Page 20 - Bugle Autumn 2014

APPOINTMENTS Battalion Headquarters
CO: Lt Col KC Hickman MC 2iC: Maj WL Eden
RSM: WO1 OG Mitchell Adjt: Capt MA Cripps
Ops Offr: Capt CA Davies RSO: Capt PM Egan RCMO: Capt J Longmate IO: Capt PP Winstanley
Headquarter Company
OC: Maj RD Rowley then Maj IR Williams CSM: WO2 PC Jones
QM: Maj GI Campbell
QM Technical: Capt RA Sayer
UWO: Capt G Case
MTO: Capt RJ Hunt
RQMS: WO2 AJ McCullough
RQMS (Technical): WO2 SI Maunders
A Company
OC: Major PRG Bray then Maj BM Salt 2iC: Lt PA Barton
CSM: WO2 LG Mason
1 PC: Lt NS Massey
2 PC: Lt HJ Jenner
3 PC: Lt JEH Foster
B Company
OC: Maj SEA Cates then Maj JAB Edwards
2iC: Capt J Axford
CSM: WO2 L French
4 PC: Lt JF Brown
5 PC: Lt FW Coltart
6 PC: Lt PFB Keating
C Company
OC: Maj JA Crossley MC then Maj RC Streatfeild
2iC: Capt GJ Walker
CSM: WO2 SL Metcalf
7 PC: Lt JM Leccia
8 PC: Lt SJG Reed
9 PC: Lt Lt AG Dishman
S Company
OC: Maj JM White then Maj WS Peltor CSM: WO2 SW Boyd
OC Reconnaissance Platoon: Capt JD Murray
OC Mortar Platoon: Capt TLP Fitz-Gerald OC Javelin Platoon: Capt CS Flood
OC Sniper Platoon: Sjt JE Seemayer
OC Assault Pioneer Platoon: Sjt (Bugle Major) SF Heaver
In theory battalions in the Adaptable Force should complete a training year, followed
by a year at readiness and then a year committed (to tasks as yet unknown). As is so often the case, the theory and practice do not quite marry up. 1 RIFLES spent 2013-14 training (first for a deployment to Afghanistan which did not come to pass, then for potential contingent operations); committed (to 12 months of operations in Mali, as well as to 2 UK operations: flood relief in the spring and security for the NATO conference in Newport in the autumn;
and conducting other tasks (including Defence Engagement
and training support
for the 7th and 20th
Armoured Brigades). The next year looks
set to offer a similar range of challenges and opportunities.
Operationally, 1
RIFLES will spend all of 2015 at increased readiness as the light infantry battalion within the inaugural Vanguard Armoured Infantry Brigade. Vanguard will keep a slice of all Army capabilities at reduced notice to deploy in response to operational contingencies.
On the training front, the Battalion will be tested to Collective Training level 3
in the summer (an inter-platoon patrols competition and 3 simultaneous company- level exercises controlled by battalion headquarters) there is significant build-
Defence Engagement with Kazakhstan will gather a head of steam in the autumn. A 1 RIFLES team will deploy to Germany
as tactical mentors to a Kazakh company within a mission rehearsal exercise for
a multinational brigade, comprising 8 nations under the spine of a US brigade combat team that is shortly to deploy to Kosovo. This represents the first overseas deployment of a Kazakh company group
in modern history, a deployment for which the Kazakhs have purchased Airbus
military aircraft as an expression of their enthusiasm to gain accreditation for a future
FIRST
BATTALION
What the future holds
Operationally, 1 RIFLES will spend all of 2015 at increased readiness
UN peacekeeping deployment. Simultaneously, Kazakh special operations forces will visit the UK to train with 1 RIFLES ahead of Kazakhstan’s first ever entry into Exercise CAMBRIAN
PATROL. It is likely that the 1st Battalion will also mentor the Kazakhs in 2015 (back at home, in Kazakhstan) and in 2016 (when a Kazakh company may visit the UK to exercise alongside 1 RIFLES).
This rich and varied diet should leave just enough time to deepen our bonds
with 6 RIFLES whilst offering personal development, adventurous training, sport and military competitions to all Riflemen, looking to build on 2014’s many successes on all of these fronts. The following pages aim to expose a taste of the last 12
months’ activities, including articles on trekking in South Africa; mountaineering in Alaska; success at Exercise CAMBRIAN PATROL, the tri-Service sniper competition
and a multinational sniper competition in Kazakhstan; and the Army rugby challenge cup final; alongside
experiences from exercises in the United States, Cyprus, the Brecons (accompanied by our US allies) and elsewhere.
Maj Bill Eden,
Second-in-Command, 1 RIFLES
up training to be
crammed in, not least
for the headquarters
staff. Before this the
Battalion will conduct
a potential JNCO
cadre and support
weapons cadres
during the autumn in
order prepare Riflemen for new challenges of command and specialism. The commitment to Mali will end in the autumn and Riflemen returning from training Malians will have to quickly become part of the contingency training audience once more.
The following pages aim to expose a taste of the last 12 months’ activities
18 FIRST BATTALION
THE RIFLES