Journal 2008 - The Journal Royal Highland Fusiliers - The Royal ...

oles will be put to good use during the tour. Recce and Javelinhave joined the Mastiff Group and the Mortars will be supporting 5SCOTS and 7 RHA. Some of CHQ will also get to play with Mastiff,though the OC and CSM will be covering Security Sector Reformjobs, chosen for their well-developed diplomacy skills.The last six months have been a blur of training for operations,career courses and using opportunities such as RAAT to goodeffect. We have managed to conduct a successful cadre period,followed by a Live-firing Tactical Training (LFTT) camp atBarry Buddon.Cpl Mortley destroying the B Coy opposition to win the Newlove Cup.It has also been a period of consolidation for the re-formed ReccePlatoon. Although numbers remain low, the structure is nowestablished. The return of CSgt Robertson (from instructing inBrecon) and Sgt Lucas (4/73 Bty) from operations have addedconsiderably to the experience held both in general tactics andrecce skills. This, coupled with the welcome addition of Sgt Kylefrom C Company, has created a robust and effective Platoon HQ.CSgt Marshall holds aloft the Newlove Cup (presented by the Bn 2IC,an impartial ex-C Coy OC).The week after this the Coy football team won (and thereby retains)the Newlove cup by beating B Coy 2-1 in the final at MeadowbankStadium. CSgt Marshall captained the team and Cpl Mortley wonthe Golden Boot as top scorer. (See also the Colour Section.)Social NoticesWe welcome in Sgt Ames, Sgt McCulloch, Cpl Torrance, FusiliersBerry, Black, Brown, Clerkson, Cooper, Jackson, McLellan,McIlmun, McCrorey and Watson and say farewell to Sgt Kyle, CplFairbrother, Mortley and LCpl Hogg.Congratulations to Fus Bates and Lauren on the birth of theirsecond son Millar, to Fus Grant and Joanne on the birth of theirdaughter Kelice and to Fus Mason and Stephanie on their marriage.FIRE SUPPORT COMPANYOC: Major M P S Luckyn-MaloneOC Mortar: Captain B A O’NeillOC Recce: Captain R S MontgomeryOC ATk: Captain D AitkenCSM: WO2 K J GallowayIt has been a frenetic period involving much disruption, butequally, many opportunities. FSp Coy has embraced the changes.Having been split down to support other Companies for Iraq, it wasnecessary to reconstitute and retrain as when it became apparent that2 SCOTS had been transferred to a later Afghanistan tour. Thereis an increase in enthusiasm, knowing that each of our specialistThe strains of “The Muckin of Geordie’s Byre” faded away,and “Orange and Blue” once more came to fore, as the Pipesand Drums Platoon rejoined FSp Company after a brief stintwith A Company. We said ‘farewell’ to Pipe Major Neil Hallin July and Drum Major Scott MacDougall in September. ThePlatoon competed at the Army Piping, Drumming and BuglingChampionships, winning the medley competition, coming 2nd inthe March, Strathspey and Reel Competition and 2nd overall. SgtThompson achieved 3rd in the senior Bugling and the Pipe Majortwo 2nd places in the senior Piping. Preparation is now in earnestfor the Edinburgh and Basil Tattoos.The Javelin Platoon, as with the Ps&Ds, now has a new PlComd and 2IC, Capt Ewan Aitken and CSgt Joe Burke. Traininghas continued unabated to its usual high standards. The closerrelationship with Recce is very welcome and, like the newweapon system itself, has forced the Platoon to reassess its TTPs.Both ISTAR and STRIKE roles will be well utilised in theatre.A successful Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition andReconnaisance (ISTAR) cadre earlier in the year has allowed thePlatoon the time to now concentrate on training for the Mastiffrole, safe in the knowledge that there will be little skill-fade intheir primary role.The Mortars have done well to get so much live-fire trainingin recent months. There was a successful numbers cadre inOtterburn and also LFTT on Barry Buddon, support to JFACSUin Otterburn, support to 5 SCOTS on Salisbury Plain and 7 RHAin Sennybridge. The Platoon has been busy, but the training isnecessary preparation for the kind of demands that are beingreported back from Helmand. Sgt Stewart is already out there with52 Bde and we recently received Cpl Bright back from the last tour.The Company is well prepared for next summer. Those in theMastiff group are training on its crew-served weapons and manynow have Cat C licenses to drive the beast. Our MFCs are beingtrained as Forward Air Controllers and Forward ObservationOfficers, greatly enhancing our future capability. FSp Company islooking forward to the tour and will benefit enormously from thebreadth of experience that its personnel will return with. Theirexperiences will help shape how FSp Coy operates and supportsthe other Companies in the future.THE ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS 41