News
November 22nd 2021
Royal Yeomanry Reservists complete leadership programme
A Royal Yeomanry Reservist during their training.
12 Army Reservists from the Royal Yeomanry have completed the Army Leadership Development Programme (ALDP), designed to give junior soldiers the skills and experience to promote from Private to Lance Corporal.
The Royal Yeomanry is the senior light cavalry regiment in the Army Reserve. It is a reconnaissance regiment with a role that enables it to operate in front of other friendly forces to gather intelligence on the enemy and the local environment.
With 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, the Royal Yeomanry’s Regular counterparts, the regiment forms the light cavalry reconnaissance component of 7th Infantry Brigade, also known as the Desert Rats.
Recently, 80 soldiers from the Royal Yeomanry joined those from the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards on a deployment to Poland working with NATO allies. The Reservists provided the reconnaissance capability to the United States 2nd Cavalry Regiment Battlegroup as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) deterrence posture.
The Reservists had to live in the field for five days.
The Army Leadership Development Programme
By completing the ALDP, the 12 Royal Yeomanry members have shown they are ready to take on the next step in their Reservist careers.
The ALDP involves theoretical lessons, leadership training and navigation skills, before a final exercise where the Reservists live in the field reacting to scenarios for five days.
In the final exercise, involving events such as a section attack or casualty evacuation, the group had to demonstrate their leadership skills through tasks including captured persons management, first aid and military tactics.
Course Officer Captain Mike Crofts said: “The soldiers get the opportunity to learn about leadership theories which they probably already practice day to day as senior troopers. But more than that, they will have learnt a lot about themselves.
A Reservist in action.
“The final phase in the field lets us see if they have what it takes to lead when they are tired and under pressure, and importantly whether they will set an example to junior soldiers.
“We set high standards in the Royal Yeomanry and the course has met them head on by remaining focused and successfully completing the course. Well done to them all.”
Find out more about the Royal Yeomanry and the Reserve Forces on our website.
"The soldiers get the opportunity to learn about leadership theories which they probably already practice day to day as senior troopers. But more than that, they will have learnt a lot about themselves."
- Course Officer Captain Mike Crofts
