Page 5 - LBV 2023

Shooting Camp 2023
This Summer 12 OCdts took part in CUOTC’s annual 2-week shooting camp, held this year in Brunswick Camp, Pirbright. Across the course
of the 2 weeks OCdts – of all levels of experience – went from refamiliaring themselves with the basics of shooting to being match fit for the Army Reserve Operational Shooting Competition (AROSC).
We firstly completed our Annual Combat Marksmanship Tests, with 6 making marksman standard and earning the right to wear the crossed-rifles badge on their smock sleeves for the next year. After a few days of application (finding our ranges, points of aim, practising our positions etc.) we started to get to grips with the matches which make up the AROSC. These included matches like
the Para Cup (‘Section Attack Match’). Designed to replicate a section attack, firers first engage targets from 300m before the call of ‘man down.’ At this point the fireteams then have 5 minutes to casevac 2 80kg dummies to the 600m point, up a slight hill, each bomb up 2 magazines of 30 rounds, collect 2 15kg ammo tins per fireteam, and be back on the point. At this point, under the section commander, the fireteams then bound every 50m – with the ammo tins – all the way to the 200m point, engaging targets along the way.
Beyond the rifle matches we also got the chance to practice some pistol shooting. For this we had two days where we undertook the Pistol Annual Combat Marksmanship Test, where 90% of us hit marksman – and one getting HPS (highest possible score) – as well as other rapid
matches, such as
going through 8
magazines in 5 minutes at 25m.
After shooting we generally had the
evenings free – so we (mostly JUO Allen to be honest) spent a lot of time organising things to do, so we had something organised for most nights. This included a bowling trip, multiple cultural trips to the local drinking establishments (soft drinks only), a film night (where we – again mostly Allen – converted our classroom into a cinema), a visit to Brookwood Military Cemetery (genuinely well worth a visit if you’re ever around Pirbright), a meal out, a swimming trip, and a final night out in Guildford (not soft drinks).
As well as this, we also all got to go to the Light Blue Volunteers (LBV) annual Summer drinks, this year held at the East India Club in London, which everyone really enjoyed. After spending a few hours exploring the St James area and Picadilly Circus, we all went inside the historic East India Club, got to meet old
and new alumni, as well as, for those who’d never been to one before, got
to experience a proper regimental dinner. Over the course of the 2 weeks we also
got to shoot alongside many other units, including 7 Rifles, multiple Ghurka units, and the Omani Armed Forces shooting team. Following this we developed a good relationship with the Omanis, leading to us organising – of all things
– an international football tournament between us. Upon rocking up at Bisley shooting grounds we saw that the Omanis, apparently big football fans, were all in full kit and boots (apparently they brought their football kits for a shooting competition), whereupon they thrashed us 6-2. The Omanis were great, and we ended up playing some mixed- teams games before a small prize giving ceremony where they gifted us a plaque and pin-bagdes from the Omani Olympic Shooting Team.
They also invited us to a BBQ the next day at their lodge, where they treated
us to 2 Omani style BBQ’d lambs and this amazing, expensive, Omani honey (ask Calenti about this), shisha, as well as the open offer to visit them in Oman whenever we wish.
After all this we had a visit from the CO and CCol Powell, DComdt RMAS(UOTC), who presented awards to those winners – which were OCdt Denham, who won best shot for the camp, JUO Allen, who came 2nd, JUO Ballard who won the
pistol shoots and JUO Llewellyn who won the Tugstden Trophy for top ACMT score.
After 14 days, 21,000 rifle rounds and 6000 pistol rounds, everyone
had a great time. Everyone got the chance to try and do things that you cannot do on a normal weekend – and which almost no other UOTCs do – and everyone saw their shooting improve massively, leaving us prepared and ready for the AROSC.
THE LIGHT BLUE VOLUNTEER 5