'the imjin magazine' Spring 2021 | Page 13

Forward Support Troop ( FST ) deployed on Exercise LOYAL LEDA 20 as part of ARRC Support Battalion to construct and sustain HQ ARRC , the lead NATO Corps Warfighting Headquarters .

A few of the tasks delivered by FST during Exercise LOYAL LEDA 20 involved providing site layout on the ground , construction of the Staff Working Environment and the troops newly established role - Force Mobility Protection to COMMARRC ’ s command group .

In January 2020 , FST received Mastiffs in order to carry out this task . This has led to a busy year for the troop despite the onset of COVID-19 . Members of the troop have been on various courses to qualify them

Transport Troop Build and Sustain

In September 20 the soldiers of ARRC Support Battalion deployed on its yearly task of supporting HQ ARRC on exercise , this time on Ex LOYAL LEDA . It carried out the building of infrastructure for the exercise and provided support throughout . Over the course of the last three months , they have successfully constructed and maintained an international exercise in multiple locations with real life support to more than 600 staff officers and personnel .

Starting in September , and with a backdrop of strong winds and heavy rain , the build phase began seeing the southern section of South Cerney becoming a sea of tents . All were fully floored , lit , heated , waterproofed and protected . This provided

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world . It is located in the Mahalangur Himalaya range in Nepal . Summiting Mount Everest , the highest point on the earth , is one of the biggest physical challenges a person can take on .

During Christmas leave Rfn Suraj Dhimal from Close Support Troop took part in the Mount Everest Virtual Challenge charity event organised by Conqueror Events . The charity event was a 40 mile journey to the summit of the Mount Everest . The event started on 31 Dec 20 and Rfn Suraj completed the race on 3 Jan 21 . to allow the troop to operate the vehicle effectively . Also , members of the troop went to Lulworth ranges and conducted a Pintle shoot in order to qualify members of the troop as top gunners .

Following the effects of COVID-19 restrictions , the exercise has allowed the troop to return to some form of normality and work together as a team once again . The exercise delivered many challenges , providing a fantastic opportunity for NCOs and JNCOs to develop , receiving plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills and talents .

The exercise was a success for FST , and we are looking forward to the events of 2021 .

the nucleus for the various needs of HQ ARRC including sleeping , working and dining facilities . This was achieved within a month and a half , despite the small size of the team , the constant constraints and the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic .

The two-week execution phase started in November and the team was able to provide 24hr support to exercising troops working across the camp , making sure the everything could run as smoothly as possible . Despite the late-night call outs and early starts , the professionalism of the battalion never wavered as they provided first rate support throughout .

The Battalion also made the most of the opportunity to honour Remembrance Day despite the restrictions by holding an 11 o ’ clock ceremony in the centre of the site , complete with bugler and the lowering of the flags .

On the completion of Ex LOYAL LEDA , Transport Troop began the deconstruction phase which saw the packing up and reconstitution of nearly 100 ISO containers worth of kit and equipment , a huge task that the Troop met with enthusiasm .

Across the 4 day period , he managed to complete 40 miles ( 64km ) of running in the local area , before submitting the record via the Strava App as a proof of run .

While running , participants could explore all the virtual surroundings on a street view as they approach Everest base camp and runners receive custom virtual postcards when they reach certain milestone . For every 20 % of their challenge they completed , runners donate towards the planting a tree . Rfn Suraj managed to plant 5 trees by the end of the race and charity has so far planted more than 450,000 trees since Aug 20 . It was a great privilege for Rfn Suraj to represent the organisation and the community and be a part of the team to save the planet .

SP BN team posing with CO and RSM after a successful completion of the race

ARRC Sp Bn PARAS 10 Challenge

On 6 Nov 20 a team of ARRC Sp Bn led by RFN Suraj Dhimal completed the PARAS 10 . The PARAS 10 is a grueling 10-mile endurance race based on the 10-milers from the P-Coy test week . All the money raised by the PARAS 10 events is donated to their charity which supports the welfare of Parachute Regiment soldiers and families and those affected by recent operations and the maintenance of its regimental efficiency , ethos , spirit and heritage .

Due to the pandemic the event was organised virtually by the Parachute Regiment and 1821 entries were registered . The ARRC Sp Bn team included LCpl Jagadish , LCpl Pradeep , Rfn Sabindra , Rfn Bipin and Rfn Suraj .

Despite a very busy schedule , while the battalion was deployed on Ex LOYAL LEDA , the ARRC Sp Bn team used South Cerney airfield to complete their virtual race . The team managed to cross the finishing line in very good time . The fastest individual time being 1 hour and 34 minutes by LCpl Pradeep Thamsuhang , the CO and RSM ARRC Sp Bn congratulated all participants for their efforts .

Supporting the Poppy Appeal

As COVID-19 takes hold and the world changes before our eyes , HQ ARRC physical training has taken a new form . Virtual challenges have become increasingly popular over the last few years , seeing even more interest at the beginning of 2020 . Just because gyms may not be accessible , it doesn ’ t mean we can ’ t all stay fit and healthy .

Physical Training Instructor , LCpl Jagadish Gurung from Close Support Troop decided to organize the 5km virtual challenge with his 2IC Rfn Sabindra Limbu while everyone was on Ex LOYAL LEDA at South Cerney Airfield , with proceeds going to support the British Legion Poppy Appeal .

Like so many other events , this year ’ s Poppy Appeal had to adapt in line with national restrictions and go virtual . Signing up to it was a good way to exercise and get fit during lockdown .

Deployed runners from across all brigades and NATO nations were actively involved to support the charity . Runners were given five days from 14-18 Nov 20 to submit their best run time recorded on their GPS watches or Strava . The results were published at 0730 hours on the 19 Nov 20 . Prizes provided by ARRC SP Bn were distributed to the winners by Lt Col Sands , CO ARRC Sp Bn . The total amount of £ 115 was successfully raised to support the British Legion Poppy Appeal 2020 .