hi everyone

im currently in the process of looking into joining the RAC but i am looking for some more information. The 2 regiments i am looking at are the Light Dragoons and the Royal Dragoon Gaurds as im a yorkshire lad these two are my local regiments right?

I was wondering if anyone could give me some info about the training at bovington as i am struggling to find any, like a breakdown of what the course involves. Also the RDG are MTB but i would like to go recce, so would i go to my unit as mtb crewman then get picked or can you go straight in as recce.

Cheers Dan

My bold. No, you'd need to join the RN for that, but I don't think there are any MTBs any more.

I always wanted to crew an MTB, but had to make do with a tank

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Armoured career? That's one of those oxymoron things!

Youve got it pal, you would join as a chally driver then if you good enough or they have the slots you may end up in recce troop. Thats the book answer however it all depends on if the RDG have any Challys, where RDG are in the operational deployment cycle. If you want to get into recce you may as well goe into LD.They are a good unit and FR regiments do tend to get the better jobs on operations due to the flexibility that FR regiments have within roles. Best of luck mucker

WAH shield up:

If you join a heavy armour regt (RDG etc) you will go to Bovington for Ph2 training.

It's been a few years since I was last there so things may have changed but usually this consists of a signals course, car driving (if you are not a licence holder already) and Challenger 2 driving. There was also a useful military skills package running if time permitted, whereby skills such as tank cam and concealment, OPs and hide drills etc were taught.

Depending on the amount of troops to courses, sometimes it is possible to do the gunnery phase at Lulworth instead of the CR2 driving, but this is the exception rather than the rule - whichever one you don't do will be covered as soon as you get to your unit.

As regards to going recce in an MBT regiment, you may have to wait and do your time as a Challenger crewman for a while before signalling your intentions to go to Recce Tp, but don't expect it to be a given as they only select the best from the unit (usually!)

Have a look on this Forum for similar requests for info regarding med recce units. Bear in mind that you will be better off going to the Royal Dragoon Guards as the Light Dragoons all smell...


WAH shield down:


CW

Quis Separabit

Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum

thanks for the info guys. Just another quick question could you tell me what daily life is like in a tankie regiment?

I'd tell you, but I'd hate to put you off at such an early stage.

go for it, it cant be any worse then what im doing now

Each regiment differs in some ways, but the words 'Tank Park' will be ones you learn to hate. After a couple of weeks working on the tank park everyday, you'll be so bored of it and wondering why you ever thought it'd be a good idea to join the bloody RAC.

This week for me has mostly consisted of:

8:30am parade down the tank park, sit around a bit until the troop sergeant turfs us out of the office to go and first parade the vehicles (before use checks), first parade a vehicle that hasn't been anywhere or done anything and hasn't changed since the previous day when everything was fine. Once that has been done, get a list of jobs which need to be done of the tanks, stuff which is completely unexplainable because the tanks haven't done anything so why they need to be fixed is completely baffling to me. I think the tank park goblins wreak havoc of a night time messing up the tanks and breaking stuff so we have something to do the next day.

So we have a fun couple of hours doing lots of interesting things on these wonderful vehicles and this will take us up until lunchtime or maybe PT before lunch. An hour off the tank park running about is a welcome change, have some lunch then back down the fun park for 2pm. Get another good 3 hours of brilliant work done of these vehicles before we sack it to go home!

That's it, all day, everyday. Sometimes we'll have some sweeping of the tank sheds thrown in, maybe a sports afternoon and if you're really lucky you'll get to go on exercise where the tanks can't actually be driven more than 8km to make sure we keep the mileage down and you do lots of things like putting up cam nets, learning what rations are how cold it gets in the middle of Germany in November!

Enjoy!

Forks

Do you not fit in the odd happy hour at the end of the day? In Fally with the QRH we always had a Sqn run on a Friday afternoon which culminated in a good session in the Sqn Bar.

Nobby

Nowt changed then

Unfortunately today we are doing CO's PT which is a TAB until Lunchtime, but oh no we're not finished yet! Back down the * park for more work after lunch! Yes, on a Friday!

I've only got another 6 weeks of this and 3 of those consists of leave and courses so I can see the light!

Forks, you aren't doing it right. Go out and get bladdered every night, then next morning to first parade the vehicle you can climb into the driver's seat / turret (delete as applicable) close the hatch and bang out a few Zzzs to make up for those lost whilst out on the bladder until pre-dawn.

Oh, hang on, the Army has grown to dislike squaddies with a drink habit, hasn't it?

My tip, join up 30 years ago. Sorted.

One more question but im grateful for all the help so far!

Since the Light Dragoons are FR does that mean that they do much dismounted work like a cross over between armoured and infantry?

You'll find that most Cav/RTR units are doing more dismounted work and will do for the foreseable future. We are still utilised on vehicles (Mastiff/Jackall) but the use of heavy armour (CR2) has been curtailed and not used in Afghan.

can anyone tell me some information on D squadron in the Household Cavalry, and how its involved with the paras or air assault please?

Just out of interest, why isn't CR2 used in Afghan? I've often wondered.

Ask a politician.

Good luck with that.

Too big and heavy, the Brit AO is pretty big and you just cannot drive CR2's around the gaff. We dont need them either.