Corps Operational Shooting Competition
GURKHA ARRC SUPPORT BATTALION
GURKHA ARRC SUPPORT BATTALION ROUND UP
Over the course of the first half of this year , the Gurkha ARRC Support Battalion , operating as part of the NATO Response Force , has kept itself busy with plenty of exercises , events , competitions , and much more . Despite the challenges of maintaining high readiness , the team found time to ensure that the year has so far been filled with success both in military and non-military spheres .
The year began with a deployment by Transport Troop and Forward Support Troop on Exercise DHARILO KHUKURI . This exercise , on the freezing cold hills of Salisbury Plain Training Area , tested the soldiers ’ core skills , such as convoy driving cross-country , and engaging in tactical scenarios throughout . This proved to be a good refresher for the soldiers , and due to their excellent performance , both in the preparation and execution of the exercise , the following were awarded CO ’ s Coins : Cpl Pandap Rai , Cpl Jiwan Limbu , Pte Arun Shahi , Pte Narendra Gurung , and Pte Mahesh Budha Magar .
In March , the Battalion ’ s JNCO ’ s organised excellent team bonding and educational visits . This began firstly with LCpl Surendra Limbu organising a brilliant visit to the London Colosseum to watch the Barber of Sevilla opera , which broadened the JNCO ’ s cultural horizons , before Cpl Lumansingh and Pte Samrat organised Ex FORWARD WARRIOR ; a paintball event which encouraged team cohesion and JNCO leadership development . These two events managed to take the soldiers out the office and provide a change to their typical routine , whilst still growing their leadership skills and wider knowledge .
Later in March , as part of the wider Commanding Officer ’ s Shield Competition , members of the Battalion competed against one another in a gruelling 5km Cross-Country race , covering the biggest climbs the area had to offer at Cleeve Hill in Cheltenham . Organised by Sgt Jones , the 180m of elevation gain across the hilly route certainly put the soldiers to the test , with LCpl Bivek winning in a fantastic individual performance , and Close Support Troop being the overall winning team .
April saw wider competitive success , with the Battalion football team , led by Pte Mohan Gurung , achieving the runner-up position at the RLC 6-a-side competition against 27 other teams , narrowly missing out on first place . This was followed by the Battalion ’ s British Army Warrior Fitness Team competing in the UK South BAWF Competition at 4 Regt RLC and RMA Sandhurst , putting in a tremendous effort .
Later in the month , the Battalion Shooting Team , led by Sgt Rabin Limbu and Cpl Jiwan Limbu , secured first place in the Corps Operational Shooting Competition at Pirbright . Not just satisfied with this feat , they also won many other accolades , including Best Team on Rifle , Corps Falling Plate Champion , Best Young
Soldier , and Overall Best Officer . A fantastic effort from the team who now have the upcoming Divisional Operational Shooting Competition in their sights .
To cap off the month , 14 members of the Battalion took part in Ex HIMALAYAN TIGER . This AT package entailed the team completing the Dhaulagiri circuit , one of the hardest and most remote trekking routes in Nepal . The trek began at Darbang at a height of 1470m , passing through French Col at 5360m , before finishing at Jomsom at 2670m . This was then followed by two days of educational visits and community engagement to round off what had been a very fulfilling adventure for all taking part .
Overall , the first half of the year has been packed with plenty of content , and the Battalion now looks forward to its key deployment this year , Ex AVENGER TRIAD 24 , before returning to engage in more interesting and developmental activities later in the year .
Corps Operational Shooting Competition
I am 2Lt Aidan Harris , a Gap Year Commissioned ( GYC ) officer serving within Gurkha Allied Rapid Reaction Corps ( ARRC ) Support Battalion . Over the last couple of months , I have been fortunate to lead the Gurkha ARRC Support Battalion ’ s Shooting Team as we prepared for the Corps Operational Shooting Competition ( CORPSOSC ). The aim of CORPSOSC was twofold : to qualify for the Army-wide Defence Operational Shooting Competition ( DEFOSC ) and for an invaluable experience of competing under pressure .
Operational shooting encompasses a wide range of skills that directly correlate to potential real-world situations that we could encounter on operations . There were up
to fifteen matches per competition , some of which involved moving targets , casualty evacuations , 100m sprints and a 2.4km run . In terms of weapons , we utilised SA80A2 rifles as well as Glock Pistols , which are both new to many of us . Most of the matches contributed both to the team total and individual scores which were then used to determine various winners , alongside some purely team-based matches .
The team did amazingly well , securing several victories including the Inter-Corps Championship and Falling Plate Competition . We also had individual triumphs such as Royal Logistic Corps ( RLC ) Young Soldier and runner up , Top 6 Royal Logistics Corps Firers and Inter-Corps Best Officer awards .
In the build-up to the competition , the team spent several weeks in training at Pirbright Camp to hone our skills under the mentoring of Cpl Jiwan Limbu , our most experienced firer . This year the team was particularly young , meaning that for many of us the event itself was completely new . I particularly felt this , being the most junior officer in the Battalion , not least the team .
As an Intern , I completed 9 weeks of training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to become an officer before joining this fantastic Battalion in December last year . I will be with the Battalion until late August . I believe the skills and experience I have gained will provide me with a firm foundation for my future . I am grateful to have been given the honour of leading the Shooting Team for a large part of my year . Last month has taught me a lot , from leadership and organisation to shooting . I have also particularly enjoyed learning how to cook with the team – although they might disagree about how successful this has been !
The next challenge we are looking forward to is competing in DEFOSC . We plan to build upon the success of last year ’ s team and are aiming for a podium finish . The team have formed a strong bond together , constantly spurred on by the support from all at the Battalion . The passion they show amazes me every day and their generous mentorship has been invaluable .
I have cherished the opportunity to work so closely with the team , gaining insights into Gurkha and Nepalese culture . I am grateful for how they have welcomed me into their community and helped me grow as an officer . I look forward to spending the next few months continuing to learn more before I begin University in September this year .
2Lt Harris , Jai Gurkha ARRC Support Battalion !!
20 SUMMER 2024 the imjin @ ARRCSpBn ARRC Support Battalion