Page 42 - Example Journals

6 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Regimental Notes
The Regiment’s 2014 calendar was largely bounded by the imple- mentation of two interrelated Defence policies: the Army’s trans- formation into the new Army 2020 structure and the Army’s return to a Contingency footing. The rst, the impact of the new Army 2020 structure, a force better designed to meet the security challenges of the 2020s and beyond, largely passed unnoticed at the grass roots level. We were spared the turmoil felt across the majority of the Army escaping amalgamation, re-rolling and an arms plot move. Indeed the Regiment was one of the few very for- tunate units to grow in size, morphing from the old T44 structure (equipped with 44 Challenger 2 main battle tanks) to the new T56 structure with signi cantly increased combat power. Around us, the Royal Armoured Corps reduced from twelve to ten reg- ular regiments and the number of heavy armoured regiments, equipped with Challenger 2, reduced from ve to three. The sec- ond policy, the return to Contingency under the Army Readiness Order, cemented the Regiment’s existence at the front and centre of the new Reactive Force, providing the specialists in mounted close combat. With the Regiment selected as the Army’s Lead Armoured Battle Group (LABG) from October 2014, we were privileged to face a fully resourced and supported training year.
Returning to a very wet Tidworth on the 6th January the squad- rons initially focussed on administration and equipment care whilst afternoons were dedicated to the annual Old Comrades win- ter sports competition, playing rugby, football, hockey and ending with a cross country run in lieu of the Commanding Of cer’s PT. The soldiers living in the single living accommodation upped sticks to re-establish squadron unity within sub-unit tied accom- modation blocks. The Command team conducted a week long recce to BATUS in Canada, or tried to, only to make it as far as Chicago where freezing snow and temperatures below -30 degrees forced planes to be stranded and an impromptu stay in the airport. The freak weather conditions across the Atlantic were mirrored at home. Unable to advance towards Calgary the team eventually scuttled back to Heathrow. Contrastingly, in France the snow and cold weather was appreciated by the Alpine and Nordic ski teams during their preparations for the Army competitions.
The training wing kick started the year with an array of courses to tackle the bow wave of commanders and drivers conversions required for Panther command vehicles and associated remote weapons systems. This challenge, complying with ever increas- ing regulations and demand for courses, was to become a wearing
Wading through the issue on Op PITCHPOLE
Regimental sport has gone from strength to strength
constant for all KRH force elements preparing for Ex PRIAIRE STORM exercises in BATUS through the year.
The KRH Battlegroup came together for the rst time for a con- ceptual study period on 12th January. This marked the start of a long road to readiness with collective training in BATUS as the major way point. The study day introduced a range of capabilities previously absent in an armoured battlegroup, including snipers, mortars, tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, light electronic warfare teams, explosive ordnance detachments and military working dogs.
B Squadron (as the armoured squadron in the 1 R WELSH Battlegroup) and C Squadron (part of the 1 YORKS Battlegroup) training progressions to BATUS and beyond remained on differ- ent conveyor belts to the majority of the Regiment. C Squadron delivered a memorable two week potential non-commissioned of - cer course designed to develop junior leadership. A battle camp, subjected to typical Welsh weather, took place at Sennybridge honing dismounted skills. The Regimental second-in-command was a little surprised when requested to authorise expenditure on piano wire, 24 live chickens and a bleating sheep. Meanwhile B Squadron and recce troop focussed on Challenger 2 gunnery training and vehicle preparations for their Lulworth live re range package.
Alongside preparatory BATUS training activity, the unrelent- ing torrential weather across the UK began to cause impact. Aspirations to conduct vehicle training on Salisbury plain were clipped as track bans on vehicle movement were imposed to retain the training resource for the future. As the KRH Battlegroup