The initial decision to send a TA anti-tank platoon to the desert with a regular battalion was in itself a challenge. As Lt. Col. Bell, CO KCR secured funding to achieve such a mission, I had the difficult task of persuading the anti-tank platoon that an exercise in JORDAN would be more beneficial than two weeks in SENNYBRIDGE. Not as hard as you could imagine! An even harder task was to persuade 1 KINGS anti-tank platoon commander Lt. Leon Ayo and mortar platoon commander Capt. Russell Deuchar to come as attached personnel!!

Once we arrived at the AL QUATRANA training area we were met with what I can only describe as the best hospitality that any unit could provide. This hospitality continued until the day that we departed. As the TA are low in priority of items of kit and equipment we only had one set of Green Combat 95, within hours this had been replaced by two sets of desert combat 95, combat body armour, desert hats and shamages.

After the active period of acclimatisation; sleeping eating and sunbathing we deployed into the field with 1 CHESHIRE anti-tank platoon presently situated some 12 kms out of camp in a purpose built location. Lt. Dan Guest, OC Atks 1 CHESHIRE, provide KCR anti-tank platoon with every possible training aid and resource to assist our dry training. Hours after we arrived in location KCR personnel we experienced MILAN live firing.