Page 120 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Battalion Headquarters
CO: Lt Col JEF Bryant
2iC: Maj K Ayling TD
Training Major: Maj TRJ Redon Training Major (R): Maj L Gomes QM: Maj P Francis
Adjutant: Capt TH Foulkes-Arnold RMO: Maj T Nguyen RAMC
RAO: Maj P Littler AGC (SPS)
RAO (R): Maj A Bowes TD AGC (SPS) IO: Capt M Hrycak
Community Engagement Officer: Capt B Cooper
Regimental Operations Support Officer: Capt P Woolman
RSM: WO1 (RSM) S Lennon
RA WO: WO2 Hoggins AGC (SPS) RA WO (R): WO2 Farmer AGC (SPS) TWO: WO2 Venning
A Company
OC: Maj A Roberts
2iC: Gapped
PSAO: Maj (Retd) C Helmn MBE CSM: WO2 P Houseman
PSI: WO2 D Broughton
F Company
OC: Maj S Hayward-Smith 2iC: Capt MM Ellis
PSAO: Capt D Tranham CSM: WO2 Walsh
PSI: WO2 H Willis
G Company
OC: Maj L Davis
2iC: Capt B Clare PSAO: Capt L Flitcroft CSM: WO2 G Copp PSI: CSjt G Wilmott
HQ Company
OC: Maj N Horsman
PSAO: Capt S Bennion
OC RRTT: Capt J Flexman
CSM: WO2 R Thomson & WO2 Bennetts (deployed)
RQMS: WO2 G Potts
RQMS (R): WO2 G Lort
MTWO: WO2 S Clarke
Waterloo Band and Bugles Director of Music: Maj P Clark Band Coordinator: WO2 Ghigi Bugle Major: Cpl T McCann
Introduction
It is unusual, perhaps, for a Reserve Infantry battalion’s year to have been so dominated by three separate operations as has 7 RIFLES’ this year.
weeks of the operation, the Training Major’s office was converted to an Ops Room and, with some augmentation from 4 RIFLES
to our key enabling staff and armed with
a small bookshop’s worth of Thames Valley A-Zs, the Battalion HQ turned to and commanded a Sector of the 145(S) Bde Thames Valley and Home County AO. The operation provided several examples of the additional value which Reservists can bring to people-centric operations: a Rifleman,
also a hydrology graduate, who proved extremely useful to the Environment Agency in predicting where water might flow; a Captain, also a civilian emergency planning officer from a county largely untouched by
the flooding, who was able to advise on procedures and ‘translate’ for the command team and a Corporal, also a forklift driver, who was able to takeover from the, by
then out of hours, council driver at the Chieveley sandbag factory, to cite a few. It also served to connect the Military with
SEVENTH
BATTALION
The Battalion remains as committed
to Op HERRICK as ever. In January, five individual augmentees deployed to 5 RIFLES and to 2 RIFLES and, as I write,
6 Platoon B Company 2 RIFLES deploys
to Kabul for Op TORAL. What is unusual
is that 6 Platoon is almost entirely a Reserve Platoon. It
is commanded and
manned by volunteers
from across the
Battalion and whilst it
has been reinforced
in a number of areas
which 7 RIFLES have
found difficult to provide
(FOXHOUND drivers
for example), Reserves are at its core. This is exciting – it is the first time that a formed Reservist Rifles platoon has blistered into its Regular Rifles pair for operations and I have every confidence that they will perform. It also very much represents the future and will enhance the very sure foundations from which integrated pairing for both Battalions will flourish.
Secondly, February’s terrible weather and the MOD’s response to aid the Civil Authorities, named
It also served to connect the Military with the Community in a way in which only adversity can
Op PITCHPOLE, saw
200 Reservists from
the Battalion deployed
across two weekends to provide immediate relief and reassurance and preventative flood defences across Berkshire and
local connection and the broader link with society, and the value of such activity to the Reservist himself, a number of whom were from the communities we were helping, became very clear over the course of the operation.
But the constant, and enduring, operation has been to increase the size
of the Reserves under the banner of Op FORTIFY. The requirement is to grow
the size of the Reserve in real terms by approximately 10000 over the course of the next four years. It involves shaping activity
it is the first time that a formed Reservist Rifles platoon has blistered into its Regular Rifles pair for operations
the Community in a
way in which only adversity can. The response from the local population and those affected communities, many of whom had had their lives turned upside down and inside out, was deeply humbling. The value of that
South Oxfordshire. A fortuitous piece
of programming allowed for an almost immediate response from the Battalion to the initial warning order to put away our weapons and find some waders. 12 hours after the order to execute, 7 RIFLES were the first troops into Datchet and Wraysbury and were the only troops in the Thames Valley for the first 4 days of the operation. Throughout the subsequent three key
118 SEVENTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES