake of a global health crisis. COVID has not gone, but recent deployments have demonstrated our ability to mitigate the risks to force health protection, preserving our ability to prevail against all threats.
Operation CABRIT in Estonia has continued to develop our under- standing of warfighting and sub-threshold competition, crisis, and conflict. The Regiment’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence will endure beyond 2021, presenting further opportuni- ties for exposure to multinational environments, overseas opera- tions, and supporting deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic area which is pivotal to the security of the United Kingdom.
In the past year, the men and women of the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery have seized the opportunity to develop new skills whilst supporting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office, the Home Office, the National Health Service and civilian authorities, whilst also providing an HGV driver or two to address perceived fuel shortages. We should be justifiably proud of our achievements in response to COVID and the wider emerging cri- ses of our nation. I reflect on observations, from both military and civilian chains of command, that echoed universal admiration for the operational output of our Regiment.
We have maintained warfighting readiness as part of the Vanguard Armoured Infantry Brigade, and we have held the United Kingdom Resilience Unit 5 commitment throughout the year. Our readiness profile has fluctuated, and indeed has been overtaken by events with force elements deploying at best effort, faster than our state of readiness. We have more work to do to strengthen our culture of readiness but, evidenced by our best effort deployments, should draw confidence from the Regiment’s responsiveness.
We have begun to emerge from the sporting shadow cast by COVID. At the elite level, Gnr Artingstall’s boxing bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics was simply incredible, and when considered alongside Bdr Dainton who continues to represent Wales and Harlequins, and Lt Webb who is in the GB Biathlon squad; the Regiment has much to celebrate. At regimental level, the War- rant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess beating the Officers’ Mess re- launched cricket; the football team has a tour planned; and the Alpine Ski Team is set to deploy this season. Our early sporting success bodes extremely well for 2022.
Finally, our gratitude must go to the Journal’s editor for capturing this demanding chapter in our Regiment’s history – thank you Captain Chris Dodd RHA.
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