The Poachers' move from Trenchard Barracks in Celle, Germany, to Alexander Barracks in Dhekelia, Cyprus, was finally completed in September 2010. The continued warm weather was a stark contrast to Germany: all hands were looking forward to the climate and opportunities that Cyprus offers, after a very busy period of pre-deployment training including exercises in Kenya, the UK and Germany.

Alexander Barracks is flanked by a communal beach, popular with local Cypriots and a water sports centre. Further afield the adventure training opportunities are enviable: scuba diving, wake boarding, kite surfing, banana boating, skiing in the winter, parachuting and paragliding are all available within a short distance, with many of these activities available free or at reduced cost for soldiers and their families. Soldiers in Cyprus have the additional advantage of living on a holiday island with all the associated nightlife and attractions that it has to offer.

The Barracks is part of a much larger Station which is almost a town in itself, comprising family housing, a large Ermes (Cyprus NAAFI), a bank, a gym, a Chapel, and village amenities centre with a post office, information centre, gift shop, café and monthly market. Although married quarters in the Station are of the older stock, most families find them suitable for life in Cyprus. Most have large gardens, patios, balconies and verandas, and many people have above-ground pools in the summer months.

After the initial excitement of sun, sea and sand wore off, it became clear to all that we would be just as busy in Cyprus as we had been before the Unit move.
A (Lincolnshire) Company moved on to a Cyprus guard commitment almost immediately - allowing the last elements of 2 PWRR to head home. This involved sending Platoons to the other side of the island to guard installations in RAF Akrotiri and on Troodos Mountain.

On assuming the Theatre Reserve Battalion (TRB) role from 2 LANCS, elements of the Battalion moved forward to Camp Bastion to conduct in-theatre training. This involved revision of current theatre-specific tactics and procedures that were not new to the soldiers thanks to in depth pre-deployment training, but a welcome refresher anyway.

Life as a Theatre Reserve Battalion in Cyprus is a strange mix of constant readiness, keeping on top of theatre-level training and taking advantage of the unique opportunities that life in Cyprus has to offer. A soldier may be on an arduous exercise one week, then kayaking/sailing/diving in the Mediterranean the next.

Constantly training for possible deployment has its own challenges and rewards. The Companies have been working hard to stay at the high standard the Battalion set itself throughout the pre-deployment period, but with added time to prepare for Operations. Almost one Rifleman in two has now had the in-depth medical training to act as team medic should the need arise - an important asset for each Platoon, and an excellent development opportunity for those individuals selected which will stand them in good stead for the future.

Each Rifle Company has now had a period on the heightened readiness state (R1) for possible deployment to Theatre. This has involved full administration checks of each individual- ensuring all have the right documents signed and checking that the correct procedures are place to help families at home should it be required.

Along with this, those on R1 can expect their readiness to be tested fully with a full programme of Theatre Readiness Training (TRT) and an Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) alongside the Commanding Officer's test exercise on the other side of the island.

After completing R1, each company will have a slightly less busy period as the reserve company, but will still maintain high levels of readiness. The Reserve Company can expect a less intensive period than the other two companies and it is usually during this period that the Company can take advantage of opportunities for Adventurous Training (AT). As already stated, the opportunities for AT in Cyprus are second to none. There is a dedicated Joint Adventurous training team on station that provide courses in all manner of activities. Soldiers have learnt to Parachute (Freefall), Kayak, Rock Climb, SCUBA dive, Wakeboard, Sail, Paraglide and mountaineer. As well as these official courses, the Battalion has its own integrated asset in the Poachers Adventurous Training Team (PATT) that run lower level watersports training on the beach attached to the Barracks allowing all ranks, families and children to take part all year round.

Socially, Cyprus offers opportunities for a wide range of activities. Having our own beach and bar has enabled the Poachers to unwind after training by having BBQs as late as November and as early as March. For those who like to sample local life, there is always the authentic Cypriot Meze cuisine to be found in the local villages, and further afield is the border to the Turkish occupied Northern part of the Island that has clean white beaches and a marked Turkish feel.

Sports are always an important part in Battalion life and Cyprus is no exception. The Battalion has successful teams for all of the main sports and also has representatives for the more esoteric sports such as Wakeboarding. The Poachers Football team has had a successful year making it to the on Island inter unit competition final. The Battalion Rugby team have also gone from strength to strength with several Poachers having been selected to represent the Army in the Island inter services cup. For those more athletically inclined, the Battalion Orienteering team is also strong, notably having the winning team in the annual Dhekelia Dash - a cross country relay event.

All in all, it has been a busy year for the Battalion, with at least one Company on heightened readiness at any one time. But, being stationed in Cyprus with all of the opportunities for Adventurous training and personal development that the island has to offer is a welcome bonus for many.