Page 59 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019
P. 59

 The Commanding Officer with HRH The Earl of Wessex
 Visit of His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex to Exercise BRECON SWORD, Sennybridge
The Battalion was honoured to host a visit from The Royal Colonel, His Royal Highness (HRH) the Earl of WESSEX during the Bramall Trophy phase of Exercise BRECON SWORD. This competition, named after Field Marshal The Right Honourable Edwin Bramall KG GCB OBE MC, pitted platoons against one another in a test of battlefield skills that included extended patrols, Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear test, section attacks, medical scenario, a raid and military knowledge all in preparation for the battle group’s deployment to Kenya on Ex ASKARI STORM in February 2019. The weather for Brecon, living up to its reputation, was suitably inclement - the irony was lost on no one that we were training for the scorching, arid training areas of East Africa in ankle-deep snow! Prior to the visit window, the poor visibility and road conditions had caused considerable frictions in the running of the exercise, and now threatened the visit itself. For the few days before, we were watching the weather with some trepidation.
However, luck was on our side; a clear morning and good visibility allowed a ‘go’ for the HRH’s movement to Sennybridge. Arriving by a Royal Flight helicopter into a snowy Sennybridge Camp, Prince Edward, after being greeted by the CO and RSM, was briefed on the Battalion issues, activities and forecast of events by the Battalion headquarters staff, and then enjoyed a fine lunch put on by the Regimental Catering Warrant
Officer and his talented catering team. His convoy then drove onto Sennybridge Training Area and observed a B Company platoon, commanded by Lieutenant Tom Lagana, conduct an aggressive raid onto a building complex in Village 1.
Driving on through the snow, he stopped at the Battle Group Command Post (CP) deployed near Dixies Corner and met (and promoted!) some of the battalion staff, Non-Commissioned Officers and Riflemen at the CP. HRH also kindly presented three of the Battalion with Joint Commander’s Commendations from Operation SHADER and was also briefed on Exercise BRECON SWORD in full by Major Jules Kilpatrick (Battalion Second- In-Command) and Captain Will Gage (Operations Officer).
However, our meteorological stay of execution was exhausted. As the conditions degraded again, we were forced to move back to Sennybridge Camp after watching Lt Louis Long conduct a FIWAF (fighting in woods and forests) clearance and casualty extraction through the snows on the south of the training area. Finally, the CO and RSM bade HRH and his team farewell from the camp itself and the Royal Colonel departed by helicopter. The Battalion, as ever, hugely appre- ciated the visit with HRH defying distance and the Welsh weather gods to visit an arduous exercise. Captain Jim Foster
Adjutant
THE IRONY WAS LOST ON NO
ONE THAT WE WERE TRAINING FOR THE SCORCHING, ARID TRAINING AREAS OF EAST AFRICA IN ANKLE- DEEP SNOW!
        THE RIFLES
SECOND BATTALION 57
  






















































































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