Page 48 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2019

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REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
Overview
2019 has been a dynamic and eventful year for D Squadron and one filled with achievements across the whole gamut of military, civilian and sporting activities. The primary focus has been our people, their mentorship and development, with a secondary focus on building a strong team ethos for the challenging year 2020 promises to be.
The Squadron has been as busy as ever with deployments, train- ing events, sport, AT and courses. Deploying to Finland on an Overseas Training Exercise (OTX) in the summer, supporting various Regimental training events across the year and thrust- ing our people out to individual and collective training events, not to mention sporting and adventurous training pursuits. The Squadron’s team and fighting spirit has been evident through- out; a healthy dose of competitive drive has seen the Squadron win the PETO Cup Boxing, the Babbington Shield and the St Eligius Trophy. Our people have also excelled individually, and the Squadron have given fantastic performances on Cam- brian Patrol, the 12 (Armoured Infantry) Brigade Sniper Cadre, and the RAC Crew Commanders Course to name but a few. A
1st Troop on Salisbury Plain, June 2019
number of our own were recognised for their efforts, receiving commendations from the Commanding Officer, the General Officer Commanding 3(UK)Div and Commander Field Army. The quality of our junior leadership is ever apparent as we have promoted close to 20 Tprs and LCpls, with a strong showing on the Regimental PNCO Cadre. The future is looking rosy for D Squadron.
More widely, 2019 has been a year of consolidation and training for the mighty ‘D’; the Squadron has formalised itself as a Sabre Squadron transitioning from a Command and Support Squad- ron. Now with two Scimitar troops and two Fire Support troops (combining elements of the previously designated Javelin and Support Troops) it is set as 2020’s RL Independent Sabre Squad- ron. The Squadron has built upon its dismounted heritage to grow its capability in the wider Mounted Close Combat (MCC) role; gunnery, tank park management, vehicle administration and mounted reconnaissance as well as maintaining the edge with Dismounted Close Combat training.
D Squadron is adapting to the needs and changes of a modern Army. The Squadron has been seeking out marginal gains to de- velop our people and improve our approach to be more tailored to the modern challenges facing the Army. There are numerous wider Army initiatives that give us the resource and the focus to generate positive change as well as a new Higher HQ in the Strike Brigade that is definitive in its ambition to innovate and experiment. The Squadron nest into these opportunities through
Back to basics; rolling out onto Catterick Training Area on a frosty January morning during Exercise MAROON LANCER 2
D Squadron