102 FS Bn REME: Ex IRON VIPER

102 Force Support Bn REME on Ex IRON VIPER 21

Scribe: SSgt Ruvino

102 FS Bn REME deployed on Ex IRON VIPER 21

On the 12 Nov 21, 102 FS Bn REME deployed on its annual two-week exercise, but this time it felt a little different due to the fact we would be feeding into Ex IRON VIPER and would see Bn personnel operating out of different locations as part of an evolving “battle picture”.

Ex IRON VIPER was the primary training opportunity for 3 Regiment RLC and 27 Regiment RLC, delivering their biennial DELTA validation. It is in preparation for their certification to be held at readiness as the Close Support Logistic Regiment to the Armoured Infantry Brigade and Divisional Logistic Regiment respectively. The ES Gp involved was an integrated REME Bn, led by 4 Bn REME and incorporating formed Company’s from both 102 and 103 Bn REME along with Babcock DSG support. The composite Coy(-), led by 146 Div Sp Coy HQ personnel, was made up of 5 + 33 personnel from across all four companies and supported by Bn Permanent Staff. For the start of the two-week period, we all made our way to Warcop for an RSOI package and in-depth Voice Procedure (VP) training for a couple of days – which proved to be invaluable for the next stage of our exercise. Before departing Warcop we had a small remembrance parade then made our way in convoy down to Driffield, another piece of valuable rehearsal training that would pay dividends later. We were lucky enough to be accommodated in the cadet camp for the Unit Based Virtual Trainer (UBVT) stage - which I was really not looking forward to as a previous experience had made me very apprehensive. The team were great and surprisingly I actually enjoyed it. It really is a very valuable training tool and they managed to incorporate some live skills to run alongside it, which worked very well. The UBVT consists of a screen, laptop, games controller and a headset. It was brilliant for practicing VP, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), as well as some key Reports and Returns (R2). We were given REME Cpl Elliot, second from the left, using his civilian experience from working at Jaguar Land Rover to teach both Reserve and Regular tradesmen specific repair and recovery tasks with a real-life OGp. The missions always had a curveball though

and we were forced to react to small arms ambushes, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and route blockages. It was a great learning experience for sending R2 and reacting to a contact as we were able to work through more scenarios than would have been possible to replicate in that time on the ground. This first week was a great tool to fail and learn, reinstilling and practicing core skills before deploying on the ground to do it for real on Ex IRON VIPER during the second week.

We broke up the week’s activities by heading out to the training area for some further vehicle manoeuvre drills and rehearsal of the Command Post (CP) establishment plan to facilitate a slick setup at our final location.

The convoy to Abingdon went well and the rehearsals paid off. The first day in work was pretty quiet but this Composite Coy CP hard at work whilst deployed on Ex IRON VIPER 21 proved to be an advantage as it gave us chance to get our bearings and we were all set up military capabilities. This exercise was no different and it was a Sunday to hit the ground running with the rest of the exercising great opportunity and experience for 102 Bn soldiers – for many troops involved in Ex IRON VIPER. Everyone was happy to finally of whom this would have been their first. For myself it was the get stuck into some work and settled into their role. This was my first time that I’ve been involved in a split camp like this and at first camp as a SSgt and instead of being on the tools I had to get first appearance you would think it would be disjointed, but used to being sat in front of a laptop. This is not at all in my actually it functioned logically and fluidly, working out very well comfort zone, but after a couple of days I started to feel more for everyone involved. A great experience and training confident on JAMES, production stats and Technical Documents opportunity that has laid a strong foundation for the next On-Line (TDOL). We had a great team and I loved how everyone exciting training progression where we look forward to doing the in the unit and wider Corps just helps each other and are always same again in Germany as part of Ex CERBERUS! keen for work.

We relished the fact that we were supporting a Regular Army unit and swapped a couple of the junior VMs with 4 Bn. They were very accommodating to us and the Whole Force integration worked very well. Having served with Regulars on a couple of tours, this came as no surprise. By the end of Ex IRON VIPER we had completed 39 repair activities across a multitude of platforms including Mastiff, Ridgeback, EPLS and TUM FFR; this included Engine replacements, electrical fault finding, windscreen replacements and multiple timing belt changes.

I am, and have always been, proud of the part Reserve personnel can have in the delivery of superb WO2 (CSM) Sapsford from 146 Coy (102 FS Bn REME)