Agile, adaptive future Light Infantry force at the heart of developing, testing and challenging Infantry warfighting concepts and capabilities. The Army’s Next Generation Combat Team, equipped with the latest generation of autonomous platforms and information and night vision systems, working with industry, partners and allies to win on today’s and tomorrow’s battlefields.
Out-Think. Out Fight.
The Autumn and Winter have passed in a blur and whilst we paused albeit briefly, to write these articles, it is hard to believe that it is nearly Spring. This is largely, but not entirely, due to the pace of life generated by multiple lines of operation and deployments, but also due to the most unseasonal deep snow at ‘The Dale’ in Chester.
We launched the Next Generation Combat Team on the 12 Oct 22. This new role for the Bn sees all sub-units central to making the Army more agile, more lethal, and more relevant against a pacing threat and the clear requirement for the UK Army to gain advantage at a pace of relevance. We are all pushing the boundaries in every area, seeking to exploit existing capabilities and justify new ones. The new role brings the requirement for change and attracts some uncertainty. Change is to be embraced, but managing and mitigating the consequence of uncertainty, for our soldiers and their families, remains my number one command priority – now and into the future.
The Teams have all done brilliantly at flexing to the new challenges and the multitude of conflicting priorities. Central to the successes since last Autumn has been the agility and dexterity of the Quartermasters’ Department who have, and apparently effortlessly, sustained the integration of new capabilities, deployments to Germany; USA, Norway, France, Portsmouth, Sennybridge, Salisbury Plain, Scotland and Otterburn. Not to mention delivering two most excellent external inspections. No mean feat by any stretch.
Meanwhile the sub-units have been busy, as you will read later on, contributing to the Army’s largest exercise in 10 years on Ex CERBERUS in Germany, unlocking an interoperable (UK/US/AUS) sensor – decider – effector ‘kill chain’ on Ex CONVERGENCE 22 in the USA, and informing the UK Army’s Warfighting Experiment in Portsmouth. At the time of writing we are also deployed to Fort Benning, USA, on the US version of the Warfighting Experiment, have a sub-unit informing how the 16 Brigade Combat Team will be robotically enabled by 2025 and have a 150-soldier company group preparing to deploy on Ex WESSEX STORM with future weapons systems, sights and platforms to inform how the Army can be more lethal, more manoeuvrable and more survivable.
The Dale, Chester, remains a great place to live and work until the next move in August 2024 when we move to Warminster where our capability is centred. Remembering and putting our people at the heart of capability development, we have excitingly started to work with Andy Reid MBE, formerly of 3 YORKS and now of The Standing Tall Foundation. Through this partnership, and the Regiment’s association with Leafyard, we hope to improve all aspects of Wellbeing for our soldiers and their families. The core purpose of the partnership is an ethos of living stronger, leading stronger and leaving stronger. We all know that we leave service at some stage, and so it is hoped that through a constant philosophy of empowerment and personal wellbeing, we can address physical, mental and financial health so that we leave stronger than when we bravely joined.
There are too many congratulations and goodbyes to mention them all, but we will highlight some. In the last six months we have promoted 10 Privates to Lance Corporal, 3 Lance Corporals to Corporal, 3 Corporals to Sergeants, converted 2 WO2s into RQMSs’ and 2 RQMSs into WO1 RSMs. Private Glenton won the Tandy VC award, Lance Corporal Jones won the Sanders VC award, and Sgt Foster won the Hollis awards Before the next Journal the following are posted; Majors Wiejak, Townsend, Sawyer and Muckle; RQs Kirkbright and Jones and WO2 Willis. Finally, and after 22 plus years colour service we say farewell to WO2s Cumiskey and Smith; CSgt Hay and Sgt Tomlinson. We will save the hellos for the Autumn publication. The Spring and Summer of 2023 is set to be an exciting and informative one for the 2nd Battalion. We remain lucky to have great people, be in a great place and have an exciting meaningful purpose. Listen, Learn, Adapt, Relearn.
‘Fortune Favours the Brave’
Get a flavour of what being in 2 RYORKS means
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