bowls. Even the gym looked like something more commonly seen in the Flintstone cartoons. It is to the credit of the Soldiers that they remained disciplined in such conditions. Living in such a small and basic PB was an awesome experience and the memories and hardships shared by the Team will no doubt remain with us all for life. Working with the ANA was a challenging rôle and very different from anybody’s previous experiences of Afghanistan; we have all learnt a great deal from it and we will benefit our Companies as we rejoin them in Belfast.
AMBER 13 Pl Comd:
2ic:
Capt Brigham Sgt Giles
Op Herrick 10 has been a Tour of two halves for AMBER 13, the start of which saw them in Nad-e Ali District Centre, co-located with OMLT 1 HQ in Patrol Base (PB) Argyll. AMBER 13 were responsible for mentoring No 3 Company of 1/3/205 Kandak. It was not long before AMBER 13 started to build relationships and overcome the cultural barriers with the Warriors from the Afghan National Army (ANA). This was clearly evident when Capt Brigham started speaking Dari, having forgotten that, as a child, he had used a similar dialect to speak to his Father. Sgt Giles tried to fit in, using his appointment as the Battalion Assault Pioneer Platoon Sergeant as the excuse, by growing a beard; it wasn’t long before he started to regret this decision as the temperatures rose making his beard more and more uncomfortable. These first few weeks were invaluable and ensured further success later in the Tour when we were allocated a different Company to mentor.
Whilst at PB Argyll, AMBER 13 were in numerous challenging situations ranging from a 3 day operation to clear a number of Improvised Explosive Devices, to being the peace-makers in a dispute between the ANA and Afghan National Police (ANP) after a number of ANA Warriors had been killed by friendly fire. During our time in Nad-e Ali, it was AMBER 13 who took responsibility for the more social aspects OMLT 1’s existence. Sgt Pollitt organised an Officers v Seniors cricket match (which the Seniors won) and there were daily games of Monopoly or Risk, which flared a competitive spirit in LCpl Ridgway.
The second half of the Tour was set in Basharan, a largely untouched area which was held by the Insurgents before our team settled there. Basharan was a big change for AMBER 13 as we were suddenly isolated from the remainder of OMLT 1 responsible for mentoring the Kandak’s Heavy Weapons Company, a ragtag bunch of individuals not dissimilar to our own Support Weapons Company! It came as something of a surprise
40 October 2010
to discover that Check Point (South) was in a worse condition than PB Argyll but AMBER 13 quickly set about improving the conditions and making it home. We also found ourselves working in close partnership with a Welsh Guards Company and relied heavily on their support.
AMBER 13 had whipped the Heavy Weapons Company into shape, with their Commanders planning deliberate operations, within weeks of our arrival in Basharan. The fighting was intense with AMBER 13 coming under heavy enemy fire every day and engaging the Insurgents for hours at a time. The Insurgents quickly realised that they were not going to beat us using rifles and rockets and so switched to Improvised Explosive Devices. At this point, life became more difficult but not insurmountable and just meant there was something else to teach the ANA Warriors. Whilst in Basharan, AMBER 13 was not only involved in the aggressive fighting normally associated with being in Afghanistan but also the development of this area. Whilst maintaining the security of the local area, we helped in the building of schools and Mosques and we developed local water and power supplies. We all found it satisfying to be able to put something back into the Country rather than just using it as a battlefield.
Op Herrick 10 has given AMBER 13 some good and bad times. The variety has been a challenge, but developing the ANA to help them operate without external assistance has been highly rewarding but not without its frustrations. The Tour would have been a very different experience had it not been for the great sense of humour and diverse personalities found in the men of AMBER 13. They have kept going without breaking stride through what has been a demanding six months.
AMBER 14 Pl Comd:
2ic:
Capt Dixon/2Lt Scott Sgt Laurie
AMBER (Gypsy) 14 journeyed around a number of destinations across Helmand Province before finally settling in Nad-e Ali District Centre. As the tour began, they found themselves separated from OMLT 1 in Forward Operating Base (FOB) Keenan in Gereshk. Located in the “Green Zone”, the area around Keenan was in full bloom and, with the beginning of the poppy harvest looming, patrols were quiet during our stay until LCpl Sissons’ first IED find during a routine patrol south of the FOB. This was being dealt with by us and everything was in position until the Afghan National Army (ANA) Commander decided that enough was enough and pulled the device out of the ground and then drove it to back to Camp Shorabak! Life in the FOB was comfortable and the facilities were good for the men,
especially welfare, through which internet, text-link and satellite phones were provided for our use. There was also time for a “fancy dress” volleyball competition which an RGR team won overall with our OMLT A Team winning the prize for best costume (poo bags!). A month passed before we received orders to return to Camp Shorabak.
Our next location was a stark change of scenery, mentoring elements from the Heavy Weapon Company of 1/3/205 Kandak in Forward Operating Base (FOB) Sharwali, on the outskirts of Lashkar-Gah. The location was basic with a lot of work required but the challenge was greeted well by the soldiers. Whilst waiting for support from the Royal Engineers, we made frequent trips to the main UK base “acquiring” what we could in order to make our stay there as comfortable as possible. About a week after moving into FOB Sharwali, we found out that we would be taking part in Op Zafar to the north west of Lashkar-Gah in an area called Basharan. This was Afghan National Army (ANA) led and comprised our team, supported by AMBER 11, the Afghan National Police with their Mentors and providing fire support and lift capability, CVR(T)s and VIKINGs. The operation was to clear around the main village in Basharan and to build ANA and ANP checkpoints to reduce the movement of enemy forces in the area. Enemy forces’ resistance was tough at times with accurate fire. Thankfully, we had the support of a Fire Support Team comprising WO2 Rob Moodie, Bdr Adam Adey and SSgt “Danger Close” Dave Cooper which helped us to repel the enemy and clear the area successfully over the period of three days. It was hard fighting with minimal support other than that of the FST but we pulled it off and then stayed in the area for seven weeks. Initially in Patrol Base (PB) Tapa Paraang, we re-located to Check Point South from where we were relieved by AMBER 13 allowing us to regroup with OMLT 1 in PB Argyll.
During our time at PB Argyll, we saw a number of changes whilst mentoring the self-titled No 3 “Commando” Company of 1/3/205 Kandak. Capt Dixon and LCpl Sissons left and 2Lt Scott, Pte Chadburn and Pte Rogers arrived. With a re-jigged team together, we set about the task of continuing the high tempo of framework patrolling with joint deliberate operations thrown in for good measure. Often tasked with doing the real work of clearing compounds on such operations, we successfully cleared areas surrounding the Nad-e Ali District Centre over the coming months. In a series of three operations over a two week period, our ANA Commander, Lt Hammed Alah, 2Lt Scott and a further six of our ANA comrades were injured following the discovery and destruction by the lads of AMBER 14 of a bomb factory and the recovery of a large haul of narcotics in an area known to be
The Mercian Eagle
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