A Company 5 Rifles deploys to the Falkland Islands in September 2014.  In addition to the military mission that it has been ordered to achieve, the Company will also conduct a Charity Challenge to raise funds for Care for Casualties, the Regimental charity established for the welfare of injured riflemen, veterans, and the families of those riflemen wounded and killed in operations over the last 10 years and more.

What are we going to do?

In groups of about 28 (3 x Platoons, and a Company HQ Group), we will march, run, swim or row the distance from Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falklands Islands to Alanbrooke Barracks, Paderborn; a total distance of 13,108 kms.

So what?

A Company will be in the Falkland Islands for a total of 2 months.  Due to the operational mission set us, the Company will be on patrol or exercise for over half of that time.  The challenge will be conducted over the 26 days that the Platoons will be in Mount Pleasant.  Which means that, within their Platoons, each and every rifleman will need to march, run, swim or row an average of 18 kms on each day.

That doesn’t sound difficult.

Really?  Please bear in mind that, when back in Mount Pleasant the Company will still need to maintain its duties, which will mean full working days for all riflemen.  They will do their 18kms in their own free time.  18kms as a one-off distance doesn’t seem all the difficult.  But the cumulative effect of doing it every day, for 26 days, in between military exercises and patrolling… it will be punishing!  And it’s a team effort – if a rifleman has to drop out at any time, for any reason, his fellow riflemen will need to take up the slack.

Blimey! Okay, it’s a challenge.  How do I sponsor?

All riflemen will go on leave with a charity donation sheet.  They will be delighted to accept your pledges.  Alternatively, we have set up a Challenge page on the Just Giving website - and you are now reading it!  So please sponsor us - it will only take a minute...

The small print

·     The CV activities that count are marching, running, cross training, swimming, rowing and cycling.

·     To encourage swimming, and to even the time/distance ratio across the activities, all swimming distances will be doubled.

·     To discourage cycling (too easy to clock up the miles!), all cycling distances will be reduced to a third.

·     Section Commanders will sign off on the Riflemen’s tally card.  Platoon Commanders will check every week.  Any cheating discovered will zero the distances achieved by the rifleman to that date.

·     Although it can’t be conducted as a race, due to Platoons being on different tasks at different times, a progress report will be posted on the website on a weekly basis.

·     We are aiming to raise £5000.  If every rifleman raises £50 in sponsorship we will easily exceed this.  All proceeds will go to Care for Casualties.

·     There will be no refund of donations if Platoons do not manage to return to Alanbrooke; they will face the shame and ignominy for ever more as penance.