Page 20 - The Bugle Autumn 2016 Issue 12

This year has been dominated by the re nement of the Army 2020 work, The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 and plethora of varied commitments that have kept the Regiment very busy. I think there are some interesting opportu- nities for The Ri es on the horizon, but for the time being I will provide this update from Headquarters Infantry by summarising the signi cant activity over the last year within each of the Regiment’s ve pillars: Regulars, Reserves, Cadets, Associa- tions and Communities.
The ve Regular Battalions have been kept very busy with a combination of collective training (much overseas), Specialist Training Team tasks across the world and an increased focus on UK security. The Ri es accepted 21 Direct Entry Of cers into the Regiment from Sandhurst and commissioned a record number of Late Entry Of cers from the ranks. Soldier recruiting has been challenging, with The Ri es continuing to attract about 30% of its recruits from outside of our traditional communities. In comparative terms our recruiting remains strong and I believe that this comes about as a conse- quence of a clear and attractive brand (itself based upon the tenets of being a Ri eman, unmatched opportunity in terms of Infantry roles and locations, and a reputation for excellence on the battle eld); support and recommendations from across the Regiment; and the increased pro le that being a large regiment provides. Sustainment of The Ri es remains every Ri eman’s main effort and there is no room for complacency. Finally in this area I would like to highlight that the Regiment has introduced The Ri eman’s Cadre for all soldiers passing out of Catterick. It is run by The Ri es’ Training Team in Chepstow and provides an ef cient way to ensure that new Ri emen are ready to take their place in 1-5 RIFLES by completing all the necessary training after basic training for individuals to attend a JNCO Cadre at the earliest opportunity. The best Ri emen achieve this in less than a year in their battalion as it remains a requirement for The Ri es to promote about 200 new Lance Corporals from the 400 or so new Ri emen we get out of basic training each year.
Reserve Ri emen have also been busy. The pairing arrangements between 1 and 6 RIFLES, together with 2 and 7 RIFLES, are setting the benchmark for others to follow – notably with unprecedented numbers taking part in the major training activities on Salisbury Plain in 2015 and Kenya in 2016. Likewise our Reserve recruiting continues to impress. Both Reserve Battalions, together with D (RIFLES) Company, have improved their trained strength this year, with a welcome increase in Regulars joining the Reserve and the initial signs of a much-needed upturn in Reserve Of cer numbers. In part this has been achieved following an expansion in our Reserve footprint after Army HQ orders were issued to recruit where we could from within our commu- nities. This saw new RIFLES detachments estab- lished in Paignton, Barnstaple and Birmingham, together with a return to Pontefract. In terms of utility
both 6 and 7 RIFLES have been demonstrating their worth by taking part in defence diplomacy activity in the Caucuses and Africa and all of our Reserves play a vital role in reinforcing our Regular Battalions whenever required and supporting our regimental communities and cadets. These are very exciting times for the Reserve.
There is an ampli ed Army focus on cadets and our cadet pillar remains vibrant and vital. There has been an increase in the already high level of support that the Regiment provides to our af liated cadets. This has seen more support given to our cap badged CCFs, closer links between the Regimental Support Teams and their local ACF Detachments, a high number of RIFLES Inspecting Of cers and the expansion of The Ri es’ Cadet Cup. The Ri es Council is looking to implement a new cadet strategy in the coming months that will see further, needed and welcome enhancements. The return for this support has seldom been more visible or appreciated than with the provision of the excellent Durham and Somerset Cadet Bands at the Sounding Retreat on Horse Guards Parade this June. If I had a reason for concern within the cadet pillar it would be that we attract fewer cadets into the Regular or Reserve RIFLES battalions than we could. With a statisti- cally high number of soldiers within the Army having previously had cadet experience our evidence would suggest that we are not attracting as much interest as we should. Cadets are aspirational young people and so the unrivalled opportunities to promote quickly and bene t from the multiple roles, locations and quali cations available within The Ri es should prove to be more attractive than they currently are. There is work to be done in this area: not to recruit more cadets into the Army because that is but one bene t of such a worthwhile youth organisation, but instead to ensure that Ri emen leaving the Regular or Reserve Army understand the opportunities of becoming a Cadet Adult Instructor, pass on their wisdom and that those RIFLES af liated cadets already thinking about joining the Army are made aware of what their own Regiment has to offer.
In terms of The Ri es’ Association, its impending 10th anniversary and our veterans I sense we are approaching a watershed moment. We now have over 3000 Regular Ri emen alone that joined and have left The Ri es. We are blessed with our Forming Regimental Associations and the welcome that they have extended to more recent Ri emen. Nonetheless I detect we are getting close the point where soldiers who have only ever served in The Ri es would like to get back together again and this is something that we must all encourage. As a Regiment we seek to link our antecedent, Forming, retired and serving Ri emen ever closer because it is only through this that we learn from the past and keep our Associations vibrant. A concerted effort in this area, as The Ri es moves into its 10th Anniversary in 2017, is something that I would strongly encourage. In particular I would like to see a convincing coming together over the Remem-
SUSTAINMENT OF THE RIFLES REMAINS EVERY RIFLEMAN’S MAIN EFFORT AND THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY
18 REGIMENTAL UPDATE
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTALUPDATE