pictures: la(phot) si ethell, 40 cdo, and iain wood
Raising the standard
BILLOWING in the valley breeze, the banner of 40 Commando fl ies over Forward Operating Base
more than 50,000 people is in the hands of 40 Commando for the next six months as they take charge of the Sangin district in Afghanistan. Fortunately, the Norton
Manor-based Royal Marines arrived in theatre before the Icelandic ash cloud grounded air travel across Europe. That allowed the formal transfer of control of the region from 3rd Battalion The Rifl es to go ahead as planned. Over the preceding few weeks, the green berets and attached troops had been arriving in Forward Operating Base Jackson, the hub of operations in Sangin, for a comprehensive hand-over from their Army cousins. Sangin was once a Taliban
stronghold and the district has traditionally been one of the mainstays of the opium trade. But Allied forces have spent the past four years attempting to drive the insurgents out of the area and encourage the region’s farmers to grow crops
Jackson for the fi rst time.
The safety and security of
other than the poppy. The area of operations was
offi cially handed by 3 Rifl es’ Commanding Offi cer
Nick Kitson, to his 40 Cdo counterpart, Lt Col Paul James, as the Army Colours were lowered and the 40 standard raised in their place. “It’s great to be here. It’s an honour to take up the reins and having the opportunity to help the Afghans improve the lives of their people in Sangin and Kajaki,” said Lt Col James.
The men of 40 Cdo
arrive in Helmand for Operation Herrick 12 under 4 Mechanised Brigade, whose takeover from 11 Light Brigade in Afghanistan was severely disrupted by the volcano crisis. Before heading east, the Royals headed for Salisbury Plain and a MRX – Mission Rehearsal Exercise (think Thursday War, but on land) – intended to mesh all the various units deploying on Herrick 12 and hone collective skills built up over months of pre- deployment training.
That meant exercising with Chinooks and Merlins, patrolling an Afghan village (which bears
● RAF Chinooks deliver 40 Commando to FOB Jackson in Sangin
, Lt Col
a remarkable resemblance to a central European village built during the Cold War to train troops for combat on the continent), searching a bomb factory and clearing numerous Taleban compounds, as each of 40 Cdo’s companies operated from forward bases for 36 hours…
…which is some- thing the commandos will be doing for the next six months from FOBs and smaller pa- trol bases.
As well as con-
ducting reassurance/ security patrols of Sangin
and Kajaki (home to the hydro- electric dam which is vital for providing power to Helmand), the Royals will be mentoring Afghan National Police, operat- ing alongside the Afghan Na- tional Army and supporting lo- cal reconstruction projects. Before leaving Sangin, the soldiers held a ‘thank you and farewell’ shura – Arabic for discussion – with locals which also allowed them to introduce the green berets to district leaders… and recount the odd tale about their achievements during six months in the region. With the soldiers gone,
the Royals set about marine- ising their base at Sangin: the toilets are now the heads; the cookhouse is the galley, serving scran not scoff washed down with a wet, not a brew… all of which has caused much amusement among Afghan police and soldiers, plus the locally-employed nationals and interpreters who all live on the British bases and work with the commandos every day. For around one in three 40 Cdo men, this is their second, third or even fourth deployment to the Sangin area. These Sangin veterans all commented on the signifi cant changes that had taken place since they were last in the area.
The vibrant bazaar, which is just a few hundred metres from the main Allied base, is one of the most signifi can
t signs
of progress achieved by the 3 Rifl es Battle Group throughout their tour.
The locals and children are becoming increasingly friendly and comfortable with the pres- ence of Allied and Afghan troops on their doorstep; the children are even starting to talk and play with the troops. That’s a sign for many Sangin residents of real and tangible improvements to their quality of life.
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