Page 28 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

Medical Section
The Regimental Aid Post (RAP) has had a challenging year supporting the Battalion through the global first pandemic in 100 years. This certainly provided a new environment for a young RAP to establish new found streams of communication both with each other and the Battalion. 2020 saw the arrival of a new RMO to support the excellent leadership of the Medical Sergeant, this was just as the first lockdown gripped the UK and became the Army’s main effort. A new model for consultations was established using audio-visual conferencing to achieve excellent deployability stats. The med team integrated themselves seamlessly into the daily COVID-19 briefs, in fact it was 6 months until the RMO was aware what people actually looked like rather than their skype pictures as we deployed on EX TALLINN DAWN. Throughout these challenging times med were able to
engage the Bn in the ethos that COVID-19 was not just Med but everyone’s responsibility.
Undermanned and with a dispersed work force, team med displayed exceptional moral courage to highlight the failings in vaccinations through 20X, but without shirking
at pace with Team Medic and annual skills testing a useful concurrent activity to the gunnery camp. COVID-19 continued to rear its ugly head and jeopardised the 3 meals a day in the cookhouse, but true to form, the Med Section provided its skills to help dish out food as part of this relief
Company Overview:
RMO: Maj J Vaughan-Smales Med Sgt: Sgt McGrath
Regt Nurse: Sgt Samuels
responsibility the
RAP developed and delivered a process
to vaccinate while COVID-19 raged through the UK. The rerolling of the Bn from TORAL to CABRIT provided further complications with force health protection which was flawlessly achieved before deployment on EX TALLINN DAWN.
COVID-19 continued to rear its ugly head and jeopardised the 3 meals
a day in the cookhouse, but true to form, the Med Section provided its skills to help dish out food as part of this relief package too
package too. Despite an
exceptionally busy and disrupted year where at times the RAP was held at readiness for both UKSB and OP RESCRIPT, morale remains exceptionally high and the team are excited for Op CABRIT 8 in 2021. As the operational cycle commences the Battalion are
The RAP deployed en-masse to Sennelager in Germany, leaving only a small junior footprint in the UK to support the Rear Operations Group. In Germany Force Health Protection activity continued
medically ready to deploy; this is echoed on the weekly command groups who will frequently hear “no points from Med...all good!”. Long may it continue.
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Company Overview:
EME: Capt J Marengo ASM: WO1 C Waddington
REME Light Aid Detachment
What a year it has been for the LAD! January began with Sgt Danny Moore and his band of merry men deploying to BATUS for Exercise PRAIRIE PHOENIX, the winter repair phase of the BATUS training cycle. The LAD tradesmen involved gained huge amounts of trade knowledge along with the added extras of exploring North America. The remainder of the LAD hit the ground running, fully focused on the two main challenges ahead: UK Standby Battalion for four months; and re-roling our ES capabilities from armoured infantry to a light mechanised protected mobility fleet for a deployment to Afghanistan on Op TORAL 12.
The global pandemic meant that most of the LAD, just like the majority of the Army, had to be stood down to work from home. As restrictions lifted, essential personnel returned to a socially distanced working environment to ensure the fleet would be ready to deploy to Castlemartin Ranges. SSgt Carl (El Dragon) Empsall deployed Dragon Company Fitters to CMR in order
to provide essential ES to the Battalion Gunnery Camp, which turned out to be excellent training prior to the second Gunnery Camp that would take place prior to Christmas.
The new LAD HQ arrived just in time for the programme to change direction. Slightly demoralised after the Battalion’s upcoming tour to Afghanistan was cancelled, the
LAD had naught to fear
as every cloud has a
silver lining and that
lining for 1 MERCIAN
was another foot on
the ground in Estonia,
swapping from wheels
back to tracks, this time
as the lead battle group.
Due to the Land Training Fleet (Sennelager) structure being in its infancy, there have been challenges, but only praise can be given to the professionalism, determination and can-do attitude of the LAD.
Back in Bulford the rear operations group have continued to keep the wolves from the door. Headed up by the AQMS, WO2 Sarah Paton, and SSgt Samuel (Essence) Shelley,
they have completed vital work in support of the Battalion’s training progression for Op CABRIT 8. A Company Fitters remain aligned to the Lead Armoured Task Force and soldier-on with the maintenance of the Battalion’s fleet.
Even with the tough times, the LAD has
managed to enjoy some team bonding and socially distanced get-togethers, celebrating some well-deserved promotions. All
are now ready for some well-deserved Christmas leave prior to retuning for another demanding year.
After a well-deserved
summer stand-down
and the Battalion
relieved of UKSB, the Commanding Officer would deliver more ground-breaking news, a second range package and further Mission Ready Training would now take place in Sennelager. SSgt Dean (The Juggler) Roberts was leading from the front sorting the tidal wave of logistical and geographical headaches thrown his way.
There have been challenges, but only praise can be given to the professionalism, determination and can- do attitude of the LAD
THE MERCIAN EAGLE