Page 56 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Cambrian

Patrol 2018

By Captain Andy Common

From a conversation in the Mess to a 2 a.m. River Crossing in the Llyn
Brianne Reservoir, the Cambrian concept took about eight months
and a lot of hard work in the process.

The 2018
Cambrian
Volunteers conduct Artillery Target to the North of Cilleni village Patrol Team and
showing again the excellently well-resourced exercise support staff
Volunteers began to step forward and this was great Cambrian Patrol remains. As a result, it attracts a high
to see, but also problematic as a number of forecast number of international teams of which we saw a large
of events from across several units, both regular and number during the daylight phase.
reserve, in the United Kingdom and Germany had to be

de-conflicted to create training opportunities. When Second Night
they arose they were exploited to their full potential
with training serials conducted at Catterick in May and Into the second night on the ground and very much

Otterburn in August. Despite this effort, the team had the home straight we finished at around 2 a.m. on the
still only spent six full days training together before the Wednesday, so just under 48 hours in total, of which
Patrol. Other units routinely spend months preparing for the Patrol spent around three hours in routine. A full
this event. kit check and debrief followed before being gratefully
picked up by our administration team of Captain Andy
The Competition McIntyre and Lance Corporal Ashley Fox and taken back
to Sennybridge Camp.
The competition itself began on Sunday night with
a meet at Chepstow Army Education Centre for
administration and some Carb loading from the local
chippy. A 1 a.m. reveille saw us start at 4 a.m. on Monday
at a small layby in Mid Wales. This meant our Battle
Preparation and Orders process was conducted in the
dark, but did give us more daylight hours to play with
to get eyes on the Enemy Objective. The patrol utilised
a ‘flexible’ final rendezvous and managed to get a

significant period of eyes on during the day. The patrol

continued to cover significant distance during the night Awards Ceremony
and arrived at the reservoir around 2 a.m. The duty
rumour we wouldn’t do a river crossing in the dark and A few hours of rest were followed by the need to fully
would be put into enforced rest, proved to be completely clean all weapons and equipment before the Awards
unfounded as we were handed Life Vests with cyalumes Ceremony. We were grateful to be joined at this by the
and ordered into the refreshingly cool water. The hill on Assistant Corps Secretary, Major (Retired) Joe Bright,

the other side proved to be a bit of an epic and the patrol and the Corps Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class

finally went firm to conduct admin and finish the patrol One Colin Morrison, plus other Corps members who
report soon after. had two soldiers competing in the patrol. It meant

a lot to everyone to know their efforts had been
Daylight supported by their chain of command. The 2018 team
was awarded a well earned Bronze Medal.
Daylight brought more distance to be covered and the
weather turned for the worse, but everyone remained in Cambrian Patrol 2019
high spirits. The patrol route gradually brought us onto
Sennybridge Training area via a series of stands covering The Corps are looking to enter two teams in the 2019

a range of military tasks. The highlight was a hasty Competition. We already have four officers who have
attack onto a small farm complex on the Eastern side already volunteered to lead the respective teams so
of the training area which was aided with a pre-strike The team 14 soldiers are required to complete the sections. If
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle soak showing the Intelligence, proudly you think you are able and committed to form part
Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance display their of these teams, then contact Corps Headquarters for
developments which are now routine across the Army. medals details. Contact details are on page 3.
Junior members of the patrol were also required to
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