A Platoon Commander’s Perspective on Op Herrick 10 by Lt Terry Williams
Lt Ed Hattersley training the Police
When B Company deployed to Afghanistan for the third time on Op Herrick 10, I was still an Officer Cadet at RMA Sandhurst. It wasn’t until the last two months of the tour that I was able to join them when I took command of 4 Platoon from Lt Ed Hattersley. To say that I took command of the Platoon is a bit misleading as we had been split up prior to Op Panther’s Claw. Lt Hattersley’s multiple had become a Police Mentoring Team (PMT) whilst Sgt Brough’s Multiple was holding ground and providing overwatch to the wadi bordering the BG AO.
The PMT was different to everything I had spent the last year and a half training for at Sandhurst and Brecon: with this rôle, diplomacy and patience were key so I spent a lot of time building up a rapport with the commanders, drinking chai, sharing meals and getting them to trust me. This we achieved very successfully: all of us were adorned with prayer beads given to us as gifts by the ANP and we were able to generate a high patrol tempo that the ANSF would not normally have worked to. In addition to mentoring the ANP, we also ran
The Mercian Eagle
our own AO and, using the same approach as to the ANP, we built up a strong relationship with the locals: by the end of the time, in most villages we went to, the children would shout “commander, commander” at me and everyone we met knew Pte Mhlanga, our very own celebrity. As a multiple, we able to implement several reconstruction projects providing water, electricity and Mosque repairs, improving the lives of many.
The return from Afghanistan has allowed me to get to know my Platoon Sergeant and my Platoon properly not to mention the rest of the Company whom I had not met before. We are working hard to build the Platoon back up as a single entity and develop a strong ethos through hard and worthwhile training, starting at the basics and working up - as well as letting our hair down with some well-earned socials. The Platoon recently deployed to Magilligan training area with the rest of the Company on a basic skills exercise. Here, we concentrated on fieldcraft, fitness, navigation and Potential JNCO development. The navigation exercise was the highlight of the exercise and was
enjoyed by almost all who took part; this was helped by the luck we had with the weather. Some loose interpretation of the rules by some back-fired when they went from a gloating first place to a humbling last place. To finish the exercise, we ran a casualty extraction battle exercise, where sections commanded by Potential JNCOs had to lead a patrol to find an injured Afghan National Army colleague who had been injured and left behind. Young Private soldiers used their experience of the previous tour to demonstrate impressive situational control, grip, calm, confident decision making and leadership.
Taking command during such a high tempo period has been a challenge but I believe that it has been the ideal way to get to know the soldiers and to see the amazing things which they have achieved in such adverse conditions. As the exercise has shown, the Platoon and Company stands in good stead, with morale high and some promising junior leaders coming through; we have already laid solid foundations for the next tour.
October 2010 37
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