Page 15 - Mind, Body and Spirit Online Edition

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Procurement of Physical Training Assignment Boards will be conducted at worked so hard throughout the last 12
Equipment (PTE) has seen unprecedented a slightly more senior level with a reduced months to pull this project together. Both
sums of public money spent on replacing Board composition. This will ensure a SMIs, Messrs Logan and Horner have
an old leet of kit, c £5.4M in FY 2012–13, more equitable and just boarding process worked tirelessly in a very lat structure,

with c £3M expected in FY 2013–14 and providing parity across the board. Key in their own areas of responsibility, to
a further £2.3M for Tranche 2 of the TA posts like the RSM, are already being run bring about change and their support to
Betterment. We now await conirmation via boarding process, others may follow in the new SO3s has been priceless. SMI
that this will be enduring for the next 10 the future with individuals being selected Logan, soon to be Capt Gary Logan

years; if this is the case we can start to on merit and by a majority.
should be further congratulated on being
roll out a replacement programme that will selected for his commission later this year
see our existing leet of PTE replaced over As we remain surrounded by a high – boy has he earned it. SMI Horner is still
the next 6 years, whilst accounting for degree of uncertainty, whilst not being hit a wannabe, but I am sure he will cross the

re-basing projects and the changing face by either Tranche 1, 2 or 3 redundancies, line if he continues as he is; I wish them
of training methodology.
details of tranche 4 are on the horizon and good luck for the future. Emma, who
we wait in earnest to see if we are to be beavers away in the back ground, brings
Other notable changes to the manner in hit. I said the same last year and nothing all that corporate knowledge, and without

which we carry out our core business are:
has changed, we must all do what we that our jobs would be much harder –
do best, get on with the job in hand and thank you. And then there are the new
MS, for the most part, will see Sgt and present the best effect we can. We are Captains, the SO3s PD in each of the
SSgt reports completed by the Regional moving in the right direction and from a Regional Bdes, your efforts in stepping
Bde SO3s, unless the Instructor is written position of conidence, but we cannot up to the plate have been herculean, a

on by a MAA at either part one or two. become complacent or too specialised in baptism of ire, but we have achieved
WO2s will be written on by their respective one ield, utility and lexibility remain our much, so thank you all.
OPCOM SO2. As ever, promotion will be strengths, we must work with them and
an emotive subject, but hard fought and from a united front.

well earned when it comes; if you take
nothing more from these notes, remember Finally, it would be remiss of me not to
this, nothing is a given.
offer a thank you to all those who have

HEADQUARTERS 2 (SOUTH EAST) BRIGADE

Capt (MAA) N Walker RAPTC

On a typical autumnal Monday morning in October last

year, I approached the main entrance of Sir John Moore
Barracks, Shorncliffe. Nothing unusual in that, except for
the fact that the last time I did this was in 1991 when I arrived from
the recruiting ofice for boy service as a Junior Leader. This time

it was different though; I was all grown up and had left the infantry
long ago. Reassuringly, most of the camp was as I remembered,
which helped with that problematic initial navigation when starting
in a new place. Naturally, there have been some major changes;

it’s been nearly 22 years. Not least is that it is now home to a
Gurkha Infantry Battalion, giving the camp its own complexion,
and because I am not required to double everywhere in a squad
whilst being shouted at.

2 Brigade has been around for 111 years in various guises. It
started out as an Infantry Brigade within 1st Division and was
part of the British Expeditionary Force which helped to bring Capt (MAA) N Walker being welcomed by 2 (SE) Brigade
the German Army to a standstill at Ypres, Belgium in 1914. It Commander Brigadier S P Wolsey OBE

remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war before
settling in Aldershot until the start of World War 2, save for a year What makes 2 Brigade different is the regular Gurkha Infantry
out in Palestine in 1937.
Battalion it commands, a unique thing within Regional Forces and
the fact that the eastern end of its AO is 11,400 km away in Brunei

In September 1939, the Brigade once again formed part of the (the second largest overseas garrison comprising 1900 personnel
British Expeditionary Force before being unceremonially thrown and dependents). This Battalion (currently 2 RGR) sits ‘alongside’
out of Europe via Dunkirk 6 months later with the rest of the British 3 PWRR(V), 103 Bn REME(V), and AAC Flight, a Jungle Warfare
Army. By 1943 however, it had reconstituted, trained tirelessly and Training Team, a Band, a Transport Squadron and over 10,000

was ighting Rommel’s Afrika Corps in North Africa before taking Army Cadets. When you add to the mix 6500 regular soldiers,
part in the invasion of Italy. At the end of the war it relocated to 1400 reservists and 33 other units throughout the AO, it all means
Palestine. Brief spells in Greece and Cyprus (ighting the EOKA) times can be busy!
followed with Bulford and Plymouth also providing homes for the

latter part of the 50s and early 60s. In 1968, the Brigade moved I’ve taken up the new appointment of SO3 Physical Development
to its current home in Shorncliffe and took Dover Garrison under within the Brigade in Oct 12 and it comes with challenges. The
its wing. Disbanded in 1976, the Brigade rose from the ashes in new 2020 Army is the focus for the future and with this in mind,
1982, once again in Shorncliffe, and has been a Regional Brigade the same output is expected however, with fewer soldiers and
since 1995; it currently trades as 2 (South East) Brigade.
civilians to do the work. The job is very challenging in certain areas