9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2006 - Page 0005
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
| Transcription |
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 3 Foreword by the Commanding Officer his journal covers the period since the Regiment’s return from Iraq. For some this has been boring and others extremely hectic. The Regiment reorganised into its new FAS orbat, which included the formation of the Command & Support Squadron. Among other things this brings into the ORBAT a TACP and a Surveillance Troop 7 this improves the Regiment’s ability to fight and sur- vive. In addition the Regiment bid farewell to SWINGFIRE, when the last STRIKER vehicles left only one member of the Regiment (OC Headhunted Squadron 7 Major Pearce) had joined before the vehicles were first issued. In place we receive the JAVELIN mis- sile, a devastatingly effective weapon system, which simply never misses. All these things have built an extra ruggedness and increased firepower to the Regiment. This has never been needed more than today; the Regiment will conduct the first Formation Reconnaissance live firing exercise integrating indirect fire, aviation and air in BATUS this summer. All this will be aiming to make the Regiment more potent as it prepares for an expected deployment to Afghanistan in 2008. Ahead of us will be the 9/l2L troops sent to form a half squadron with A Sqn QRL in Catterick, they will hand over to us in Afghanistan, but we will all meet up again when the Regiment moves to Catterick in 2009/10. In Afghanistan, every soldier will be required to dig deep and I remark that courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear 7 not absence of fear. We must all learn to master fear. One person who had courage in heaps was Cpl ‘Chuff’ Train, who died in December 2006 in California whilst working as a FAC preparing a RAF Harrier Sqn for operations in Afghanistan. Our sympathy goes out to his fami- ly and fiancée and the Regiment losses a man tipped to be a future RSM. As we prepare for another operation the need for our Lance Corporals to develop into robust JNCOs has never been more paramount. It is the most difficult step to take to sit above your friends. However it is they that will be looking to their Lance Corporals and Corporals for leadership when the going gets tough. Here I would observe that it is curious that physical courage should be so com- mon in the world and moral courage so rare. Our JNCOs face the most difficult challenges during the most benign times, but this year they must dig deep so we can all fight easier in Afghanistan next year. CWNC |
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