No “I” in team: the success of the Dept is down to the hard work and diligence of a select few: Cpls Newton, Allseybrook and Duggan continue to run their accounts with accuracy and were praised by the inspecting team during a recent Mandatory Advisory Visit (MAV) by 19 Brigade. Finally, LCpl (Spiderman) Parker is to be congratulated on passing his C Cat driving test. On the farewell front, the QM’s Dept is to lose a member of its flock to civvy street: LCpl Carl Porter is making the jump and hoping to become a truckkie. We wish him, his wife Jade and daughter Mai all the very best of luck for the future.
MT Platoon
by Capt D Hallam Since the last edition of The Mercian Eagle, the majority of the platoon has been deployed on Op Herrick 10 as part of the OMLT BG. If there was an oasis in Afghanistan then Camp Shorabak was it and we were there. We had a good gym (obviously not used by the MT), a great cookhouse (used a lot by the MT) and the main thing we had was a plunge pool, which was the envy of all ISAF troops in theatre. The MTO was detached from the Platoon working as BGLO with the US Air Force and had his own personal Humvee. Sgt Burgess thrashed the Platoon for the first three months of the tour and did an amazing job on the takeover. He and the rest of the boys ensured that driver training continued and that the fleet was kept roadworthy (bearing in mind there were no roads). Cpl Perrott replaced Sgt Burgess mid-tour and continued the good work up to and including the handover. On return in October, the boys joined the rest of the Battalion on the Welcome Home Parades in Worcester, Derby and Nottingham - a very emotional time and great to see the support from our own recruiting areas. Then, a well deserved POTL followed by a good month off for Christmas and New Year.
Since the return from Christmas stand-down, we haven’t stopped, organising the transport for KAPE and the continuing saga of driver training. By the time the Battalion deploys again, the aim is to get every man in the unit a CAT C licence. We have now received 34 Pinzgauer and we are about to receive 19 of the new MAN SV.
We say farewell to LCpl “Maz” Mariner who, due to being disqualified, tried to depart for the mainland on a jet ski: we wish him the best of luck; also, to Pte Johnny Marshall who has decided to work for a local coach company: we wish him and his family all the best for the future. We welcome LCpl Rawes, who comes to us from the BRF via the Royal Navy, RLC and TA. Congratulations to Cpl Kennedy on his marriage to Eloise and to LCpl Jones 02 on promotion to Cpl and posting to the Project JAMES team in Warminster.
As most of you know, the MT and LAD work 48 October 2010
hand in glove and certainly did during the tour. It is with sadness that we record that, on 28 February 2010, Sgt Kev Wyatt (ex-2 MERCIAN LAD died in a road traffic accident in Germany. Our thoughts go out to his wife and family.
LAD REME by SSgt Leak
OC LAD: SSgt T Leak REME
It has been a busy period for the LAD since our return from Operations, not just with a changeover of the small manpower that we have but with ensuring equipment availability. The workload after the tour increased rather than eased. Tying to fit in POTL and Christmas with the Battalion weapon inspections due and a shortage in Armourers certainly proved entertaining! Life as a Vehicle Mechanic (VM) hasn’t proved to be any easier; the arrival of the 34 “new” Pinzgauers in December and January and the imminent arrival of the SV fleet, coupled with the posting out of the course-trained personnel has presented quite a challenge.
Fortunately, it hasn’t all been bad news; Op Entirety should increase our manning to 15 tradesmen - a little hard to believe since, prior to its introduction, only 6 out of 9 posts were filled but, despite initial scepticism, a number of assignment orders have started to arrive so the team is getting bigger. From people arriving to others leaving: we have had to say farewell to a couple of members of the LAD. As we departed on Christmas leave, Sgt Kev Wyatt moved to 9/12L LAD in Hohne and, at Easter, LCpl Danny Eagles started his Class 1 course at Bordon. Unfortunately, at the end of February, we heard the very bad news that Kev Wyatt had been killed in a road traffic accident near Celle, Germany. Our deepest condolences go out to his family. Since our return from operations, the LAD has been very busy and, hopefully now as our manning increases, we will be able to get away to complete some Adventure Training and military training courses. Some members of the LAD with members of 2 RIFLES LAD will be taking part in the City of Belfast Relay marathon and others of us have been persuaded to take part in a swimming marathon, although I’m not sure that it was such a wise idea now that I know how many lengths of the pool it involves!
Finally, we look forward to later in the year and Ex Askari Thunder, which, for some in the LAD, will be the first large scale exercise and the challenge of maintaining what we expect to be a “well used/abused” fleet of vehicles.
AGC (SPS) Detachment by Capt Kirk
Reynolds Since the last edition, the SPS Detachment has continued to keep pace with the busy pace of life within a Light Rôle Infantry
Battalion. The majority of late 2008 and early 2009 was consumed with pre-deployment training and ensuring that the Det SPS ORBAT was ready for the forthcoming task. After a well-deserved period of pre- deployment leave, the Detachment split into those deploying and those remaining on Rear Party operations.
The first member of the Detachment deployed by himself in early January 2009: Cpl Dean Atkinson was trawled to be part of the Bastion Support Group for which he was promoted to the well- deserved rank of Sgt. In late March 2009, Op Herrick 10 began for the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team Battle Group, with the base being at Camp Shorabak, just outside Camp Bastion. The forward deployed elements of the Battalion SPS Detachment immediately started work to ensure that they were ready for whatever would be thrown at them in this new and hostile environment. Both the RAO, Capt Ellie Guest, and RAWO, WO2 Sam Mayne, ensured that all members of the Battle Group were documented to ensure that the smooth and continued administrative support the Battalion was used to was not compromised. Both were eagerly supported in Theatre by Sgt Ben Lake, Cpl Jenny Powell, LCpl Gemma Colley, Pte Gillian Burns and Pte Dom Kirby; the Battalion was in good hands.
Simultaneously, Rear Party, headed by the SPS Det Comd, Capt Kirk Reynolds, began the unenviable task of ensuring support for those members of the Battalion left behind, those due to deploy and the families whilst also ensuring that normal day to day work and returns were completed. In support were SSgt Buzz Fanning, Sgt Gail Evans, Sgt Scott McCallum, Cpl Maria King and LCpl Shirley MacLeod.
Shortly after the main Battalion elements departed, both A and B Companies deployed as part of the Light Dragoon Battle Group, supported by Cpl Amanda Buckley and LCpl Natalie Bell. Both would be the most forwardly-deployed members of the Detachment, working under extremely harsh conditions in support of their Companies and alongside other SPS members whom they had yet to meet from the Light Dragoons’ BG. With the deployment under way, casualties would be inevitable and Rear Party were more than ready to support the Battalion in every way which they could. A month in and both part Detachments were now well established. SPS Forward had instigated monthly Statement of Earnings checks which gave Sgt Ben Lake a break from the continuous discipline he was more used to; he was even heard to mention that he was enjoying it and had learnt some new things: this was all down to the excellent instruction he received from Cpl Jenny Powell. She would soon have some good news of her own and returned to Rear Party when she found the joyous news that she was pregnant. She had just enough time to establish the Rest & Recuperation Cell and
The Mercian Eagle
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