‘C’ Company
by Capt Odell OC:
2i:
CSM: WSM:
CQMS (M): CQMS (T):
OC
7 Pl 8 Pl 9 Pl
Maj A McKay Capt M A Odell
WO2 (CSM) M A Brown CSgt Price
CSgt Midwinter CSgt Mulingani Pl Sgt
Lt K Koniarski 2Lt Coutts 2Lt Flackett
Sgt Lovell Sgt O’Gara Sgt Moss
Following re-formation on 1 December 2008, C Company was given until Christmas leave to bed in and prepare for a post leave exercise. A restful couple of weeks was shattered when C Company arrived back to work on 5 January 2009 to find sub zero temperatures and the first signs of snow fall as we prepared for our first shake out exercise on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA). The scheme of manoeuvre was to run two concurrent exercises, one armoured infantry (AI) and one light rôle in order to make the best use of resources and time. We deployed on the Tuesday morning and dropped the dismounts off in what was now a thick splattering of snow to conduct low level Platoon training under the command of 2Lt Codling, a fresh-from-the-factory Platoon Commander who will join C Company once he has completed AIPCC this Spring. The remainder of C Company moved off in the Warriors to delve into the pit of AI wisdom created by Sgts Scott and Howdle. After the usual teething problems which come with a post leave vehicle move were sorted, the AI phase progressed well and some C Company SOPs were set as the basic skills and drills developed. When we returned to the now near frozen dismounts, we found that they, too, had completed some good low level training, including Section attacks and patrolling.
C Company
Our next task was to build up for the Battalion LFTT which happed in the second week of January. The timings worked out well for the Company as we did not deploy until the Wednesday, allowing two full days of rehearsals and battle preparation. This battle prep proved invaluable when we arrived on Sennybridge to find the usual scene of sheep and rain. The Company performed very well over the package and it was easy to tell that focusing on the basics was paying off as, even when soaked through after the Company attack; morale was high and the soldiers required little time to battle prep for the subsequent night attacks. There were some notable performances on the LFTT, particularly Pte (now LCpl) Biusavu, who led his Section through a particularly demanding night attack, and LCpl Davis who had his grenadier crawling the best part of 50m uphill before fighting through the objective.
Pte Bryan – CATT The Mercian Eagle
C Company then conducted a three day training package in the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer in Warminster. The Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT) facility is a networked suite of simulators designed to replicate the interiors of armoured vehicles, ie Challenger Main Battle Tanks, Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), and Scimitar light tanks. The C Company ORBAT consisted of two Armoured Infantry Platoons with myself and the OC acting as controllers in the ExCon suite, although Maj Alex “Maverick” McKay was keen to try the new jet fighter simulation which they had available. Once the Company got over the initial motion sickness on the familiarisation training day, we moved into the first of two
missions which became progressively more challenging as the package progressed. Training culminated in a force on force scenario on the Isle of White during which 8 Platoon proved themselves kings of the island. Thanks go to WO2 Midwinter, brother of our CQMS, who stepped in as a Fire Support Team Commander and Instructor from his day job at CATT in order to improve and practise the Company’s indirect fire control. We made huge improvements in this area.
Battle PT in the snow
February brought C Company into the cycle for Land Warfare Centre (LWC) tasks with Ex Badger’s Stress and Ex Blind Date, both of which fell to 8 Platoon, giving them an excellent chance to develop their low level drills. There was also the Battalion-led Keeping the Army in the Public Eye (KAPE) in the Midlands. As always, the Battalion was received well in all the towns but those which stand out as the best were Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent and Burton. C Company provided elements for the surge teams, the static displays and a guard for the marching. C Company have come on a long way in their first three months with notable efforts put in by the G4 team of CSgt “Frosty” Midwinter and CSgt Mulingani, not to mention those who work for them in their respective departments. Now that we’re beginning to establish ourselves, develop an esprit de corps and some SOPs, we’re all looking forward to finishing the rôle as LWC BG and heading to Germany in order to train and prepare for future operational tours.
October 2009 65
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164