Wiltshire Army officer takes part in huge international exercise near Russian border
Captain Sabrina Lucas, 27, is serving as Company Second in Command (2IC) with the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1 LANCS), and is currently deployed in Estonia as part of Exercise Hedgehog.
The operation is a large-scale, multinational exercise involving 17,000 troops from 12 nations, and is designed to test the combat readiness of the Estonian armed forces and allied support in the event of a Russian attack.
Read more: Two arrests for alleged sex offences after police raid at industrial estate firm
Captain Lucas, who was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, now lives in Bath with her partner.
Her parents live near Chippenham.
She said: "We don't exist in isolation, we never can.
"The second you think you exist in isolation, you become weaker, and you lose impact.
"So, if we want to maintain our strength, as a sovereign nation, we need to understand that friendships are critical and it's important to maintain those in both good and bad times."
After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a degree in politics and international relations, she joined the Army and commissioned as an officer in December 2020.
She said: "I originally applied to be a soldier and then through soldier recruitment they recommended I went to Army officer selection main board."
Since then, Captain Lucas has built a varied career.
She said: "A good one is the Platoon Commanders Battle Course at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon.
"It was very challenging, but I was proud to have done it, and it's stood me in very good stead since.
"I've been an instructor at the Infantry Training School in Catterick for the last two years and really enjoyed that.
"When I was a Platoon Commander, I got to go on Exercise Khanjar Oman which was fantastic.
Read more: Beyonce visits Cotswolds in helicopter to house hunt with Jay-Z
"I was playing OPFOR (an opposing force representing the enemy) and we got chased through the desert by an F35 and an Apache while we were cutting around in a civvy HiLux vehicle.
"This is the fun highlight of my time in the Army to date."
Exercise Hedgehog ran from May 9 to 24 and focused on the rapid deployment of allied forces to Estonia.
Captain Lucas explained her role: "As company 2IC, I'm essentially the control while the Officer Commanding (OC) is the command.
"I make sure everyone gets off in good order and goes to the right place.
"I need to have an overall understanding of the company in the Battlegroup picture and ensure the Brigade knows where we are and what we are doing."
The British Army demonstrated its ability to deploy a large force to a NATO ally bordering Russia in less than 48 hours, using road, rail, sea, and air.
Captain Lucas said the exercise tested the resilience and morale of the troops.
She said: "We're out here for up to 12 days with unknown enemy intentions, and we just need to motivate the troops to continue soldiering and continue establishing a good defence without knowing what's going on."
Her regiment, 1 LANCS, formed a battlegroup in the Nursipalu training area in south-east Estonia, conducting urban and woodland combat training.
The company constructed trenches in the Estonian forest, similar to those used by Ukrainian soldiers.
Read more: Tributes paid to 'warm and positive' man, 30, killed in skydiving accident
The trenches were designed to help the troops hold their positions against simulated attacks from other NATO forces, involving drones, pyrotechnics, blank ammunition, and flares.
Exercise Hedgehog also served as a mission rehearsal for the Forward Land Force (FLF), enabling UK and allied forces to deploy and operate together on NATO's eastern flank.
The British Army's 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, known as 'The Black Rats,' led the deployment.
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, known as The Lions of England, recruits from across the North West, including the Pennines, Mersey, Isle of Man, and up to the Scottish border.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
18 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Appeals court in Bosnia confirms sentence for Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — An appeals court in Bosnia confirmed Friday an earlier court ruling that sentenced the pro-Russia Bosnian Serb president, Milorad Dodik, to one year in prison and banned him from politics for six years over his separatist actions as tensions mount in the fragile Balkan state. The landmark ruling in Sarajevo came after a year-long trial that ended in February on charges that Dodik disobeyed the top international envoy overseeing peace in the country. Dodik has repeatedly called for the separation of the Serb-run half of Bosnia to join neighboring Serbia, which prompted the former U.S. administration to impose sanctions against him and his allies. Dodik was also accused of corruption and pro-Russia policies.
CNN
26 minutes ago
- CNN
‘House is gone. Cars are gone': Paul Whelan's life one year after his release from a Russian prison
For Paul Whelan, returning to life in the United States after more than half a decade of Russian imprisonment has been 'interesting' – and not without its challenges. 'You're literally starting over,' he told CNN ahead of the one-year anniversary of the sweeping US-Russia prisoner exchange deal that secured his release. 'For people like me who have come home after five-and-a-half years, we really don't have very much. House is gone. Cars are gone. Employment's gone. No health insurance,' he said. His post-traumatic stress disorder gets triggered in hotel rooms, after he was 'violently arrested' in one in 2018 while visiting Moscow for a friend's wedding. It was that arrest on espionage charges that started his nearly six-year nightmare of Russian detention. Returning to his home in Michigan was an adjustment, he said, and he had even developed new seasonal allergies from being away so long. 'It took a little bit of time for me to kind of feel comfortable driving down the same streets that I used to or going to a park or doing things that I used to do, especially with my dog when she was alive,' Whelan told CNN. His dog passed away while he was in Russia. 'Doing routine things that I hadn't done for five-and-a-half, six years, and then I was doing them again, and it did take a few months just to kind of get back into the hang of it.' Whelan hasn't been able to get a new job. Some companies won't hire people who've been in prison, regardless of whether that imprisonment was wrongful, he explained, and he's competing with people who don't have a nearly six-year gap on their resume. 'Most people understand the wrongful detention issue,' he told CNN. 'They don't know what to do with it. It doesn't necessarily fit into their policies or procedures.' Whelan has been working with Michigan Democratic Reps. Debbie Dingell and Haley Stevens and others to pass a law 'that would fund the medical, dental and psychological care listed in the Levinson Act that was never funded, as well as to provide compensation and things like that for former hostages who were wrongfully detained,' he said. The Levinson Act codified key parts of US hostage policy into law, including the position of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and set out criteria for making wrongful detention determinations. Additional amendments have sought to increase support for families of US hostages and wrongful detainees. 'Congresswoman Dingell has worked closely with Paul Whelan to understand and address the challenges that political prisoners face when they return home,' Dingell's deputy chief of staff Michaela Johnson told CNN. 'One of these is ensuring they have the medical treatment and mental health resources they need to recover from their traumatic experience.' 'She is working on legislation to address these issues that have been raised in her experience working with Paul,' Johnson said. Whelan also wants to meet with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the matter. Whelan keeps in touch with fellow inmates who were imprisoned with him in a Russian penal colony in Mordovia. That facility, IK-17, has now closed and will instead house Ukrainian prisoners of war, Whelan said. His friends have been scattered around the country, but they describe the situation as poor. 'The food is worse than what we had. Russia is having a tremendous problem with the economy. The prison guards aren't happy. There aren't enough guards to go around,' he recounted. Prisoners, especially foreigners, are being told that if they want to get out, they have to go fight in Ukraine, he said. Whelan also is in contact with fellow former wrongful detainees, he said, including Evan Gershkovich, who was freed with him last year. Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is a US permanent resident, were also released as part of the sweeping exchange. There's a sense of camaraderie among the former detainees, Whelan said, likening it to 'the Island of Misfit Toys' from the Christmas movie 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.' 'It's a unique club of people from all different backgrounds were brought together not by their choosing, and we have shared experiences,' Whelan said. Looking ahead to how he will commemorate the one-year anniversary of being freed, Whelan said, 'There's a special bottle of scotch that I have that I'll probably open, and I think I've got a box of cigars sitting around.'
Hamilton Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Appeals court in Bosnia confirms sentence for Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — An appeals court in Bosnia confirmed Friday an earlier court ruling that sentenced the pro-Russia Bosnian Serb president, Milorad Dodik, to one year in prison and banned him from politics for six years over his separatist actions as tensions mount in the fragile Balkan state. The landmark ruling in Sarajevo came after a year-long trial that ended in February on charges that Dodik disobeyed the top international envoy overseeing peace in the country. Dodik has repeatedly called for the separation of the Serb-run half of Bosnia to join neighboring Serbia, which prompted the former U.S. administration to impose sanctions against him and his allies. Dodik was also accused of corruption and pro-Russia policies. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
