Page 44 - The Bugle Autumn 2016 Issue 12

Adventure Training
Shooting Team
2016 has been a good year for the shooting team despite the tempo of Battalion commitments. Due to this we were hard pushed to get an 8 man team together ready to take part in the 4 RIFLES Operational Shooting Competition (OSC), which would be our rst event of the year at Pirbright ranges. With a week to go before the competition starting, we managed to get 3 days on a range to zero and practise some shoots. We departed for the OSC with the odds against us but despite this we nished as the best outside unit with a comfortable margin between us and the second placed team.
After the 4 RIFLES OSC, we switched focus to the Divisional OSC which was taking place in May at Catterick ranges. The team was in a good place but unfortunately the Battalion’s commitment to Op SHADER meant that none of the original
WE DEPARTED FOR THE OSC WITH THE ODDS AGAINST US
Adventure Training
Following the completion of a company level deployment to Iraq on Op SHADER, 40 personnel from the Battalion followed their Post Operational Leave by deploying to Tignes, France on Exercise DRAGON NEIGE BUGLE. The exercise aim was to qualify up to 32 personnel in Ski Foundation 1 and 2, whilst providing continuation training for some of the Battalion’s more capable skiers. It also allowed many Ri emen to experience skiing for the rst time, in an environment that was fun, challenging and instructive.
After a gruelling 16 hour journey, the company arrived in Tignes for 5 days of perfect, cloudless skiing. All the issued sun cream in the world couldn’t save most faces from the elements, but thanks to the cohesion and morale within the company spirits remained high. The skiing lessons delivered were of an extremely high standard, thanks to instructors from the Royal Marines, RAF, Army Reserves and Regular Army.
In total 24 novice skiers achieved the SF 1 quali-
members of the team were able to compete. Again, we managed to get a team of 8 together and conduct a further 3 days on the range before setting off to the competition. We came 6th in the Div OSC which was another good result for the shooting team given the churn and limited training that had taken place.
The battalion was unable to put a team into the Army OSC this year but we did take part in Exercise GOLDEN OWL, a Special Forces sniper competition in Kazakhstan. We did extremely well against 7 different nationalities (USA Green beret, Kazakhstan SF, Russia, Belarus, China SF, Pakistan SF) and what makes our performance even more impressive is that we were using the Kazakh’s sniper ri es (Sako TRG 22) and only had 10 rounds to Zero and collect data which really put our skills to the test. A very well done to all those who have contributed to our successes so far and we look forward to future events now that we have a solid core of Rfn to develop.
Sjt Will Thomas, Trg Wng SNCO
cation, with a further 6 completing their SF 2. The expedition challenged the patience, nerve and physical strength of all involved, with the novice slopes providing a similar level of challenge to the beginners that the black runs posed to those who were more advanced.
The Expedition made the most of a late season in the French Alps and conditions could not have been better. This, combined with the atmosphere in Tignes and the opportunity to try a completely new sport, created an incredibly positive atmosphere among the group. To get half of the company alpine skiing after Op SHADER was a huge success. Faced as ever by a daunting Forecast of Events, including collaboration with the Kazakhstan Army, further Op SHADER commitments and multiple exercises and STTTs on the horizon, the opportunity to present such a large group with this opportunity was a rare treat, and a real privilege.
Lieutenant Si Reed
42 XXX
THE RIFLES