Captain Adam Szczerbiuk

"Following my initial posting to 32 Regiment RA in Larkhill I have been posted to C Battery 3RHA for the last year. It has been an extremely busy and rewarding time. I initially attended the Fire Support Team (FST) Commander's Course in Larkhill where I refreshed my knowledge of the intricacies of gunnery and learned the tactical application of Artillery in support of both Infantry and Armoured units. The course also taught me how to coordinate fire from mortars, rockets, Apache attack helicopters, fast jets and drones with our own guns to achieve devastating effects on our targets.

 

Following completion of the FST course I moved to Hohne in Germany to join my battery as we prepared to deploy to BATUS in Canada. As an armoured unit I would be working from a warrior armoured vehicle while moving around the prairie calling in fire from our AS90 guns. The training there is done with live rounds and I had ample opportunity to experience the awesome effects of Artillery at very close quarters.

 

I then moved from the extreme cold of the Canadian prairies to the heat of the Arizona desert where I completed the Close Combat Attack Controller course. This qualified me to control directly the Apache attack helicopters as they engage targets on the ground. While I spent many days and nights out in the desert practicing controlling the attack runs of the helicopters I was very lucky to get some time off to explore Arizona and California. Aside from seeing the Apaches firing live hellfire missiles, rockets and cannon, the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon was a real highlight for me.

 

On returning from the USA I began working as the Battery Training Officer responsible for organising the preparation of the battery for our upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. With almost one hundred soldiers to train this has been a very complex job.

 

The bulk of my pre deployment training has involved deploying on exercise all over the UK with my FST. These exercises have frequently been both physically and mentally demanding. We have practiced not just the technical aspects of calling in all the different forms of fire missions available to us but also coordinating this with the movement of the troops we support on the ground. The whole process has taken months to complete and culminated with a live firing exercise where over a hundred soldiers were conducting an attack under the cover of the fire that my team and I were coordinating. I am now fully prepared to go to Afghanistan in the very near future.

 

My job in theatre will be vital to the safety of our troops. My team and I will be responsible for identifying and engaging the enemy with the full array of weaponry available to us and we control overwhelming firepower which can be quickly brought to bear on the battlefield.

 

Outside my military training I have been fortunate to be involved in many expeditions to make the most of the wider opportunities that the Army has to offer. I have been skiing, skydiving, sailing, hiking and scuba diving to name but a few.

 

Life in Germany is a very different experience to serving in the UK. There is a real family atmosphere within the Regiment and the Officers' Mess is no exception. We throw some excellent parties for which many people travel from the UK to attend. The lifestyle of a Germany based Officer is one of opportunity. We are based in the heart of Europe and many of the major European cities are only a couple of hours away so there are always exciting ways of entertaining yourself in your spare time".