guidance and wish him all the best. He is now deploying as a Bde LO on Op Herrick 10 and will then possibly move on to East Midlands UOTC. The Company is pleased to welcome back Maj Keith Spiers. With the loss of Lt Wopat (transferred to 3 R ANGLIAN), Lt Karim (FTRS) and Lt Buckland (transferred to RMR), his job will not be an easy one as the Company currently has only two officers in post. Maj Spiers takes over during a busy time with increased operational commitments, recruiting becoming evermore essential and retention as difficult as always. We are also short of a WO2 to act as CSM with WO2 Hancock deployed. Fortunately for us, CSgt “15-minute-final-parade; where’s- my-lectern” Leighton has ably stepped into the breach. The Command team are working well together but the author hopes that the Company’s only remaining subaltern doesn’t get worked too hard for too much longer (he’s running out of hair already)!


Adventure Training/Trips


Members of the Company have had a number of opportunities to go skiing this year. Under ski instructor, Sgt Coulson, members of the Company have taken part in two winter adventure training exercises, allowing them all to get in some well-earned relaxation and improve their downhill skills! The first trip was to Flaines in France with EMUOTC during which numerous personnel gained BSP or ASP qualifications as well as enjoying 5-star surroundings! The second


90 October 2009 The Mercian Eagle


venture was to Haus Magnus at Wertach in Germany, slightly less impressive on the accommodation front but still more than comfortable. More Company personnel attended this exercise and gained BSP qualifications (as half decent snow tans and an impressive lack of injuries). Somehow, photos of the then OC, Maj Smith, strutting his stuff on the piste have found their way into his open night presentations ever since! Other trips include the new OC going to Bermuda to “train some officers” (nice blag,


Sir) in the ways of the Combat Estimate and Orders process. He tells us he was hosted well and didn’t have to pay for a single drink in the Mess for his whole time out there. We have found him resistant to buying a round ever since….. The Company faces a number of challenges at the start of the new training year with many key personnel mobilised. The focus now is on stabilising and building on what we have left to create an even more impressive Company for the lads to come back to. We look forward to it.


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