Page 80 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Ex
TARLETON
TROPHY
With Op HERRICK 18 a distant memory and the pace of life slowing to a steady sprint, covering tasks all over the world from adventurous training in France and the USA to exercises in Canada and Kenya, there was only just enough space
in the forecast of events for the infamous inter platoon competition. The Tarleton Trophy was introduced to 3RGJ in 1975 after the death of Lt Col Mike Tarleton (CO 3 RGJ) who died of a heart attack while in command in February 1975.
The planning of the Tarleton Trophy traditionally falls to the Regimental Serjeant Major and Operations Officer, but we all know that the RSM and Ops Officer have full time jobs already. To that end we looked around the Battalion to find a suitable SNCO and officer with capacity in their workloads to take on such a task. We didn’t have to look too far! As luck would have it, CSjt Ireland (the ISTAR SNCO - a job I’m sure he made up) had just been posted in and Captain “I’m not sure I’m going to be here for the exercise” Elliot was in need of gainful employment. Both JUMPED at the chance of taking on such a task.
As RSM, I wanted this Tarleton Trophy to be different from previous years. I wanted it to be physically and mentally testing for all members within the platoon, from the platoon commander down to the most junior Rifleman. I also wanted the exercise to be as realistic as possible. Each and every one of the six stands needed to test the platoon as a whole. The stands had
to be within their capability and were not
to rely on huge amounts of pre-training to know and understand the skills. CBRN,
Navigation, Communications, Medical, Recce skills, Estimate and Orders process and Offensive Action were the main areas for assessment, all of which should be second nature to all.
the extreme by getting delayed in Kenya for an extra ten days to miss the exercise altogether.
The first phase saw the platoons depart Bulford and move to Wyvern Barracks in Exeter in the early hours of the morning, where every man would carry out a 2 mile loaded march. We were hoping this would
Having completed a map recce in Bulford and coming up with a general plan we headed down to Dartmoor to walk
the route (Yes we did
recce it!) to ensure that
what we were asking
the Riflemen to do
was firstly viable and
secondly challenging
enough. With the
recces complete,
Capt Elliot set about
the paperwork to support the exercise. Multiple tons of paper, frictions and what remained of Capt Elliot’s hair later, we had an exercise.
Inevitably, the fear and anticipation of the Tarleton Trophy got to some members of the Battalion, who tried anything and everything to get out of such an arduous exercise. 1 Platoon (Lt “We don’t need to be tested” Legg and Sjt Dolton ) took it to
catch them on the back foot and throw them into the unknown. Clearly operational security wasn’t great, as a week prior to the event even the Sodexo staff knew what was happening. Having
completed the 2 miler, the platoons were loaded onto troop carrying vehicles and taken to the south of Dartmoor, where they covered around 15 km between a series of stands.
Most faired well on the first day, leading many of the platoons into a false sense
of security. The ground to the south of Dartmoor is relatively firm under foot, allowing good speed between the stands
Multiple tons of paper, frictions and what remained of Capt Elliot’s hair later, we had an exercise
78 FOURTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES