Page 72 - Mind, Body and Spirit Online Edition

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1st BATTALION COLDSTREAM GUARDS

By SSgt (SSI) A Kewley RAPTC

A
s a Battalion we have now completed our irst year back in with rain, rain and more rain on a
Victoria Barracks, Windsor. Like most units it has been a daily basis!!
busy period. The Battalion had to prepare for presentation
of new Colours in May 12.
Op HERRICK 19 is the main drive

for this year with lots of uncertainty
Following the presentation of the new Colours, the Battalion of who will be deploying and in
provided the Troop for Trooping the Colour in June 12. It goes what role. Individual Mission
without saying by the time all the drill was over for the Battalion, Speciic Training (IMST) is the

I was kind of glad to see the back of the Corps of Drums as they main focus. PT is a high priority
were constantly beating their drums outside the gym ofice for 4–5 and the new CO has made this
months on a daily basis!!
clear. On CO’s PT the 10 milers
feature regularly.

The Queen’s Birthday Parade came and went and then the
Battalion was heavily involved with providing Guards throughout The Battalion are looking forward
London for the Olympics. So as you can see, it has been a busy to their deployment in Sep 13.
time for all.
I have organised the London
District Throwdown Competition

After some much needed leave the Bn then prepared for a Tessex in March 13, so this should
on the Salisbury Training area in Nov 12. This involved a fair give guys something to ‘throw’
amount of manpower totalling over 1000 soldiers from across the themselves into, pardon the pun!
Army. Luckily the freezing cold stayed away, but we were blessed
SSgt Kewley Busy on Tessex Nov 12

Presentation of New Colours May 12
Bn PT

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT

SSgt (SSI) A Gibson RAPTC

M
y second year with the Household Cavalry Regiment From a personal perspective I have enjoyed my time with the
(HCR) based in Windsor has been very busy indeed! Regiment and would highly recommend this post to my fellow

Over the past year the Regiment’s main focus has
RAPTC instructors.
been preparing for HERRICK 18. The pre-deployment training
included exercises in Germany, and in April 4 of the Squadrons
deployed to the British Army Training Unit Sufield (BATUS)
Canada which left D Squadron who support 16 Air Assault in

Windsor to support the Olympics.

With the scaling down of Allied Forces in Afghanistan and after
all the pre-deployment training it was decided that HCR would

not be deploying the Regiment, but are going to provide one
squadron, B Squadron, which is the Brigade Reconnaissance
Force with elements of HQ Squadron for Herrick 18.

The Regiment have participated in Adventurous Training where
possible. This included Scuba Diving, Sky Diving, Sailing and
Skiing in Canada, France, Austria and Germany.

The squadrons that are not on HERRICK 18 are deploying to
BATUS in the summer and D Squadron are deploying to Italy,
so there will be some fantastic opportunities for Adventurous
Training. B squadron post operations are preparing for many
level 3 expeditions.
SSgt Gibson Climbing in Rockies