Page 20 - Mind, Body and Spirit Online Edition

18
www.raptcassociation.org.uk

Regiment and clinical specialists, such
as surgeons and anaesthetists, have the
opportunity to divide their work between
the Regiment and the Second Care

Agency.

After the guys came back from London,
they were given a stand down period

before getting back into the hard work of
supporting of 16 Air Assault Brigade. 23
Medical Squadron have been particularly
busy, training alongside 2nd Battalion the

Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) in readiness
to take on the Airborne Task Force (ABTF)
role from May.

Sport and Inter Sqn competitions have
been a priority within the unit, particularly
winter sports. The regimental skiing
team deployed to Norway for training
before competing at Ex WHITE FIST and

Ex SPARTAN HIKE. Following success
for individual ladies on Ex SPARTAN (WO1) RSM J Harris RAMC in the Fittest of the Fit
HIKE three were selected to attend Ex
RUCKSACK, the British Army and National including best novice, and gained a lot of Soldier Magazine. No doubt 23 Sqn

Ski Championships. Two of our female experience for next season.
will be shaping up a strong team for the
medics were subsequently selected to Orienteering contest which will take place
participate in the National Development The Regiment runs an event each year on 28 Feb 13.
Squad later in 2013.
called the Wilson Cup which is a stretcher

race handed down by Maj (Retd) Wilson. Training facilities within the unit have
In Feb 13 the Regt entered Nordic This was won by the mighty 23 Sqn. I been revamped to meet the Army 2020
and Alpine ski teams in to the AMS Ski say the mighty due to the fact they were expectations, seeing a new Half Rack, 12
Championships held in France. Our male also the winners of the Inter Sqn Cross spin bikes, a cardiovascular room and a

team won the Nordic competition and the Country and Fittest of the Fit, which more spacious Strength and Condition
ladies team came second in their event. was an immense competition and made area.
The alpine team won several trophies,
it on to the British Army Website and

47 REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY

SSgt (SSI) L Kinsley RAPTC

Regimental Business
relayed back to the TAC Sgt, whose team are in communication
Having taken up my post at 47 Regt RA in August 2012 after with the soldiers on the ground. The TAC Sgt then gives a detailed
spending my previous two assignments within ARTD, it wasn’t description of the likely enemy position.

long before I started to recall the tempo of a ield force unit and
47 Regt RA are certainly no exception. The Regiment has had to This change entailed a complete retraining and educating of all
undergo mass changes to its operational role from air defence to soldiers and Oficers across the spectrum and with very little
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). In brief, UAV provide an aerial time to complete, yet the value it carries during operations is

view, day or night of a likely enemy position; images are digitally
unprecedented. Needless to say and a credit to the Commanders
of 47 Regt RA, the Regiment were ready to support the following
OP HERRICK. Since September 2012, 21 (Gibraltar) Battery have
been preparing to deploy on OP HERRICK 18. Pre Deployment
Training is obviously a busy time for all, and as a ‘stand-alone’

RAPTCI I found myself pushing some long hours to meet the PDT
requirements.

Bataan Memorial Death March

Historically 47 Regt RA have competed in the ‘Bataan Memorial
Death March’ in New Mexico – USA, this event is a Marathon
in the White Sands Desert and has altitudes of up to 1650m.
The Marathon is an annual event and is symbolic to the tens of

thousands of American and Filipino soldiers that were surrendered
to the Japanese forces, who would march for days in the scorching
heat through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who
survived faced the hardships of a prisoner of war camp. I took on

the responsibility to train a team and travel to the United States of
America with those selected (it had nothing to do with the R&R in
Las Vegas). The category we entered was ‘Individual Military light
division’ with the attire being combats, boots, and camelbaks.
Having arrived at our motel in New Mexico, a few acclimatisation
UAV image