awarded the Military Cross for his efforts in Afghanistan. After a spate of photographs and some beers that night, he was to learn that he was also the youngest recipient since World War 2. The fact that he was on an island paradise must have made the experience even sweeter!
In the final week, the team said their goodbyes to the tropical island they had made their home and made their way inland to the rivers of the Belizean jungle. This offered the opportunity for many to become acquainted with the sights and smells of the jungle for the first time and proved to be the highlight of the trip. With the group split into canoeists and kayakers, we set off down the Mocal River, with probably more enthusiasm than sense, to pit our wits against the rapids. Lt Scott seemed to come off worst with a record number of capsizes. However, with a few days of paddling under our belts, we undertook a mini expedition traversing 22km of river hugging the Guatemalan border. Apart from the wildlife, there was plenty to keep our eyes on with the smuggling of goods across the river being rife and Belizean Defence Force patrols commonplace. Roughly halfway through the mini-expedition, we stopped at Xunantunich for some rest and lunch. This Mayan temple offered awesome panoramic views above the canopy of the jungle and beyond to the nearby city of San Ignacio. This proved to be the perfect culmination to the trip and a unique experience to take in before getting back in our canoes to make our way back to base.
All-in-all, Ex Tropical Relief proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity giving some hard-working young soldiers the opportunity to test themselves in a variety of watersports in the best spirits of adventurous training. A fitting reward for their work carried out in Afghanistan and an excellent chance for members of the Brigade to bond and enhance on the already solid links formed on tour.
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team – Mentoring from a Platoon Commander’s Perspective
by Lt J Vause For the last six months, I have been deployed as an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) Commander based in Patrol Base (PB) Chilli on the outskirts of Nad-e Ali District Centre. Having commissioned in August 2008 and completed the Platoon Commander’s Battle Course (PCBC) by the end of December, I joined 2 MERCIAN mid-way through their Pre-Deployment Training. With the majority of the individual training complete, the Brigade Mission Rehearsal Exercise was my only real opportunity to acquaint myself with my Team. As an OMLT Commander, I found myself deploying in a rôle somewhat different to that taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) or PCBC.
Commanding an OMLT is vastly different to a Platoon. Leading a team of no more than
42 October 2010
12 in a small PB for the entire six months magnified challenges that are often faced by “conventional” Platoon Commanders. The possibility of over-familiarity was ever- present and I had to call on the moral courage acquired at RMAS to maintain an appropriate approach. Not only did we live in close proximity to each other but also we lived alongside those we had the task of mentoring - the Afghan National Army (ANA). It was imperative, therefore, that, as the “representatives” of the British Army, we maintained high personal standards but, with such a small team, isolated from the chain of command, there was a greater risk of our becoming feral. Again, it was Sandhurst which had drilled standards and bearing into me over 44 weeks that provided me with the right foundations to lead by example. Operating from my own PB, presented its own challenges. As a Platoon Commander operating in a different location from my Company Commander and Company Ops Officer, meant that no-one oversaw my decisions or actions and I had to take greater responsibility for my team’s battle rhythm. With aspects of the training at RMAS and PCBC focussed towards commanding static locations, I had been given an insight into how a team should operate from such locations which meant I didn’t have to turn to my Company Commander too often.
Having received very little instruction on soldier management during my training, I deployed to Afghanistan without sufficient knowledge - appraisal reporting and pay being the two key areas. When my focus should have been with mentoring the ANA and conducting framework patrolling, I found myself grappling with Soldier Joint Appraisal Reports, Longer Separation Allowance and Committal Bonuses. Being isolated from Company HQ compounded the problem because these were not subjects which could be discussed over the Command Net and, therefore, delays ensued which ultimately had an impact on the Soldiers I was commanding. It should no longer be assumed that young Officers will have time in their Units to grasp the fundamentals of soldier management and I wish that more focus had been applied to this area during my time at RMAS.
Mentoring the ANA was the most challenging aspect of my Tour. All of the ANA Officers with whom I worked were either former Mujahedin or Soviet Afghan Army Commanders; the majority were considerably older with decades of experience. Being so experienced, they often felt insulted at the prospect of being mentored by an Officer who had only recently completed his training. The ANA’s fixation with rank was mitigated through the use of acting rank however, where this was accepted by the ranks and young Officers, the more experienced Company Commanders, who were my focus, generally saw through it. Fortunately, they respected the British approach to training Officers so they were still willing to entertain me, particularly once I had “proved myself” in combat; this is where PCBC proved to be essential. The course
enhanced all those Infantry skills which allowed me to function with confidence. With many of the ANA Officers lacking the most basic skills such as map reading or the ability to communicate on the radio, it was relatively easy to prove my professional acumen and gain their respect.
Mentoring an ANA Company Commander, much of my time was spent planning. Mentoring planning was difficult as ANA Commanders generally relied on intuition and experience rather than using an established process such as the Estimate, however the experience I had gained from Sandhurst and Brecon was vital in allowing me to drive planning discussions in order to ascertain what the ANA’s intentions were or to raise an issue that they had failed to consider. Understanding the need for the Estimate process also meant that I generally planned in anticipation of the “unexpected” as it was rare for the ANA to execute their plan in the way they had described during discussions or in O-groups. One area where I felt I lacked knowledge was in my understanding of the less-kinetic effects. Throughout my training the emphasis was on kinetic effects such as “destroy”, “suppress” and “fix”. As part of a counter-insurgency operation, I found myself spending more time planning framework patrols and operations rather than decisive events and, therefore, required a better understanding of effects such as “deter”, “disrupt” and “influence” and how they related to the Insurgent, the Local National and the ground. Although my Company Commander was on hand to continue my professional development (as he should be) I now consider this an essential aspect of the Estimate process that I should have understood better before completing PCBC. Had I known more, I would have been much more effective at targeting the Insurgents and this, in turn, would have increased my standing with the ANA.
In conclusion, the training that young Officers receive prepares them well for the rigours of the OMLT role. RMAS gave me the ability to command and lead Soldiers. The core values of courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment still provide the foundations for effective command on operations and serve to educate the ANA Officers either by example or through discussion. However, in my opinion, what the training lacks is instruction in Soldier management; selfless commitment to our Soldiers is worthless if we don’t have the necessary tools. PCBC truly develops those fighting skills that have been used as a tool by Sandhurst to teach leadership which, in turn, instils confidence in the young Officer allowing him to both mentor and potentially command at a level higher than would be expected if part of a conventional sub-unit. There does need to be, however, a greater focus on stabilisation operations if newly- qualified Officers are to be used in such mentoring rôles where they require a high level of credibility if they are to be a match for their Subjects.
The Mercian Eagle
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