Cyprus Mail
By British Bases
A training team from the Dhekelia-based The 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment has returned to Cyprus after deploying to Morocco to train members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG) and the Moroccan Army.
The four-man training team, planned, developed and ran static and Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) ranges over the course of a month to deliver a realistic and challenging package and to “analyse and develop the participants”.
The British and Moroccan armies have a long heritage of Defence Engagement and Exercise Jebel Sahara, which has been running for over 20 years, is fundamental to maintaining good relations between the nations.
Second Lieutenant Jack Cornish, who was part of the four-man team in Morocco, felt the training package was hugely beneficial to all those involved.
He said: “The 1PWRR and Royal Gibraltar training team, supported by the Small Arms School Corps – a unit within the British Army that specialises in instructing and supervising how we conduct all types of training that uses infantry weapons in live firing scenarios – delivered a progressive package.
“It took 2BIP from grouping and zeroing, which are forms of static training practice where a small number of shots (grouping) are taken at a target to ensure that the weapon is shooting as accurately as possible (zeroing), up to and including Close Quarter Marksmanship and our Annual Combat Marksmanship Test, which gives soldiers the chance to demonstrate they can shoot their weapons to the Army’s minimum standard.
“The training team were presented with a great opportunity to interact, train and coach a foreign army, tapping into their plethora of experience and teaching techniques to develop 2BIP.
“The culmination of the training was a section level competition, which tested the Moroccan soldiers on the skills and drills they had learnt. The competition consisted of a two-kilometre best effort run, a 600-metre casualty evacuation and finally, a falling plates shoot, with the winning section dropping all 14 targets at 150 metres with the SA80 rifle.”
During the exercise, the training team also focused on more complex LFTT to test the full-range of abilities of the soldiers from the RG.
Second Lieutenant Cornish continued: “The training team produced a physically and mentally challenging package which tested every member, from platoon commander to private solider.
“The highlight of the week was the platoon house in defence serial, which incorporated two PWRR snipers, a General Purpose Machine Gun and a significant amount of explosive battle simulations
.
“Soldiers were tasked with establishing and defending the position for 16 hours, testing all aspects of the platoon’s capabilities.
“Overall, the training team provided a fantastic range package which facilitated the training of both 2BIP and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and we had a brilliant month working with other units, exploring the local culture and gaining valuable experience.
