Bugle Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 34
5 RIFLES
Ex APEX RIFLEMAN
Sennybridge over the February half-term
provided a testing location for A Company’s
Exercise APEX RIFLEMAN.
Week 1 consisted of a tough light-role
battlecraft package. Through the sideways
rain of a Welsh February Riflemen, NCOs, and
junior officers honed their skills through a
series of section and platoon attacks, FIWAF,
trench clearance, and ambushes, complete
with UAS and CH47 (when the weather
permitted). Then, as shell-scrapes submerged,
platoons put these skills to use in company
attacks to see out the first phase of the
exercise.
The second week saw rare February
sunshine as 15 physical and conceptual
assessments were undertaken to identify the
‘Apex’ Rifleman and Lance Corporal. The Fan
Dance, ‘X-range 3 miler’, model building, and
night navigation and evasion were all part of
the assessment culminating in a sword-lane.
Riflemen and LCpls competed to show their
competence as thinking, fighting Riflemen,
and Rfn Rhodes and LCpl Veater prevailed as
The second
week
saw rare
February
sunshine
the strongest of their peer group receiving
prizes and recommendations for a JNCO
cadre and SCBC respectively (in addition to
an early departure from Brecon; chauffeurdriven by CO 5 RIFLES and the RSM).
2Lt Nik Gour
OC
OPERATION FIRIC PRE-DEPLOYMENT TRAINING
Ahead of deploying as the Roulement
Infantry Company (RIC) in the Falkland
Islands on Operation FIRIC, our Recce Strike
Company undertook a progressive training
programme designed to prepare soldiers
for the operational and environmental
challenges of the South Atlantic.
The package began with an intensive
Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) phase,
which progressively developed individual
and collective skills from fire team drills
through to Section-level operations by day.
Throughout this period, soldiers refined their
marksmanship, tactical movement, battlefield
drills, and the integration of supporting
fires, ensuring each section could operate
effectively in demanding conditions.
Following the LFTT package, the
Company participated in a challenging Patrol
Competition on Dartmoor. Conducted across
difficult terrain and often in unforgiving
The exercise
brought together
all elements of the
training package
and assessed the
Company’s ability
to plan and conduct
operations
34 RIFLES The Bugle
weather conditions, the competition tested
physical robustness, navigation, tactical
decision-making, and teamwork. The event
provided an excellent opportunity for patrols
to demonstrate their fieldcraft and resilience
whilst replicating many of the challenges
expected during deployment to the Falklands.
The final validation of the Company’s
readiness came during a demanding
Field Training Exercise on Salisbury Plain
Training Area. The exercise brought together
all elements of the training package and
assessed the Company’s ability to plan and
conduct operations across the range of
tasks expected of a RIC. Operating within
realistic and complex scenarios, soldiers and
commanders demonstrated their ability to
sustain high standards whilst working under
pressure.
Together, these training serials successfully
prepared our Recce Strike Company for
deployment, ensuring the Company arrived
in the Falkland Islands ready to uphold the
Battalion’s reputation and deliver operational
excellence on Operation FIRIC.
Capt Felix Buchanan
OC Mortar Platoon
Operating within
realistic and complex
scenarios, soldiers
and commanders
demonstrated their
ability to sustain high
standards whilst
working under pressure
