Chairman's Interview: I met the RSM in mid May during a break between pre deployment training and asked him for his views on several issues:
In your opinion, how is the Regiment at this important and busy time?
"The Regiment is in good form, slightly undermanned as ever, but with a great sense of well-being. Recent personality changes have injected a freshness to the unit and they are genuinley looking forward to the forthcoming tour in Afghanistan, despite it coming so closely to the previous deployment."
How do you feel personally about taking your Regiment to war?
"Realistically, I feel incredibly humble and obviously proud. What humbles me is the performance of our NCO's and soldiers. Their enthusiasm, knowing what they are about to face is remarkable, particularly in the light of the losses we incurred last time. Their attitude has a marked effect in reducing the pressure on the chain of command, who can focus on the task ahead secure in the knowledge that their soldiers will deal confidently with everything that is thrown at them. They are all better prepared this time and the training package has been first rate.
I have grown up in the Regiment with old sweats talking about nothing except "The Falklands War", the only serious undertaking in decades, the soldiers today have experienced high intensity, multi faceted war fighting the like of which most of the old comrades could not imagine. These young men have been well and truly blooded and have maintained the high standards of their predecessors."
What of the future of the Regiment?
"Given the high tempo of operations currently, consideration needs to be given to the Regimental structure, the current peacetime orbat changes so much for a deployment that perhaps we should adopt it full time? We are no longer simply a Light Gun Regiment, the need for 'technicallly proficient' gunnery has diminished - nobody needs the fabled 'coordinated illuminated range and lateral spread' or the "Horlicks" that used to be the BC's Fire Plan! Most fires are immediately reactive in response to calls for help to either supress or harass the enemy. Gun troops function almost automonously whilst the BC's and Fire Support Teams plan and fight a real three dimensional war, coordinating strike assets involving several nations, a variety of equipments, some of which are not even in theatre. It is very much 'Combined Operations' in its truest form. The Light Gun remains an essential piece of battle winning equipment but the unit has to master an ever increasing array of highly specialised equipment to allow it to carry out it's role effectively."
