Page 38 - Cavalry Regiment

10 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Army. The Belgian contingent – a large, combined arms combat team – provided a potent addition to the battlegroup and their very new vehicles and weapons elicited some jealousy from UK personnel. From the moment the Hawk replaced the Yorkshire Rose, the race was on to prepare for the biggest exercise of the 2019, Exercise SPRING STORM. This was due to take place in early May. It would be the culmination of the Estonian conscript cycle, would see 1 (Est) Brigade pitted against 2 (Est) Brigade and fighting across privately owned land in the northeast of the coun- try. With over 9,000 troops from more than fourteen nations, this would require the KRH to be fully integrated into the Estonian 1 (Est) Brigade and also adept at operating in the woods, forests and bogs of Estonia, to stand a chance of performing well. Thus, the battlegroup deployed on Ex CRIMSON CHARGER to practice the basics of movement, camouflage and survival in this new environ- ment. This was followed by the command team walking though the Estonian National defence plans with the 1 (Est) Brigade com- mander. Looking east into Russia while learning our part in the
plan was a truly sobering experience and efforts were redoubled to ensure that all were really ready to fight if called upon.
Back in the UK, B Squadron took over with elements of Support Squadron as the Rear Operations Group (ROG). While C Squadron headed for weeks of post tour leave, B Squadron knuckled down to track-bashing, competing in the Brigade shoot- ing competition and providing armoured support to the Urban Operations Instructors Course in Copehill Down village on Salisbury Plain. Despite these demands, a lucky few managed to escape to France for some skiing. After supporting the RAC’s 80th birthday, B Squadron were able to join C Squadron on Easter leave.
In Estonia, training continued into April with BGHQ deploy- ing on Command Post Exercise (CPX) MONSOON in Tartu (Estonia’s second city). There the team planned and then tested the conduct of operations with the rest of 1 (Est) Brigade within a simulated environment. Unsurprisingly, the Estonian Brigade
Real street fighters
Visit from above