Lt RP Fielden, C Battery 3 RHA
"At the completion of the Young Officers' Course in the south of England I was posted to C Battery 3 RHA. No sooner had my feet hit the ground that I was deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan to meet my soldiers for the first time. I joined the Battery 2 months into their 6 month deployment and found myself quickly into the thick of actions on the ground. Moving to NowZad I was given the responsibility for the lives of 15 Gunners as we fired daily in support of the US Marine Corps call signs on the ground.
My role during missions was that of the Command Post Officer (CPO). This involves the transferral of the location of enemy positions into the information required to fire the guns. This was the perfect start to my career as it gave me the opportunity to put into action not only the core soldiering skills learned throughout RMA Sandhurst but also the specialised Gunnery tactics developed at Larkhill.

I returned to Regimental life after some well deserved post operational tour leave. The focus of the Regiment was on regeneration and as such we converted back from the versatile Light Gun to superior fire power of the AS90. This process culminated in a 3 week Exercise in the Czech Republic where now as Battery Recce Officer (BRO) I was responsible for sighting the guns in such a way to combine both having the greatest effect at the target end and ensuring the maximum defence of the gun position.

The Regiment has provided me the opportunity to be involved with many of the huge array of possibilities the Army has to offer. I have conducted two battlefield tours of Berlin and Normandy, spent a week in the French Alps with my Troop where we enjoyed la Vie Francais carrying out mountain walking, mountain biking, and climbing with the French Artillery, and as Officer in Charge and coach of the Regimental Hockey team have competed in numerous tournaments both in Germany and the UK. I have also been fortunate enough to be selected to represent the Gunners in my sport.

During my first year at Regimental Duty, 3 RHA has far exceeded my expectations of life in the Army. The traditions of the Officers' Mess, and the unique environment of a Germany based Regiment has meant that I have gained the perfect mix of both occupational professionalism and camaraderie that is the trade mark of the Royal Artillery. I am looking forward to throwing myself into the next challenge that the British Army has for me."