Page 31 - Example Journals

idly, take advantage of the ground and strike hard and fast. Kenya was a truly amazing experience and we ultimately demonstrated what can be achieved within such testing environments.
On our return from Kenya, we were looking forward to a welcome period of Easter leave only to learn that something else was in store for us. It looked very likely the Squadron had been selected to deploy to Bosnia for a six month operation in support of Op ALTHEA. Now this was unexpected news indeed! No sooner had we returned from Easter leave than the authority to initiate a pre-deployment training programme was given. A Sqn threw itself into PDT still high from the fumes of Kenya. Whilst we had not been given the formal go-ahead for deployment, the deploy- ment window was not far away. The Regiment scrambled to sup- port us as we threw together an intensive training programme that included conversion to JACKAL and COYOTE, a complete dismounted and mounted live- re package in Warcop, a surveil- lance and reconnaissance tactics course in Lydd (the COP course in old money), an OPTAG run all-ranks brie ng and nally a Mission Rehearsal Exercise in STANTA that involved a large part of the Regiment in support. All this was coupled with numer- ous recces to Bosnia and frantic meetings with PJHQ to ascertain exactly what A Sqn would be doing throughout the tour. Despite the PDT being extremely compressed and internally driven,
the Squadron performed extremely well and an element of this performance was certainly motivated by the knowledge that the Squadron were very fortunate indeed to have been given this fan- tastic operational opportunity.
After a short period of pre-tour leave, the Squadron deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina in early July. We consisted of four full sabre troops plus SHQ, Admin and Fitter troops, a Special Forces (reserves) troop (labelled as the Mobile Liaison and Observation Team (MLOT)), a team of medics and an Intelligence Support Team from the Int Corps. Our role was to ultimately provide a full spectrum of reconnaissance to the existing EUFOR which was positioned in Sarajevo. After signi cant nationwide unrest in February 2014, a 4-Star observation was made that EUFOR did not have suf cient combat power to supply itself with situational awareness during the national election period in September. Hence the call for The Light Dragoons.
Presented the task of supplying Comd EUFOR detailed intelli- gence across the spectrum of BiH’s human and physical terrain, A Sqn was essentially given the entire country to work within. The socio-economic-political structures were complex to say the least and A Sqn had a month to understand them! We divided the country into 4 troop areas of responsibility based on criteria
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons 2015
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