Page 38 - KRH Year of 2021 CREST

36 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Training Wing
The first quarter of 2021 continued where the last finished for the Training Wing. Organising and delivering multiple aspects of collective and distributed training. All of which while the Regiment were deployed in support of Op RESCRIPT, this time in Kent. The Training team consisting of WO2 Pople, SSgt Gainford and Cpl Beard with a primary focus of delivering career- based courses both in camp and preparation for those soldiers attending courses in external locations. Cpls Beard and Lewis taking the CR2 and PANTHER lead, the former having a par- ticular focus on preparing himself to prior to his attendance the Pre-Employment Training (PET) course in April 21.
After the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) tasks and a period of RAC Battlecraft Syllabus (BCS) the squadrons focus sharply switched to ensuring the KRH were able to deploy to Castlemartin ranges. This journey was executed with meticu- lous detail with SSgt Gainford, the resident RGSS, at the helm, overseeing the excellent gunnery delivered by the squadron RIGs (Cpls Brown, Kay, Bulbeck, Bennet, Williams and Sgt Clegg) to ensure the Regiment’s numerous CR2 crews were fully prepared for the annual pilgrimage to Pembrokeshire.
Due to ‘hitting the ground running’ after returning from MACA all range preparation was achieved. This was a Herculean effort by both the Training Wing and the REME, the latter ensuring the fleet was in an impressive condition prior to the lengthy range period.
The first sqns to arrive at CMR were B and D Sqn who set about the task of carrying out systems performance checks and test fire procedures methodically. They went on to qualify all their crews at ACT when conditions were not always the easiest, experiencing the weather roller coaster that is Wales, i.e. four seasons in one week. One day gale force winds caused targets to become very fast “moving targets” out to the Irish sea. The weather that followed was akin to an idyllic early summer day, which quickly changed to thick sea fog. Later in the range period A and C Sqn inherited the fleet off B and D Sqn in good order and like the B and D Sqn they were able to battle the weather and achieve enviable results.
The RGSS had the controversial task of totalling scores to assess who was the highest scoring sqn. It was very close, with the CO and 2IC both scoring an impressive level 6 during ACT. Arguably, the 2IC Maj Parkyn who had just qualified as a CR2 Tank Commander, was the more impressive. Especially due to his Recce history and lack of CR2 acumen. However, credit must go to his Gunner - LCpl Caldwell. Additionally, Recce Troop capital- ised on their success and proved that non-issue boots and smocks makes all the difference as HQ Sqn beat off stiff competition from A and B Sqn to land the coveted top spot - the RGSS stating no money changed hands...
In all it was a hugely successful range package. Credit must go to the RGO, Lt Nichol, who helped the Regiment build a good working relationship with the, sometimes awkward, civil servants at Castlemartin. Equally, a mention must go to his hairstyle, mul- let esque, which seemed to be the cause of daily morale and the