Op Cabrit

Op CABRIT ROTO 8 – Poland

CASSINO Tp LAD

Reserve led Hybrid ES Success in Poland

Scribe WO1 (ASM) West

The journey on Op CABRIT started in Nov 19, with a meeting at 1XX ES Branch in York which set the groundwork for what would be an outstanding achievement for 103 Bn REME. It was agreed that the Bn would supply the bulk of the REME tradesmen, mobilise in May 20 and later be joined by Armourers from 1 and 2 Royal Anglian LADs and Tech Elects from 5 Bn REME to deploy on Op CABRIT and provide Equipment Support to the UK’s Light Cavalry Squadron in Poland, 148 Div Sp Coy had spent most of the training year preparing for Ex IRON HORSE in BATUS. Our skill set firmly established in the divisional support space, but I was confident the SP selected to mobilise in May would relish the opportunity to up skill to complex platforms such as JACKAL and PANTHER.

Whilst the UK was mostly locked down, training started in Apr with JACKAL driver and commander courses being run by the Royal Yeomanry DMI’s, which led to mobilisation at MTMC(I) in May. This was the first mobilisation for the most and the two-day package to was intense but set the scene for the next 12 months. JACKAL Maintainer course and spending time gaining essential competencies at RY’s D Sqn in Telford proved time well spent as PDT was about to start in Bovington.

The Hybrid Sqn was made up from The Royal Yeomanry and B Sqn QDG at Bovington, which formed early Jun. There was plenty of work waiting for us, this was the start of an exceptionally busy, but very rewarding pre deployment training. Following the Sqn around the country, we supported their training whist developing our own skills with a range package in Warcop, FTX held in STANTA, before back to Bovington and finally a successful MRX on SPTA out of Westdown camp before some well-earned leave in Aug.

Rotation 8 began in Sep with a two week isolation period, ensuring the time wasn’t wasted, trade presentations, JAMES training and with the LAD beating the Sqn in a challenge to run and row the distance to Monte Cassino, set the tone for the future achievements over this tour.

The tour has seen significant challenges for the team, from increased Force Health Protection measures for COVID including the removal of R&R, BREXIT delaying getting spares shipped out of the UK and working out the marquee in -20+ degrees, the team produced some fantastic results. Completed two great career courses, such as various range Quals, LCpl ADLP, DTTT and an excellent Cold Weather Operators Course (Baltics) (CWOC(B)) it puts the soldiers in an excellent position to develop their careers on return to the UK.

Looking back over the past 6 months I would have liked to have demonstrated more interoperability with our NATO Partner nations and get the team out to explore the eFP area, but unfortunately this was not the case. Towards the later stages we did manage to shoehorn some great events, exploring other nations recovery equipment and Ex SOBIESKI, an excellent multi nation live fire exercise. This was the first time a Reserve led Hybrid deployment has taken place and it has been a excellent opportunity to showcase the diverse skills REME Reserve offer, but it has been a true REME team effort irrespective of Regular or Reserve. It has been an exceptional journey and one I will look back on for many years and I’m proud of what team have achieved.

Vehicle Mechanics

Scribe Cfn Croucher

On the last drill night before Christmas 19, a group from my unit and I were taken to one side by our ASM and were selected for mobilising and deploying on Op CABRIT. This for me and many of my colleagues was our first deployment with the Army Reserve.

The build-up training started in May 20 where we mobilised through the MTMC(I) Chilwell. We moved down to Bovington to meet with The Royal Yeomanry, to whom we would be attached for the next year. The first

challenge that mobilisation presented me with was the sheer volume of courses and work that was required to take me from a Reservist to operation ready. Although difficult to fit all the training into a short space of time, I found the journey to be enjoyable as well as challenging. I was able to get my HGV licence CAT C and go on further to complete a JACKAL driver course.

My colleagues and I also completed a JACKAL maintainers course preparing us with the skills needed to maintain the fleet of JACKAL that the Yeomanry were using to complete our build up training. Our remaining time at Bovington gave us the chance to get some real hands on experience with the platforms completing some major repairs including several gearbox replacements and a couple of differentials.

As the Yeomanry reached their testing phase we moved to West Down camp and faced our next big challenge, working in the field and using essentially a car park as a make do workshop. We were able to overcome the challenges that much of the Tp were actually Reservists, many of whom had come this presented and maintain the fleet to support the Sqn in being from some very well paid and high level jobs to deploy on tour. signed off as ready to deploy. Despite what you might hear about Reservists I was impressed by

We arrived in Poland at the end of Sep, due to COVID-19 our first the level of commitment and professionalism that they displayed. two weeks were spent in isolation. During this time, we had a busy On arriving in Poland and taking over from the Light Dragoons the schedule of daily PT sessions, lessons and even a few inter- first few weeks of the tour proved to be very busy with a most of the department competitions, which the REME contingent thrived in equipment, namely JACKAL 2, COYOTE and Panther, needing a lot of winning the CASSINO Tp competition. Once out of isolation we had a work. Every job was a learning experience and some repairs required busy week taking over the fleet from the Light Dragoons and I had the application of some interesting temporary engineering solutions my first experience of being responsible for a vehicle and all the until a spare could be demanded and a more permanent fix applied. monthly checks that come with it. When not repairing electrical faults, both Richie and myself would

Our work in Poland was mainly preventative maintenance as the help the Vehicle Mechanics where we could; especially when COVIDfleet was in a much better state than what we had in the UK with 19 forced several members of the LAD to isolate once more. only one major repair to complete, a rear differential. Just before As we finally settled into a routine the opportunity to get on Christmas I completed a cold weather operators’ course, this exercises and courses presented themselves. Some of the exercises, involved learning survival skills, how to stay warm and operate in such as Ex MERCURY RISING, allowed us to work alongside our allies sub-zero temperatures and all finished off with a cold dip in a frozen from America, Poland, Croatia and Romania giving us a glimpse into lake. how our allies operated and where we fit into the Battle-Group. The

We soon put these skills into practice on an Army Leadership courses offered, such as the Platform Weapon Operators course or Development Programme for Lance Corporal, which involved me the Cold Weather Operator Course, were chances to expand our spending ten days out in the field learning leadership skills in knee horizons and do things that we would normally not do. You do not deep snow while temperatures dropped as low as -11. Despite all the know what you are capable of until you have to survive for 24 hours COVID-19 restrictions we were still able to enjoy some operational in sub-zero temperatures and firing a HMG from the back of a stand down with a trip to Krakow and a guided tour around JACKAL 2 certainly was a lot of fun despite the cold temperature. Auschwitz. Whilst we did work hard we also got to play hard. Despite the

Being part of Op CABRIT has progressed my career massively, it would have taken several years as a Reservist to achieve the training and experience that I have had. It has also shown me that my future belongs in the Army and have recently applied to transfer to Regular service with the REME as a Vehicle Mechanic. I would recommend deploying on any operational tour with any Regular or Reserve unit as it is a great opportunity to learn new skills and enhance already gained skills.

Mounted Range during the Platform Weapons Operators Course

Electronics Technicians

Scribe - Sgt Pacitti

As an Electronics Technician my time with CASSINO Tp LAD on Op CABRIT has certainly been a learning experience and one that certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. When I was first told that I would be one of two Techs deploying to Poland I did not know what to expect; especially considering how short the amount of time was before myself and LCpl Lewton (Richie), the other Tech, would be flying out.

Joining CASSINO Tp during their PDT in Westdown enabled me to get a good idea of the equipment that I would be working on and allowed me to meet the other members of the LAD. Both myself and Richie were surprised to find that the majority of the LAD and indeed

Hamper Off, Hamper On!

Star Wars equipped REME JACKAL

limitations imposed on us by COVID-19 we got the opportunity to get out of camp and see some of Poland during an Operational Stand-Down period. During this time the majority of the Tp managed to go skiing whilst others got to stay at a 5-star hotel in Krakow for a few days.

As we come to the end of the tour and look back at our time here both Richie and myself can say that this tour proved to be an interesting, but worthwhile, experience. I can say that anyone offered a chance to get on Op CABRIT should consider it as it offers a lot of opportunity to develop yourself. But now we are looking forward to returning to the UK for some much-needed leave alongside friends and family.

Recovery Section

Scribe – Sgt Edis

It has been a challenging deployment for the three Recovery Mechanics where we have gone from a Recovery Company, surrounded by our own tradesman, to having sole responsibility for recovery, recovery training and LRE and we’ve had multiple successes during the tour.

PDT started steady but the tempo ramped up considerably once we started work with the RY in Bovington with a mix of roadside and heath jobs including three Land Rovers at once. We believe they stopped at three as they had run out of Land Rovers to get stuck! This led the ASM to introduce a recovery training day to educate the RY in how to avoid these situations also the services we could provide as they had no experience of working with a level two recovery asset.

We spent a lot of time assisting the VM’s in lifting operations as the ageing JACKAL 1 fleet they had for PDT was struggling to keep pace with the demands placed on it. This gave birth to the tag line for our time at Bovvy – “Hamper Off, Hamper On!”

During this time we also followed the RY around the country on their PDT, first to Warcop for a range package and then to STANTA for a field exercise where LCpl Chisholm came to the attention of the RY CO for his outstanding actions to date and was awarded the CO’s coin. From here we moved to West Down Camp where training continued, a steady stream of broken vehicles but this time all work was done on the dust bowl…. Fortunately, the weather was kind, mostly…

At the end of Sep we bid farewell to the UK and flew to Poland. We were all looking forward to starting work once Isolation was complete and quickly familiarised ourselves with all aspects of the location and the work we were tasked with. The daily work routine was a mix of vehicle maintenance, standby recovery support, LRE checks and assisting the VM’s with manpower and crane tasks. Some elements required some rapid ‘on-the-job’ training but we quickly had a firm grip on it all which allowed us to send RM’s on a wide variety of courses put on by CASSINO Tp such as Jackal driver, Platform Weapons Operator, DTTT, Team Medic and the Cold Weather Operators Course – which came in very handy when the temperatures plummeted to below minus 20!

For most of the tour COVID-19 restrictions meant working with the other nations was not an option but as this eased towards the end of our time we were able to spend a week with the Americans, Romanians and Croatians working on each other’s kit and testing interoperability to see how we could assist should the need arise. The SVR proved a hit with the other nations and its versatility meant we were able to lift everything we tested it with.

Armourers

Scribe – Cpl Ball

The armourer’s department on Op CABRIT (P) have been hard at work to ensure high (and sometimes correct) rates of fire have been maintained throughout ROTO 8. Since our boots hit the ground, we have kept good pace with production. This is mostly down to the fact that I actively hunt down all forms of free phys…much to LCpl Golding’s delight. The Armourers have covered a multitude of range packages and exercises during the sixmonth deployment. From grouping and zeroing all the way up to multi-national life fire exercises like Ex SOBIESKI, there was no task too big or small. On the small amounts of down time we did have we often liked to partake in winter sports like going ice skating outside the block; although this was never voluntary. Working around COVID-19 has certainly been interesting. Add in working with four different nations and even going to scoff turns in to an up-hill battle. Luckily everyone in the LAD fully embraced the situation with a positive mental attitude and that classic REME willingness to get the job done. Eventually the restrictions were relaxed slightly after a surge of COVID-19 sweeping across the squadron.

Outside of repairing and maintaining the Squadrons weapon systems LCpl Golding and myself have managed to throw ourselves at some new experiences. One such experience being the Cold Weather Operators Course (CWOC(B)) which consisted of a back to basics on how to live in the field at below freezing temperatures followed by a night of survival. The survival phase will definitely be remembered by everyone in the Squadron as the time they were starved, left in the middle of a woodblock and told to get on with it (Obviously with all of the required training prior). After a lovely night under the stars in our homemade shelters, we were then offered what the head instructor described as a warm bath. It turned out the bath was a lake and the warmth was non-existent. All in all, the CWOC course was genuinely really enjoyable and something that you certainly wouldn’t have exposure to in the UK.

Recovery Mechanics recovering Landrover