Exercise DRAGON’S CHALLENGE: A Section Commander’s perspective

The Alpha Company pre-training for Ex DRAGON’S CHALLENGE was conducted as a company to achieve maximum training value. We deployed to Okehampton Camp in Dartmoor for a 4-day training package.

On Mon 16 Sep 19 we left Tidworth and headed for the Commando's playground. I was operating the DCCT running Application of Fire shoots and using the system to correct common errors with firers such as trigger snatching, incorrect butt position and poor breathing cycle. The time on the range was useful in helping soldiers adapt to firing with the Virtus load carrying system. On the Tuesday we were met by sunshine and a weather report stating highs of 21 degrees. The sections set off at 40-minute intervals to complete the long-range two-day navigation exercise. The troops covered an average of 40 km over the 2 days. Day 4 brought us back to the DCCT, this time practising the Section in Defence shoots to try to replicate the shoot we would be doing in the competition. The emphasis was now on rapid target acquisition with accurate fire. Back in Tidworth, we manage to squeeze in the training objectives that we had missed out on doing in Dartmoor including an orders revision lesson for the NCOs who were stepping in as section commanders. As I was the most experienced Cpl, I was selected to command the A team with CSM Burford telling me there were bets on me to win - so no pressure!