Page 22 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

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also seized the opportunity to exercise at battle group level through use of simulation. The Joint Fires Cell at Larkhill is a fantastic facility, enabling Recce to practice fire missions in a classroom
Range Day/Bulford Ranges, Wilts/June 20
Pembrokeshire. The weather held, the guns fired well and the Platoon was able to spend some well-earned down time at the beach.
Recce Beach Football/Castlemartin Ranges, Pembrokeshire, Wales/July 20
Cpl Durrant and LCpl Gilliver delivering orders before deploying on a Recce Patrol/Salisbury Plain/Feb 20
to a foreign country has been thoroughly enjoyed by the soldiers of Recce Platoon after an interrupted year. With a further deployment to Germany in January and Op CABRIT 8 in 2021, the Recce Platoon is excited to get on the ground and lead the Battle Group as we move forward.
environment with
first-rate instruction
from the Royal Artillery.
The ability to call in
accurate artillery fire is
a key Recce skill and
the troops relished the
opportunity to develop
their expertise. Similarly,
Recce exercised on
the Unit Based Virtual
Trainer at Warminster, improving our tactics and manoeuvre. The simulated environment is an unparalleled opportunity to develop new tactics and push the junior commanders to their full potential; several JNCOs stepped up and excelled under the pressure of battle group level manoeuvres.
To prepare for operations, the Platoon has spent a significant period of 2020 honing their mounted and dismounted marksmanship on the ranges. In the summer, Recce Platoon said a wistful goodbye to the CVR(T) Scimitar on a final live firing package on Castlemartin ranges,
In Estonia, Recce
will deploy in the
Warrior AFV as used
by other sub-units in
1 MERCIAN. This posed a huge challenge to re- train the entire platoon on Warrior over
a very short period. The troops
rose
to the challenge with
the tenacity and determination that
typifies reconnaissance soldiers and all qualified successfully. In
November, the Platoon deployed on Ex TALLINN DAWN in Sennelager, Germany, to complete further training on the Warriors, both live firing and on exercise.
The opportunity to deploy
The troops rose to
the challenge with
the tenacity and determination that typifies reconnaissance soldiers
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Night Firing on Bulford Ranges/ Bulford Ranges, Wilts/June 20
Cpl Bothamley calling in Fires, as LCpl Bell watches on/Joint Fires Cell, Larkhill/Jan 20
Recce Warrior preparing to advance down range/Sennelager Ranges, Germany/Nov 20