Page 76 - Cavalry Regiment

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
A Squadron – The Empire
Having been certified for the Joint Expeditionary Force, VANGUARD through Ex WESSEX STORM at the end of 2018, 2019 became a year shadowed by readiness. As the spring term kicked off A Squadron became the first to hold down the mostly paper exercise of 10 days’ notice to move, while the other Squadrons fulfilled the 30 days’ notice to move rotations. It also meant the Regiment became committed to fulfilling a whole vari- ety of disparate trawls that provided great individual opportunity for our keen soldiers. A Squadron said goodbye to Sgt Spurgeon as he moved to take over the Provost and then disappeared on paternity leave. The Squadron was ripped apart to backfill a myr- iad of tasks as troops were allocated to task. 1st Troop under Lt Rudd and Sgt Chard, were assigned to backfill B Squadron’s role as enemy during Ex ASKARI STORM in Kenya. Later 3rd Troop, under Lt Alderman and Sgt Russell, supported C Squadron on Exercise DIAMONDBACK, California. Meanwhile, 2nd Troops Tp Ldr, Lt Hayes and Tp Sgt, Sgt Baselala were assigned individ- ual training tasks to Africa, Zambia and Sierra Leone respectively. Meanwhile their troops backfilled 1st and 3rd. Finally, 4th Troop under Lt Christie and Sgt Greenwood, followed in the footsteps of B Squadron to Kenya and supported the QDG providing enemy during the second ASKARI STORM. This dispersion of troops around the globe provided great opportunity and many shone as the complementary reports of thanks and outstanding achieve- ment flooded in to those stuck at home managing the more mun- dane tasks.
This backdrop provided a challenge for SHQ, which saw disper- sion of its manpower and a changeover in teams. We said goodbye to WO2 Richardson as he moved to RQMS and welcomed WO2 Martin as SSM, who made the short hop from the training wing Regimental Gunnery Staff Sgt. Captain Barber moved to become Adjutant and Captain Bernard came across from B Squadron to learn the ropes of his first Captain job as second in command. He found his time quickly filled with a plethora of spreadsheets. Beyond the paperwork of readiness and planning on how re-
OC 2IC SSM
consolidate the Squadron’s capability through collective training later in the year, there became strong drive to challenge, update and change some of the Light Cavalry’s wider capabilities and systemic issues. This manifested itself in a myriad of ways as the Squadron was volunteered for clothing trials or engaged with Army HQ and the Land Warfare Centre to update the detail of the doctrine. Finally, a relieved 2IC was volunteered to learn from and support the Royal Lancers during Exercise WARFIGHTER, a virtual Corps level exercise where the Royal Lancers provided a divisional reconnaissance force under the Divisional Information Manoeuvre Group of the UK 3rd Division, apparently a first for the mighty US Army where the importance of formation recon- naissance provided a hard lesson on its importance. The spring term ended with the Squadron element enjoying a summer moun- taineering trip up the majestic Mt. Kenya, much needed recupera- tion time after the Kenya exercises.
The summer term was all about consolidation, career courses and UK operations under the readiness name of UK Standby Battalion (UKSB). Further, it allowed for the plethora of sport and adventure training opportunities. We said goodbye to SSgt Allen who moved to take over MTWO,
and Sgt Russell stepped up to fill the
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