In December, C (KSY) Sqn took the lead in the regimental effort to support the London District Operational Shooting Competition. This included fielding the RY team, and testing our marksmanship prowess against all units (regular and reserve) in London District. Building on our experience of the TA OSC in July, we were already familiar with the three matches we would shoot. In preparation the team worked very hard. We fired in the prone up to 500 metres at ever smaller targets, practiced firing from various positions at 100-200 metres, and dashing down range over obstacles to beat the butts. The team's first shoot at the competition was the march and shoot, we were the first team to finish the march on time and set the bar with the highest score of the first day - a good start! The Team Combat Snap Match aka beat the butts was next. Charlie fire team were fast crossing the obstacles but despite a valiant and furious effort were beaten by a persistent target that wouldn't go down and sadly were unable to clear the butts. Delta fire team were however successful and secured valuable points for the overall team score. The last shoot, the Defence Assessment was a match we are all familiar with. However the team must have all put on lead boots by mistake that morning, as the 100 metre dash was slow going. However despite all agreeing it wasn't their best performance, the team managed to score enough points to come 5th overall out of 12 teams. Not bad for our first season. 1st and 2nd place were taken by 106 RA and 151 Transport Rgt RLC, both well know in the shooting fraternity and teams we'd seen perform well at TA OSC. It was notable that only one regular team finished in the top five! The team thoroughly enjoyed the competition and sufficiently impressed RHQ that we have been tasked to enter both competitions again in 2013, a challenge we shall very much look forward to.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reservists-take-centre-stage
