Page 10 - KRH Year of 2021 CREST

8 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
The KRH began a new decade in a fashion not dissimilar to how it left the previous one; on operations, test-kits in hand. Over the Christmas break, the nation’s attention had moved South East, from Liverpool to the Strait of Dover. C Squadron were the first to deploy on task in support of 1 RGR, who stood up in late December to deliver haulier testing. The Senior Squadron took up temporary residence in service stations throughout the coun- try as part of an initiative that would later be called Upstream Testing – an attempt to stem the tide of hauliers that were begin- ning to build up outside Channel crossing sites. Soon after, the remainder of UKRU 2 (RHQ, A & C Squadrons) deployed en masse to Kent to relieve 1 RGR, who have been testing through- out the Christmas period.
UKRU 2, conducted round the clock task of hauliers at RAF Manston and Sevington Inland Border Facility. The remainder of C Squadron shortly re-deployed to Kent following the hando- ver of Upstream Testing to civilian contractors. B Squadron and the remaining elements of HQ Squadron stood up as the Rear Operations Group (ROG) whilst providing the Regiment’s other readiness commitments. For the most part, the Nation’s response to the Delta variant remained the Regiment’s focus throughout the first quarter of the year.
In late February, the Regiment handed over the Op ROSE com- mitment to 4 PWRR, from whom it would shortly transition to civilian contractors. Following the Regiment’s recovery from UK operations, focus immediately switched to our core role, with the Squadrons deploying onto Salisbury Plain to conduct mounted Battlecraft exercises, the first step on the progression to Combat Ready Training and assuming the role as the Lead Armoured Battlegroup. With the weight of the Regiment now in Aliwal Barracks, the first course of the Cardigan Programme initiative was successfully delivered. The 5-week rehabilitation and development course aims to upgrade our downgraded per- sonnel, as well as more general initiatives to improve human per- formance. To date, it continues to be a success.
The remainder of the Spring Term was spent exercising with 1 YORKS in both the dismounted and mounted roles. Burma Company delivered an exceptional Live Fire Tactical Training Package at Lydd Ranges for 180 soldiers from the KRH BG aligned Squadrons over two-week period, progressing to section in attack by day. Meanwhile, D Squadron deployed their tanks alongside Corunna Company onto Salisbury Plain to conduct low level integration training after the 1 YORKS BG Battle camp in Sennelager was cancelled due to the constraints of the pandemic and competing demands of UK Operations. KRH BGHQ also ran several Ex MUDDY HAWKs to bring the new team together, develop new dispersed tactics and prepare for the test exercises ahead.
The summer term began with an Equipment Care concentration to prepare 20 of our 24 tanks for the Regimental Firing period and take over a further 6 to set the fleet for Ex IRON STORM 2 in September. The LAD had a significant Level 2 mountain to climb as it had been over a year since any of the fleet had fired and the Regiment had been focused on UK Ops. The tank park once again became a hive of activity and the job cards steadily reduced, but more importantly crews, troops and squadrons began to gel once again. The KRH BG held a Conceptual Study week with the Armoured Infantry Companies and attached arms in Tidworth to set the context for the coming training progression. With C, A and HQ Squadron Leaders having only recently taken over, it set the stage for BG personalities to introduce themselves to one another. Meanwhile B and D Squadrons continued their
mounted gunnery preparation in the PGTE suites, in preparation for their westwards march to the Pembrokeshire coastline. With the Commanding Officer’s Stables Parade and tank transporter movement widows fast approaching, the Squadrons doubled down on their hard work to ensure there would be enough tanks fit to fire on day one of ranges.
Regimental ranges commenced in the last week of May with the Squadrons handing over their fleet and ranges after two weeks. Challenger 2 ammunition usage has been supressed in recent years due to a shortage of TVEs and SH(P) bag charges, so the crews would only be firing up to the Annual Crew Test (Reduced). Thankfully, torrential rain on the first Saturday soon passed and both B and D Squadrons got off to a good start, despite the usual frustrations with several tanks during their SPC. Though Recce Troop shared D Squadron’s range to accommodate Burma Company firing on Range 5, the long days meant the day LFXs could be fired in the evenings twice a week, so time was manageable until a Safety Notice landed on the evening before the last day of firing. The safety issue was in relation to a fault on an RTR Squadron’s range earlier in the year, where water ingress into the Commander’s Control Handles can cause the firing circuit to be made when the align switch is pressed. Clearly un-demanded firing is not what anybody wishes for, but the Squadrons were still frustrated as they had been firing for eight days without the issue being mentioned. The single tank from B Squadron that had already been modified fired as many of the remaining IRON STORM 2 crews through as possible on the last Friday, whilst the LAD started working around the clock to get the remaining tanks modified so they could fire with C and A Squadrons on the Monday. The handover to the KRH BG Squadrons went well and was completed in a day, which is testament to the diligence of our SQMS Techs and Troop Sgts.
Upon returning from mounted ranges, the hasty pace of life in Tidworth did not falter. The Squadrons were met by a brand-new tank park, hangars, and Light Aid Detachment facility. Medicina Lines was delivered as part of the Army Basing Programme’s requirement to provide technical accommodation for units return- ing from Germany. The new infrastructure was designed to sup- port the Regiment’s future role as an AJAX equipped Armoured Cavalry Regiment and create the space on the old tank park for the QRH, who returned to the UK in the Summer of 2019.
Though much of the focus remained on force preparation for IRON STORM, The D’Arcy Hall Summer Sports Competition was unaffected, with C Squadron the overall winners. Furthermore, a Regimental level Adventure Training package across several weeks in June saw the bulk of the Regiment partake in a range of activities throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles.
No sooner had the sports equipment been returned to the QM’s store and KRH BG soldiers were out manoeuvring on the Salisbury Plain once again for Ex CRIMSON THUNDER. A two week, fully simulated exercise with a proactive OPFOR provided by D Squadron and expert Observer Mentorship from B Squadron. The battlegroup conducted numerous tactical actions across the Plain in a combined arms setting, whilst still finding time to lay up at the Wig to watch England’s fixtures as they hurtled through the early stages of the European Championships.
Having recovered from the exercise, the Squadrons immediately went into post exercise maintenance and preparations for Summer leave. Meanwhile, BGHQ and Comd Troop, re-cocked and began preparations for a 12 Brigade CPX, Ex CRIMSON TORNADO. Brigade HQ and Sub Unit LOCONs were established in Comd
Regimental Notes