Page 5 - Example Journals

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 3
Colonel of the Regiment’s Foreword
As always, it is a great pleasure to be
able to introduce this latest edition of the
Regimental Journal. As with every year
the Regiment remains busy and, I feel
con dent in reporting, has excelled at
everything that has been thrown at it. The
main focus of the year was the Regiment’s
nal deployment to Afghanistan on Op
HERRICK 20, following a demanding
period of pre-deployment training. It is
worth recalling that the Regiment went
into Iraq in 2003 on TELIC 1, and we
have had a further four tours in between.
This was a complicated, complex and
politically charged tour, with a major focus
on transitioning security responsibility
to the Afghans, and withdrawing the
UK combat presence after over a
decade of engagement. Within this
equation the Regiment provided the
Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF),
the Brigade Advisory Group (BAG) and
Regional Corps Battle School training
team (RCBS) to the Afghan National
Army. We should be justi ably proud of
our contribution on HERRICKs 9, 15, and
20 to the security of the UK, and to the well-being of the Afghan people. I am delighted to report that on this tour our operational success was not tinged by the sadness of casualties, but I wish to pay tribute to those members of the Regiment killed or wounded in the service of their country in the last decade. We will remember them.
By mid November the Regiment had recovered back to Sennelager for their last few months in Dempsey Barracks, and I was delighted to take the Medal Parade, at which I was able to present 85 of cers and soldiers with their rst operational award. It has been heartening over the last years to see and hear of the continued support which has been shown towards the Queen’s Dragoon Guards throughout Wales and the Border counties, especially when the Regiment has been serving overseas. We were very grateful to be able to cap a demanding year by accepting an invitation to receive the Freedom of Shrewsbury, and by exercising our Freedom in Swansea. At the latter parade we were honoured by our Colonel in Chief, HRH the Prince of Wales, taking the salute, his second visit to the Regiment in 2014. As ever the support was magni cent and even on a cold December day the crowds were not deterred from turning out to show their support.
Looking to the future, it is an exciting and busy time for the Regiment. After 13 years in Germany, the move to Swanton Morely is imminent. This will be challenging, as any arms plot
move is, but I anticipate a smooth handover with the Light Dragoons, and an early establishment of excellent and lasting relationships in Norfolk. This will be accompanied by our conversion to the exciting and challenging light cavalry role, which should allow us to build on our extensive BRF experience. We will also have the opportunity to build up a much closer relationship with our paired Regiment in the Army Reserve, the Royal Yeomanry. There will be a last RCA visit to Dempsey in May, and we shall be executing a ‘ ag-change’ in Swanton Morely on 6 July. This year also sees the celebration of Waterloo 200, at the national and Regimental levels. Plans are well advanced now and I am looking forward to seeing many of you at these events through the year.
I must also mention a number of key gures who will be changing over the next year. The Commanding Of cer, Lt Col Will Davies, who has led the Regiment with tremendous energy and
judgement, and who hands over to Lt Col Dan Duff. And also Regimental Sergeant Major WO1 Mansell, who I gave his rst tape to in Catterick, and who hands over to WO1 Gallagher! We are truly indebted to them, and to their wives Katie and Rachel, and I wish them all the very best for the future.
Home Headquarters continues to work extremely hard on the Regiment’s behalf. In particular I must thank Basher and his team for their hard work on the QDG Hampers, so generously sourced by Mark Ashley Miller, and their involvement in the organisation of the homecoming parades. The memorial at Llandaff Cathedral, our ‘Spiritual Home’, is still ongoing and I hope to see it installed in the next year.
The world continues to throw up new and demanding challenges, which present us with both threats and opportunities. We have an election at about the same time as we mark Cavalry Memorial this year, and whatever the outcome we shall have a new Security and Defence Review. We can only hope that any government continues to recognise the value to the nation of credible armed forces, manned by intelligent and committed of cers and soldiers, regular and reserve. My best wishes go to all those in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, be they past, present, serving at ERE, or family, and I hope that you enjoy the excellent and thoroughly entertaining articles in the following pages.
SVM