Overseas Exercise
Ex LION SUN 21 7 Close Support Company, 2 Close Support Battalion REME OC – Maj Ed McCann. CSM – WO2 Craig Nicholson
View above PARAMALI Village at H-2
Scribe Lt Will Rimington
Overview
O
n Friday 19 Feb 21, 7 Close Support Company of 2 Close Support Battalion REME deployed on Exercise LION SUN 21, travelling from Leuchars Station to RAF Akrotiri. A total of 76 personnel took part, split between a CHQ element, Forward Platoon, Vehicles Platoon and Recovery Platoon. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and having spent the last three-months deployed on Op RESCRIPT (community testing in Lancashire), the Company was still able to continue with this overseas training, despite ever changing COVID-19 restrictions. The training promised to be challenging, yet rewarding, with a well-organised range package, a Potential Assessment Board (PAB) insight event and an evasion exercise.
Isolation Period Lt Will Rimington – Forward Platoon A last-minute change in COVID-19 restrictions saw the Company need to isolate for 10-days on arrival into Cyprus. This meant that the team would be forced to spend an isolation period in FOB PINETRACK, inside Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, before they could exploit the wider training area. To maximise the training opportunity during this period, SSgt McKendry of Forward Platoon organised a leadership training event (modelled on a PAB) for the LCpls and Cfn deployed on the exercise. This included an initial interview, a onehour essay on a topic based on the individual’s interests, a planning
Cfn Marquis working on his Class 3-2 during the RIB REHAB
exercise, an individual obstacle course and a series of command tasks. Despite the fairly heavy restrictions imposed by the pandemic, SSgt McKendry was able to organise an impressive event which, despite LCpl Livingstone completing an obstacle being taxing mentally on the Potential Assessment Board event and physically, was hugely enjoyable. This provided great training for the troops, a chance for the Coy to form as a team and provided an insight into the potential of the junior soldiers for the Chain of Command. In particular, congratulations go to Cfn Lonsdale who performed best of all who took part in the event. The rest of the isolation period included an ES rehabilitation of some of the Resident Infantry Battalion’s ageing B-Vehicle fleet and crew level training led by JNCOs.
Range Package Lt Ollie Burgess – Recovery Platoon Once the Company was free from isolation the first part of the military training plan was a range package which would take many of the deployed soldiers from never touching a GPMG to passing the ACMT, as well as some more advanced SA80 shoots. The first day consisted of some basic GPMG shoots from 100m to 300m which allowed everyone to get confident with the weapon system before we moved back to 500m. It also enabled us to run the ranges portion of the Inter-Platoon Competition. This had the teams collecting their ammunition from the 600m point before engaging targets at 200m
Lt Burgess overseas the GPMP Range
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