Armoured fury
Cavalry skills sharpened

H-Hour: Waiting for the advance.

THE conventional cavalry skills of B Sqn 2/14 LHR (QMI) have been tested and fine-tuned to the full following Exercise Damascus Fury in Townsville.

OC B Sqn Maj Brian Falk said the exercise, named to commemorate a unit battle honour, took the squadron to High Range to concentrate on field skills for another deployment to Iraq, providing a change from the squadron’s recent urban training.

“We returned to the bush to practise limited offensive and defensive actions incorporating live firing, establishing surveillance screens, sector searches, traffic control points, vital asset protection, convoy escorts and a number of reconnaissance tasks – reinforcing the skills used on conventional operations,” he said.

During three phases, the exercise tested troop training to confirm basic skills, tested endurance capabilies on 24 and 72 hour missions, and tested patrol and troop manoeuvre live-fire capbilities.

“This last phase was enhanced by the presence of gunners from 4 Fd Regt who fulfilled cavalry scout positions, enabling troop leaders to fully exploit all cavalry troop capabilities,” Maj Falk said.

He said the terrain at High Range also reinforced the true off-road mobility of the ASLAVs and the cavalry squadron’s versatility.

“With its strategic mobility, endurance, protection, firepower, communications and flexibility, the ASLAV equipped cavalry regiments are structured to do the jobs currently asked of them on Op Catalyst, which both cavalry regiments are committed to.

“Members of 2/14 LHR (QMI) believe that cavalry, as a result of their training, are the ‘force of choice’ for operations and are ready to do whatever Australia asks of them.”