Page 29 - 4RA Regimental Journal 2019-2020

4th Regiment Royal Artillery Battery Commander’s Foreword
The diverse and multi – farious nature of the Headquarters Battery makes it a complex beast. The professional interaction and cooperation of such a vari- ety of departments with each other has produced a combined effect greater than the sum of their individual outputs provid- ing the Battery with such a strong cohesive nature and identity as it provides support across the Regiment. The last two years has seen the Battery support a wealth of activity within the G3 and G4 arenas; both military and civilian organisations have benefited from the professionalism of those who deployed both in the UK and overseas which has seen the rich history of the Battery being added to as our good name has been taken forward.
As the Battery Commander, it has been hugely humbling to witness how well we have all looked after each other. My views have only been cemented as the present- ing of a national pandemic has seen us having to maintain our output but in ways we wouldn’t otherwise have considered. The ability to carry on in the steadfast
Maj PAG Alexander RA
manner that all members have, has only strengthened our cohesion and identity, and as we move forward held at readi- ness in support of 7 Infantry Brigade “The
Desert Rats”, that cohesion, identity and indeed our character goes from strength to strength.
Throughout November 2020, members of 94 (New Zea- land) Headquarters Battery were deployed on Ex CERBERUS. This was the validation exercise for several brigades working under the command of 3rd (UK) Division, prior to commencing readiness. 94 Bat- tery were working with 7th Infantry Brigade in order to support them as the JEF Light Brigade headquarters. This exercise also provided 3rd Divi- sion with the opportunity to begin their training pathway in preparation for taking part in Ex WARFIGHTER in 2021. The plan to make all this pos- sible was an eleven-day prepara- tion exercise before going onto our validation exercise over the course of nine days.
The preparation exercise was very challenging, getting used to how the brigade and everyone in it worked and getting used to their stand- ard operating procedures. All this
LBdr Metcalfe
was made more complicated by the weather conditions, the austere headquarters location, and COVID- 19 restrictions. However, we quickly managed to get settled in and estab- lish good working relationships with the rest of the Brigade HQ staff. As a Brigade JFC we quickly integrated into the execution cell as did the plans team into their cell. Members from across the Battery deployed to support the exercise, including CO’s Tac, the BC and BK working with their plans team, the BSM along with the execute team, a detachment working as sim operators and the FDC and a rebro detachment sup- porting EXCON.
The exercise scenario we were faced with involved 7 Infantry Brigade working as part of 3 (UK) Division in the Baltic States. The exercise was high tempo, with the execute team working 24 hours a day and the plans team running several planning
cycles over long days. Following a successful series of missions which saw bu plans and execute stress test the Birgade SOIs, we moved onto the validation stage of the exercise on which 7 Infantry Brigade were successful.
All members of the Battery learnt a lot from the exercise. This included how we operate effectively and at a very high standard within a Bri- gade across all the cells, building effective relationship and the bonds developed on prior exercises. Also, what manning would be required if we were called upon to do this against a real life, peer, enemy. All this experience will help the Bri- gade as they progress onward to Ex WARFIGHTER and as whole, we now remain focused whilst held at readiness in support of 7 Infantry Brigade as the Joint Expeditionary Force (Light) Brigade.
Exercise CERBERUS
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