9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2003 - Page 0031
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) Z9 Headquarter Squadron he start of the year saw the sqn preparing for a deployment to Iraq as part of the OP TELIC Task Force in order to oust Mr Hussein from power and also to find and destroy his vast collection ofWeapons of Mass Destruction! No sooner were our preparations complete than a regimental parade was assembled. We wondered what was going on when CO gloomily announced that a decision had been made that the regiment would not deploy and would be stood down. This was a massive disappointment, as all of us were now fully geared up for war fighting operations. The chance to deploy on operations came at the beginning of March when the OC was summoned to the CO’s office and informed that he had ten hours to assemble a team to takeover from 1 DWR on OP FRESCO in just 36 hrs. Sir this excellent news cried Tpr Edwards, what is OP FRESCO and where are we going? Fire fighting in South Yorkshire Eddie replied the OC! The team that deployed on OP FRESCO was magnificent. The Regiment has always been proud of its administration and all departments in the sqn performed exceptionally well. It has been a successful year for the sqn for a variety of reasons. Our Equipment Care (Green), Logistic Support (Effective Plus), Health, Safety, Environmental and Pay and Docs Inspection results are all the best in the Garrison and arguably the best in Germany. Reports of that high standard do not just happen, it requires meticulous planning, preparation and hard work, everyone in the sqn has given both in abundance and should be congratulated for that. Command troop winning the Rolls Royce Shield on the CO’s Annual Vehicle Inspection was also a highlight of the year. It is the first time HQ Sqn has won this competition since 1974. The fitness of the sqn is most certainly on the way up as the recent BPFA and CFT results show. On the sporting front, due to operations very few inter sqn sports have been competed for however, as the sqn gets fitter, expectations to win these prizes are anticipated in the forthcoming year! ii‘ ill lfl‘! I 1'! The sqn would like to congratulate the SSM Mr Steve Buckley, on his well deserved promotion to WOl as RSM of the QOY. Farewell also to the SQMS, SSgt ‘Derek’ Hatton who with Cpl ‘Fleety’ Fleetwood and LCpl ‘Lardy’ Hale has ran the heart of the sqn (bar) superbly. it has to be said that the bar is looking fantastic. A warm welcome is given to our new SSM WOZ ‘Dom’ Keeney and SQMS SSgt ‘Ian’ Clarke. HQ Sqn is a multitude of different departments all submitting their own articles for this journal so to find out what exactly these various departments and cap badges that make up HQ Sqn have been up to over the last twelve months, read on: Quartermaster’s Department This year like most years has been very busy for the department, it started with the Quartermaster Major ‘Fred’ Reid trying to claim two sets of wages, as he took over as OC HQ Sqn whilst continuing to juggle with the job of QM. We weren’t long into the New Year when we started to get vibra- tions that there was a good possibility that the Regiment could soon find itself with sand in it’s underpants, from somewhere a little bit further east than Bournemouth sea-front. This lead as always to the dreaded trawl for volunteers, whilst not a volunteer Cpl ‘Rusty’ Phillips some how fitted the right profile, or was it that he was just fitted up! At any rate it all came to nothing in the end with the QDG and not ‘Rusty’ catching the selectors eye. Even with all this frenzied activity going on in the background the RQMS WOZ ‘Mark’ German and his trusty sidekick Cpl ‘Packo’ Packwood remained utterly unflappable and steadfast as they continued to process the daily and unrelenting torrent of demands ranging from pyrotechnics to porta-loos! After a hectic but very successful Board of Officers everybody was really keyed up and looking forward to some well earned Easter leave, WRONGH Unfortunately it was just about this HQ Sqn on parade |
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