Page 6 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017
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4 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
  Commanding Officer’s Foreword
The Regiment’s focus this year has been on collective train- ing in our core formation reconnaissance role. It has been demanding and we have all made major steps forward. As we all know, there is no ‘catch-all’ training platform for Armoured Reconnaissance Battle Groups. This means we need to invest in a more de-laminated approach to training, and rely on the skills and attitudes of our soldiers to bring these skills together at the point of need. As such, we will have to spend more time training than most – and need a more imaginative training programme than is readily offered by the Infantry Battle Group orientated training system. Much of our focus within the reconnaissance field has been on attitudes, communications skills and decision- making, which I firmly believe will, when calibrated well, give our Regiment a distinct advantage. The highlight of the train- ing year was a regimental exercise across the North, which saw the Regiment fully deployed across a breadth of public spaces, private land, inner city and national parkland. Much thanks is owed to the general public for their amazing support, and espe- cially to those local old comrades and their friends who so gener- ously opened doors and enabled this venture.
Passing out of this intensive training period the Regiment re- orientated towards its UN commitment in Nicosia; March – Oc- tober ‘18. The tour as the Urban Roulement Regiment in the infamous Ledra Palace Hotel is hugely welcome, and offers a fantastic opportunity to deliver an interesting operation well, but to also live amongst a fast-changing and dynamic regional context. The opportunities for sport, Adventurous Training, in- tra region Rest and Recuperation and enjoyment speak for them- selves. At the time of writing the Regiment is quickly finding its feet and is delivering well. Back at home the Rear Operations Group have been doing a fantastic job fixing injured soldiers,
keeping the camp alive and looking after all of our families and loved ones.
Concurrently, C Squadron is preparing for Exercise Prairie Storm in BATUS, Canada. They will act as a brigade level reconnaissance force for a deployed 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade Headquarters, with the King’s Royal Hussars’ Battle Group also out on the Prairie. Whilst not a new construct, there is much work for C Squadron to do to refresh the various operat- ing modalities of this construct and it is an excellent training opportunity.
Looking further ahead, we still anticipate moving to Warminster around 2021; but should stay ‘frosty’ on precise dates. Ajax, the Army’s new Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle, is now at ATDU being tested and evaluated, and course design is underway. We expect to convert in 2021. In the interim, we will hold the bulk of what is known as the Army’s ‘fight tonight’ reconnaissance capability and be expected to deliver a divisional level recon- naissance effort. We will be held at operational readiness upon returning from Cyprus.
It has been a good year for the Regiment, with some excellent re- sults both on and off the field, as you’ll see flicking through this journal. We took great pride hosting the regimental family over a weekend in June to ‘march-off ’ the old guidons and bring into service our new one, and enjoyed an excellent all-ranks party. We should also take pride in having played a key role in driving forwards the reconnaissance debate across the Field Army. But perhaps most importantly, our young soldiers and officers con- tinue to impress across the board.
HLS


























































































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