the Company for 12kms into a lie-up point. Our Company went from Battlegroup reserve to break-in, with 4 Platoon spearheading the assault by virtually rock climbing up in the darkness of the early hours, ready for 1 Platoon to echelon through. After a successful assault, it was time for tea and medals, a welcome shower and the adventurous training package.
We made best use of our hosts who provided mountain biking, canoeing, rock climbing with bungee jumping an option for the brave! The evenings promised food and locally- produced Tusker beer, both of which were in abundance and eagerly welcomed. The hot showers and proper beds were a boost to the men’s already high morale; A Company left Kenya happy with heads held high and faith in themselves and their own ability.
MST
STANTA was the location for our CFX attached to the Scots Guards. Training consisted of four 36-hour periods ranging from defensive ops to clearing the “Green Zone”. The facilities were realistic and enough kit was issued to practise Ops Barma and Kala drills with realistic time scales used for each operation. Each Platoon had a chance to experience serials within the newly-constructed Afghan Village, providing essential counter IED training and casualty simulation, something Cpl Marsland found terrifyingly real. Special mention must be made of 3 Section, 4 Platoon for dragging LCpl Bagshaw back to his feet when he was waist deep in mud, weighed down by ECM blue and unable to move! The attention to detail
by all 3 Platoons under the ever-watchful eyes of their respective Section Commanders ensured that drills were thorough, resulting in A Company taking fewer casualties from IEDs than previous units and finding many more IEDs.
Our CASEVAC procedure by this point was noted by the DS to be fast and impressive, a credit to WO2 (CSM) “Matty” Henry and his insistence on thorough rehearsals. After this, we scattered to the four winds with courses and qualifications reigning supreme, causing 2ic Capt James Baker many a late night! However, with all the new skills and driver qualifications, we were in good shape ready for the live firing package in Lydd. The ranges here were plentiful and of good quality, providing everything from grenade throwing to vehicle top cover shoots and fire team village-based shoot and scoot scenarios. Pte Philips of 1 Platoon described how good it was to get quality range time in new and complex conditions. The package also gave us the opportunity to test junior leadership and readiness for future JNCO cadres by placing private soldiers in command appointments for certain shoots.
The CALFEX took A Company to the harsh wild lands of Otterburn, where 4 feet of snow was still to be found on many ranges. We were given the opportunity to fire the Combat Shotgun, the new Sig pistol, UGL as well as personal weapons. The Platoon Commanders had an emotional time leading attacks through thigh high snow, which drained morale as well as energy!
Ex Pashtun Rat which followed was very Afghanistan-based and was the final hurdle for pre- deployment training taking place on Salisbury Plain with weather conditions comparable to those found in Stalingrad. It was icy cold for the majority of the days with night time temperatures dropping to -10C. Operations included reassurance patrols, raids, cordons, defence of FOBs and IED location utilising Royal Engineer Search Teams (REST). Patrols were equipped with full ECM suits, Osprey, Vallons and all the usual Platoon equipment and ammunition scales. Company assets included an Ops Room - with more electronics than found at a Bon Jovi concert - Springer vehicles for CASEVAC and Merlin Helicopter lift for those lucky few who flew in it. With the final exercise over successfully, A Company was ready and trained. The OC was keen to reward the efforts of his men with long weekends to spend time with their families.
At the time of writing, we are ready to deploy in a few days on Op Herrick 12, with the advance party already in theatre. We are ready to undertake our role in Sangin with 40 Commando BG, elements of whom we saw during Ex Pashtun Rat. We are under no illusions as to how difficult the next six months will be both physically and mentally and we take pride in our performance thus far which will give us comfort in the long months ahead.
‘C’ Company by Maj Chris Wood
OC: Maj Chris Wood 2ic: Capt Mike Coyne CSM: WO2 M Heaton OC 6 Pl: Lt Dave Payne OC 8 Pl: 2Lt Nathan Rager OC 9 Pl: Lt Rich Sawyer
Preparations for Op Herrick 12 by Maj Chris Wood
2009 seems to have disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Taliban Commander in the Upper Gereshk Valley is currently briefing his men that they are about the “enter the heart of darkness…” as the Green Machine prepares to deploy. What started slowly in the snow of Garelochhead and the latter days of a Falkland Islands summer has developed
14 October 2010
into a Company which is strong, fit, incredibly well trained and sprinting towards the start-line of Op Herrick 12.
The Company Group now stands at some 120 men and women including our attachments with whom we have trained over the last 6 months and now on the brink of deploying to the Upper Gereshk Valley to FOB Sandford. This is a great honour as FOB Sandford was established on Op Herrick 6 by our comrades in 2 MERCIAN and named after a fallen soldier, LCpl Sandford. We are deploying as part of the Danish Battlegroup and intelligence feeds from theatre warn of some heavy fighting in an area that has not seen significant ISAF troop numbers for some time. The demand for Rifle Companies in theatre is such that we have re-generated B Company to deploy in support of 1 RGR. This
has meant that 8 Platoon has been detached temporarily and will now deploy to Babaji with B Company.
Our preparations over the last six months have been thorough and every man is now confident and, more importantly, well practised in the life-saving drills required in theatre. We have gained a plethora of theatre-specific qualifications from Tactical Questioning to Compound Assault. We have made our way, relatively unscathed, through the myriad of Mission Specific Driving Courses and we can now drive far more vehicles than we are likely to see in theatre! The men have performed to the highest of standards during the Confirmatory Field Exercise (CFEX), Combined Arms Live Firing Exercise (CALFEX) and, finally, the Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX).
The Mercian Eagle
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