Page 122 - The Bugle 2018

G Company
G Company has gone from strength to strength over the last year and is now based in two locations in East London: West Ham and Mile End. Currently we have a Mortar Platoon and a Section of medics based in Mile End. The remainder of the Company is in West Ham, where we have Company HQ, Rifle Platoon and Machine Gun Platoon.
Despite now operating out of two locations, Company cohesion remains strong, as is demon- strated on exercise weekends. Developing familiarity with armoured infantry warfare has been a welcome challenge that has concentrated minds, as well as giving senior and junior Riflemen alike first-rate training opportunities that many of then have never before experienced. Our new role within 20 Brigade has given us a new sense of purpose and a reali- sation that we are becoming prepared to meet the real and present threats our country faces.
Our aim, therefore, is to be able to deliver capability to 20 Brigade, whilst ensuring that our training is challenging, demanding and rewarding. By the end of the 2018/2019 training year, we will be able to deliver a Mortar Line, two Rifle Sections and three Machine Gun Sections. There are naturally challenges along the way, but we are on track to complete this.
Major Bobby Stewart OC G Coy
Lt Ramaraj (back row, 9th from right) with a 20 Platoon that has grown under his leadership
DESPITE NOW OPERATING OUT OF TWO LOCATIONS, COMPANY COHESION REMAINS STRONG
Reflections of a Reservist Platoon Commander
Invariably, every Officer Cadet will have read that a platoon is like a rifle: the Riflemen the body, the Serjeant the trigger, the Commander the safety catch. However, it can be argued that the Section NCOs are the most vital asset – the working parts,
if you will – of the Reserve Platoon. Unlike Regular Platoons, Platoon staff will only see their Riflemen once a week. Therefore, it is utterly vital that Section NCOs foster Section identity and the “culture of turning up”.
This is particularly important as Reservists can choose not to attend training. While there may be genuine barriers to attendance (the triad of Reserve commitments, civilian employment, and family life), it proved successful “to punish the crime, not the criminal”: if a Rifleman falls ill 2 hours before he is meant to deploy on a rainy exercise, send sympa- thies and demand a doctor’s note; if he is suddenly pulled into his civilian workplace, make it part of your routine to email Riflemen’s civilian line managers detailing exercise dates.
Finally, it is vital to keep Riflemen engaged. Career progression can take time. Therefore, thorough career planning is vital to maintain interest. For example, two years in the Rifle Platoon followed by support weapons, then 2IC in a Rifle Section. If a Reservist feels he is no longer challenged, he can simply choose to leave. Hence, the constant inquiry into what can be done better, the unrelenting pursuit of excellence, is vital.
The greatest privilege of Reserve Platoon Command remains the opportunity to get to know and work with your soldiers: the opportunity to mould 25 architects, actors, and builders into a fighting platoon of Riflemen.
Lt Prash Ramaraj 20 Platoon Comd
Bombs away! A Rifleman from the Mortar Platoon prepares to make the enemy run for cover
128 SEVENTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES