Page 65 - The Bugle 2018

receives cultural awareness training, helping them adjust their approach to training to the audience they will encounter on operations. Everyone receives tuition in at least one language, predominantly Arabic, though some are learning Dari.
The training progression culminates in an overseas exercise. Our first was to Kenya, for A Coy, and this year the Representative Company exercised in Belize. These exercises include a phase where teams deploy independently to train with the host nation forces, rehearsing what they will be required to do in their new role. The emphasis throughout the exercise is on building trust within the teams and developing their ability to operate at reach. We are already seeing on deployments how we must use mission command, not as a ‘nice to have’ but by necessity, as teams are deployed independently. In short, we do all we can to inculcate this into our training.
As we develop this new capability we have estab- lished a close link with elements of the US military who have many decades of experience in this role. They are providing us with a great deal of advice and support, looking forward to the prospect that we may be able to support them on operations in due course. The first step in this relationship was to exercise a 12-man Spec Inf team alongside a US force on Exercise RATTLESNAKE in Louisiana last year. We will do the same again in 2018.
The Battalion shooting team once again did us all proud, coming second at Bisley for the second year in succession. Breaking into the solid band of Gurkha teams that have monopolised the competition for the past few decades is something to celebrate. But in a sign of the team’s utter commitment and dedication, they were hugely disappointed at narrowly missing out on the top spot. This year it was 2 RGR who pipped us at the post, after we had beaten them
at the Divisional Champs. LCpl Stanton produced another outstanding personal performance, coming second in the Queen’s Medal competition. Things are looking promising for 2019 and we hope to go one better at Bisley. We have new blood in the form of six Riflemen drawn from the wider Regiment, and we will nominate a new team Captain. Next season will see the ‘squad’ approach we started in 2016 fully mature, enabling us to manage talent over successive years to peak at the right time.
Our priorities for the coming year are to deliver success on operations, consolidate the lessons that we have learned in the early part of our trans- formation, and establish the capability on solid foundations for the long term. We look forward to welcoming volunteers from across The Rifles to join us in our journey.
P W S Baines MBE Commanding Officer 4 RIFLES
THE RIFLES
FOURTH BATTALION 71
The final phase of training for R Coy took place in Belize
THE BATTALION SHOOTING TEAM ONCE AGAIN DID US ALL PROUD, COMING SECOND AT BISLEY FOR THE SECOND YEAR
This year’s silverware claimed by the Shooting Team at Bisley