Page 32 - Bugle Issue 16 Autumn 2020

The QRH (D Sqn) shake the dust from their
Challenger 2s as they qualify for Op CABRIT 7 within the 5R BG
Whoever coined the phrase ‘no plan survives contact’ may well have had a point, but he was clearly not a Rifleman and gave up far too easily! The Training Wing began planning and delivering CT0 in late 2019 with a series of Gunnery, Driving and Commander courses for all armoured platforms which was complemented by BCS training at Pl and Coy level.
With the arrival of the global pandemic,
all plans to deploy to BATUS were instantly shelved and heads were scratched raw deter- mining what our Pathway to CABRIT would now look like: the 4-week Battlegroup gunnery camp was born. This plan saw the Battlegroup deploy to CMR at the end of March which,
at the time of conception, gave the Trg Wing
a planning lead time of only 2 weeks. With diplomacy, resourcefulness and favours owed, the range package was planned, booked
and assured within 12 hours. By the end of
the day the package was cancelled; a good readout of the current environment! More head scratching ensued before another Battlegroup gunnery camp was earmarked for May 20 in Castlemartin. This one went ahead.
The range package was structured to provide the same live firing start states for Op CABRIT that BATUS would have enabled. Clearly real estate and range staff are vastly
With the arrival of the global pandemic, all plans to deploy to BATUS were instantly shelved and heads were scratched raw
different in Pembrokeshire, but an ambitious target was set for all subunits. Range time was used ruthlessly, and every minute of every firing day was utilised to qualify vehicle crews and dismounts. An extra period of night firing was arranged to mitigate the short summer nights, which must have pleased local residents no end. COVID-19 measures saw a fair degree of outside assurance and scrutiny placed on the 5 RIFLES Battlegroup, but all Riflemen approached these measures sensibly and professionally, ensuring the main effort was the delivery of quality mounted and dismounted live firing. This attitude guaran- teed zero cases of COVID-19 and the success of the 5 RIFLES Battlegroup. This success was quantified as a 97% first time pass rate across all platforms, with D Squadron and D Coy achieving 100%; a fantastic result.
The Battlegroup grew in confidence, and its ability to operate within COVID-19 constraints became second nature. Whilst the cancel- lation of BATUS PS1/21 was disappointing,
it has highlighted the resourcefulness and resilience of our Riflemen and all members of the Battlegroup.
Capt C Nufer
Training Officer
The Parrot Anafi drone provides the section overwatch as
the section prepares to launch an assault under the cover of smoke
Ex BAKER SAIL
In mid-July, under the beating Cypriot sun, 14 members of B Company prepared to conduct a week of sailing under the Adventurous Training Group Sailing Base in Cyprus. Two Jeanneua Sun Odyssey 36s proved the vessel for first boat 10 members of the expedition had ever been on. It was their first experience of sailing and everyone’s first experi- ence of sailing in Cyprus.
On the first day, once the able skippers Capt Needham and Lt Wood were content that should they fall overboard, the crew would be able to retrieve them, the crews returned to port to taste the delights of Rfn Mills and LCpl Terry’s cooking. Over the next week both crews enjoyed fantastic sailing conditions and were able to sail from Akrotiri all along the south coast of Cyprus to Larnaca in a single day. Before turning around and slowly following the land back to Akrotiri stopping at a variety of towns and villages along the way. The weather was fantastic for learning to sail in. We usually anchored in a crystal blue bay at lunch, making meals of Greek salad, pasta and sandwiches that bit more bearable... before catching the stronger winds and normally a race to the next overnight location.
Various dolphins and turtle sightings added to the trip and the final day saw both boats slip Limassol marina just before 0730 and motor across ‘glass-like’ seas. Each crew practiced differing sea shanties, with ‘Chicken on a Raft’ being a favourite
of Rfn Yates and Rfn Penfold. Once both boats were cleaned and handed back, a last-minute visit to Limassol Waterpark provided a nice break
from the seas and a chance for crew and skipper to relax. All in all, a very enjoyable week with many lessons learnt both and good experiences had, although I don’t think Sjt Springer will be breaking out his sea legs any time soon...
Lt M Woods
OC 6 Pl
32 RIFLES The Bugle
PRE-DEPLOYMENT GUNNERY CAMP