Page 11 - Bugle Autumn 2014

FOREWORD
As I come to the end of my first year as Colonel Commandant this Foreword provides a useful opportunity to take stock and to look forward.
Once again the Regiment has been significantly committed to operations. 4 RIFLES completed a successful tour in Afghanistan towards the end of 2013 and this year both 2 RIFLES and 5 RIFLES are deployed in Kabul and Helmand respectively. 5 RIFLES will be the last battle group in Helmand as the NATO combat mission concludes later this year, with 2 RIFLES being one of the first battalions to be deployed in support of what will become the follow-on NATO training mission.
As we look forward to life after Afghanistan, elements of 1 RIFLES have been deployed to Mali in support of the French-led EU mission to train Malian forces. Army 2020 was clear about the need for overseas engagement
to build capacity and develop insight and
understanding. 1 RIFLES’ deployment is a
good example of how this role will evolve.
Increasingly, 3 RIFLES will be involved in the
Gulf where their brigade has engagement responsibility. I am also encouraged by the large number of volunteers who have attempted Special Forces selection this last year. Commanding officers must continue to encourage our riflemen to have a go at joining what represents the acme of the military profession.
Army 2020 implementation continues to move forward with 5 RIFLES moving back to Bulford from Paderborn once 4 RIFLES have made space for them by moving to Aldershot. We have been fortunate to seize an opportunity to move 2 RIFLES from Ballykinler to Lisburn, which is a more sustainable location. There are inevitably some heavy hearts, as Ballykinler has been one of the Regiment’s locations for many years, and people will miss the training convenience and beauty of County Down. In August, 3 RIFLES moved barracks within Edinburgh and is now well found in Dreghorn Barracks. All this means that we are in a very good position as far as our locations and future roles are concerned.
More work though is required on our Reserves. 6 and 7 RIFLES are leading the way with their manning and we must maintain the momentum. The shackles have now been unlocked from much of the Army 2020 Reserve structure, which means that if regiments can recruit and man then they will be allowed to do so well beyond their theoretical establishment table. Hence we have great opportunities in some of our traditional heartlands, and elsewhere besides, to build a successful and sustainable foundation.
I have been very pleased with how the Regiment has grasped
the partnering opportunity between Regular and Reserve battalions as part of the ‘integrated Army’. Again the constraints have been lifted and we are free to exploit the potential of the whole Regiment’s footprint. We must use every opportunity we have to explain that the Reserve proposition makes sense. The old Territorial Army had been allowed to wither too far, which made no sense as far as our links with civilian society are concerned. The idea has failed to capture the imagination - not least because we have confused people over the degree of obligation required. It remains the case that reservists will not be mobilized short of a national crisis - unless they volunteer.
As I said last year, manning remains fundamental to the delivery of military capability and operational effectiveness. I am pleased with how we are doing. Good recruiting in 2012 – 2013, combined with reduced wastage at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick, resulted in 485 new Regular riflemen joining the Regiment between April 2013 and April 2014. This was some 50 riflemen more than our target and is the highest annual intake that the Regiment has
achieved since we were formed. Although this success has led to our targets being reduced, it represents an opportunity to build on the quality we have been recruiting, which is well above the Army’s average. We now have the challenge of promoting sufficient riflemen to meet the junior NCO requirement in the new Army 2020 establishment tables.
Having the right quality of officers is vital to the health of the Regiment. I initiated a review this year to examine how we ensure enough officers of the right quality are recruited to promote our desired Rifles culture in an increasingly competitive market. This remains a work in progress, although our results are respectable. We have met our quota of 21 new officers from Sandhurst, with Simon Swindells winning the Sword of Honour in April, and Rob Prince and James Eaves were both awarded the prize for the best student on the Platoon Commanders’ Battle Course. This is everyone’s business and we need all of you to keep talent spotting and referring quality people to David Day in RHQ.
Marksmanship and bugling continue to need attention. They embody our Regimental culture and ethos
and they will continue to be rewarded at our biennial Regimental Awards Ceremony. There have been some encouraging signs with shooting. 1 RIFLES retained the title for the best sniper pair within the Armed Forces, narrowly defeating 4 RIFLES and there are some promising individual target shots. However we continue to play second fiddle behind the Gurkhas, which is unsatisfactory given
our size and potential. I therefore intend to use the opportunity of having 4 RIFLES based in Aldershot to build a Regimental team that can genuinely compete at the highest level and restore our rightful position as the Army’s marksmen.
We have much work to do with the quality of our bugling. Inevitably with the operational focus these last few years, we have not been able to invest in it. There are advantages to having a dedicated role for buglers within the Assault Pioneers, not least from the perspective of career progression, but commanding officers
will have to cut buglers some slack, and prioritize accordingly given the demands of both skills. It is vital that buglers get the chance to sound with bands and to dedicate quality time to improving their musical ability. We shall set ourselves realistic targets to improve
the quality, and as a public demonstration of intent we shall set ourselves the goal of Sounding Retreat at Horse Guards in 2017 with all three of our bands and at least 100 buglers.
We enter a significant period of historical commemoration with the centenary of the First World War and the bicentenary of the Battle
of Waterloo next year. This is a great opportunity to remember, honour, learn and educate. I would encourage you to support the Care for Casualties Appeal and I congratulate those who supported the cycling endeavour around Flanders this September and the race meeting at Goodwood in October, both of which characterised the immense support you have all given to the fundraising initiatives since 2010. Our wounded and bereaved will continue to need our support for many years to come and there will be others, as yet not on our radar screens that will need our help.
Swift and Bold
General Sir Nicholas Carter KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen Colonel Commandant
THE RIFLES
FOREWORD 9