Page 15 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 13
live further afield than Catterick. The geographic challenges presented by a potentially impending move to Wiltshire was also raised, and useful discussion was had about how to mitigate the effect of geographical dislocation from families in the future.
After a brief pause we then leaped into the murky world of training, where a number of lessons learned were provided by the work of C Squadron over the previous Summer, and it was universally agreed that Junior Officers and SNCOs should have greater freedom and empowerment to plan and conduct train- ing at the Squadron Level. How we conduct and validate our training provided another heated discussion, especially around the utility of Observer Mentors from other Squadrons to help training, and how to make training more engaging and dynamic
but also worthwhile for the Regiment. What was clear was that across the board a great deal of thinking has been done about how to best train a Reconnaissance Regiment, at times in synch with the remainder of the Division and Brigade but also at times requiring more bespoke specialist focus.
Such was the passion and attention lavished on the first two top- ics that timings became somewhat compressed for the late after- noon. This meant time was short for the 2IC to introduce the work done on encouraging Innovation across the Regiment and for the Regimental Sergeant Major to trigger a conversation over the OCA. It was agreed that both of these topics warranted fur- ther discussion which will have to be scheduled for the future.
After forty four hours of tabbing with at least thirty kilo- grams in their bergens, and over sixty kilometres of Welsh hills, the Royal Lancers’ team finished Exercise CAMBRIAN PATROL 18 (CP18). This was the end of six weeks of training for the eight-man team from C Squadron. The team: Captain Gardner, Corporal McKenzie, Lance Corporal Williams-Tanton and Troopers Russon, Vatuwaqa, Dixon, Howells and Collins. They spent six weeks doing extra physical training and lessons around their normal work, all in order to improve their strength, stamina and military knowledge. For a few days before CP18,
the Lancers hosted a team from Lithuania. After the mandatory weapons handling lessons the Lancers team gave them a tour of North Yorkshire, including Aysgarth Falls, a ‘proper’ Yorkshire pub and fish and chips in the Mess.
Before they knew it, the team were on the way down to Brecon for the big day. With a ‘cheeky Nando’s’ in Worcester on the way down, they were set. After a brief sleep in a youth hostel, they were up at half four and in the vans, en route to a wood block on the edge of the Radnor forest, ready to start. The exercise
Cambrian Patrol