My
journey began in September 2012 when I first met my CO. Having just commissioned his first question to
me was, “So, how would you like to go on tour?” 18 months later I find myself
finishing Mission Specific Training (MST) about to deploy to Afghanistan. My path has changed slightly, from originally
commanding a Transport Troop drawn from my own Regiment, 160 Transport Regiment,
to commanding a Troop of Suppliers from 159 Supply Regiment. I now command Materiel Troop of 1 Logistic
Support Regiment (1LSR) who deploy as the Theatre Logistic Group for Op HERRICK
20.
The
first stage of MST was the 159 Regiment Battle
Camp. The Regiment has a strong history
of providing supply capability, deploying a troop of 23 soldiers to Afghanistan
every six months since 2011. The camp
was an excellent introduction to the Regiment for me and allowed me to have an
input into the selection of the lucky soldiers who were capable, robust and
dedicated to deploy on operations.
The
next step was to travel to Germany
and join 1LSR. Due to the changing
nature of Op HERRICK 20, the Reserves were divided across the Regiment, with
only 12 under my command in the General Support (GS) Squadron. Day One set the tone for the ethos of the ‘First
Regiment’, with an ‘orientation’ run around the airfield – the first of many!
The
first week with GS Sqn included the Squadron Sergeant Major’s (SSM) parade
‘under the flags’. 1 LSR, and the GS Sqn
particularly, contains soldiers from all over the Commonwealth and flags from
each country represented are displayed on the hanger wall. I spent the majority of the week learning the
ropes from the Technical Warrant Officer and practiced issues and receipts
whilst asking lots of questions. Gaining
an idea of what each department did, enabled me to ask the right questions
during the hand-over with the outgoing Troop Commander. I felt fully prepared for the Field Training
Exercise (FTX).
The
FTX was held at the Supply Training Facility (Germany) (STF(G)), a facility
designed to test suppliers on the technical aspects of their trade. The Reservists had quickly gelled with the
Regulars and there was little to tell them apart as soldiers and the previous
training gaps were quickly identified and remedied; both through hard work from
the Reservists and from excellent teamwork and tutoring from the Regulars.
The
FTX stretched everyone with a high volume of supply activity to be completed –
mirroring the current operational tempo in Afghanistan. The FTX wasn’t just about trade skills though
and there were plenty of ‘kinetic’ serials throughout to keep everyone on their
toes.
The
next few weeks flew by, with leave and courses before the Mission Rehearsal
Exercise (MRX). So here I am now at
STF(G), on the final step and looking forward to the hot summer ahead. With many of my NCOs already or about to deploy,
the remainder have had an opportunity to step-up and work in other roles,
pushing themselves professionally than many had thought likely. As a Troop Commander my main priority is
ensuring that my troops are ready to deploy in the best possible manner. The mobilisation process, from selection to
MRX, has been challenging and rewarding.
The pre-selection work ensured we arrived at 1 LSR with the right people
to do the job and represent the Reserve Army on operations. The work done since has honed our skills,
including mine, and been a positive experience which will see all of the
Reservists deploy in as good a state as possible.
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