Page 18 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

This has been a year of two halves for Dragon Coy. With the Battalion warned off for Op TORAL and most of the Company held at readiness as part of the UK Standby Battalion we were focused on developing Cat C driver licences and security clearances whilst maintaining our focus on readiness.
The COVID pandemic was the
first major event to tear through our programme with everyone having to rapidly adjust to home working. Like the rest of the country, Dragon adopted Zoom to conduct lessons and briefings and Strava for fitness. When necessary we still had to report to camp for operationally critical training such as ranges and
Foxhound vehicle crew courses.
On return from summer stand-down the second major event happened as we were
unexpectedly switched from Op TORAL to an armoured deployment in Estonia for Op CABRIT 8. To add to the friction, we were instructed that Op CABRIT 8 would be the first tour without CVR(T), (meaning the Recce Platoon and our Mortar MFCs would have to re-role to Warrior) and
that our pre-deployment training would be conducted in Germany. With the
focus now firmly on preparations for high intensity warfare, Dragon Coy have been building on existing ISTAR Group doctrine by combining our specialist weapon capabilities to become more than the sum
of our parts to improve the Battle Group’s lethality and tempo.
Despite all the changes 2020 has thrown at us I have been incredibly impressed at how everyone has adapted. In fact, the soldiers of Dragon Company have thrived on it. The current Commanding Officer of the CABRIT
BG reported that the ISTAR Group is
the most powerful subunit in Estonia; Dragon Company is ready to take on this mantel.
Company Overview:
OC: Major T Williams CSM: WO2 (CSM) D Street
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Company Overview:
Pl Comd: Capt R Courtney
Capt O Scott 2IC: WO2 M Catarall
Dragon (Earl of Chester’s) Coy
Anti-Tank Platoon
The Anti-Tank Platoon began the year with the much-anticipated Anti-Tank cadre. The instructional phase in Catterick was followed by a confirmatory exercise on Salisbury Plain, putting the latest additions to the test.
During lockdown the Platoon trained both dispersed and concentrated as required. The JNCOs gave presentations on various topics, the highlight of which was a case
study of the 2004 Battle of Fallujah with guest speakers from the USMC. The Platoon returned to Bulford for essential training, be that for our role in the UK Standby Battalion or in preparation for the upcoming deployment on Op TORAL and later Op CABRIT. The switch in training focus from Afghanistan to Estonia saw the sad demise of Sgt LB’s beloved Foxhound training program and a surge in armoured courses. This placed Sgt Hoyte and Cpl
Willis under extreme pressure to qualify the required crews, as an influx of new faces to the platoon throughout 2020 sees us fully manned for the first time in recent memory and able to man and operate from 11 crewed warriors with 6 complete Anti-Tank detachments. A difficult task under increased COVID force protection measures.
Anti-Tanks also conducted simulated training using Unit Based Virtual Trainer (UBVT) with the Recce Platoon – our relationship will grow closer and competition fiercer as we formalise the doctrine of the ISTAR group in 2021.
In October this new capability deployed to Sennelager ranges with the rest of the
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
The Platoon pause for a remembrance service at Sennelager ranges