Page 18 - Bugle Autumn 2023

2 RIFLES
BATUK - Force Protection Platoon
With the Battalion once again spread to
the four winds, meeting every task and trawl with dogged determination, it fell to B Company to step up in support of the famed British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). Any light Infanteer worth their salt would know this deployment well, from Archers Post to Lolldiga, close encounters with elephants to the flash flooded “wadi”, Kenya has it all but luckily with Force Protection came the guarantee of bed linen, regular meals, and a state-of-the-art gym. The deployment of dreams to some, the caveat being that utmost professionalism and reputational pride was at the forefront, hence B Company 2 RIFLES.
Therein lies the challenge of the deployment, we would label it ‘buckshee’ but far from it if you didn’t remain true to task. A composite platoon from across the company and some welcome support from the I Company Machine Gun Platoon, the Riflemen were keen, their words not mine, to relish the opportunities that BATUK offers when away from day-to-day Battalion life.
With 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards trying their best on Askari Storm, the less I mention of them the better, BATUK was busy and so the platoon were busier, with BATUK HQ watching closely to ensure order was maintained. The Riflemen were exemplary
Unwinding after a hard day as chosen man
in their execution, sometimes the simplest task posing the biggest challenge, which was noted by several members of the BATUK hierarchy who appreciated the seriousness and diligence of the platoon.
It wasn’t all work fortunately with the Riflemen taking every opportunity to explore both the local nightlife and wildlife. Everyone in the platoon managed to get on Adventure Training (AT) with the Riflemen being taken out of their comfort zone as all good AT should.
On a personal note, I couldn’t be prouder of the platoon. Their attitude, work ethic and all-around approach to BATUK life was exemplary.
On a personal note, I couldn’t be prouder of the platoon
Entering the ‘stretch’ zone of AT
Pulling together as one to escape the crocs
They deserved the praise received, representing both 2 RIFLES and the Regiment exceptionally well. A tasking that can go wrong easily without the right team, but I knew from the start it wouldn’t.
Lt Michael Mizzi, OC 6 Platoon, B Coy
C Company and elements from I (Fire Support) Company acted as Task Force Hannibal for the 4 SCOTS BG in February, in support of their validation on Ex WESSEX STORM on Salisbury Plain Training Area. 4 SCOTS operate as Light Mechanised Infantry, primarily using the Foxhound as their vehicle platform. This made the task for the 2 RIFLES OPFOR not straightforward – as Light Role Infantry, we were working well out of our preferred operating environment on the open countryside of Salisbury Plain.
That said, we were well up to the challenge, and keen to bring our considerable assets to bear on the SCOTS. C Coy have a secondary ‘optimisation’ role, which has seen us combine new technology into our tactics, techniques, and procedures. We tested the use of lightweight drones, ATAK systems
on smartphones, remote trap cameras, and satellite networking to ensure connectivity in otherwise difficult areas to achieve comms. The new tech allowed us to see more, understand better, and react faster to what the 4 SCOTS BG was doing. We were able to apply our IDF capabilities accurately and at greater range. Our mission command was
18 RIFLES The Bugle
enhanced. Our recce and forward operating support callsigns were devastating in the BG’s rear areas, able to communicate targets to our simulated gunlines faster than ever.
Providing OPFOR was the ideal opportunity to test and develop these capabilities – the significant numerical overmatch meant
that we had to do more at the lowest
levels to achieve the required effects.
We demonstrated that Thinking Fighting Soldiers with a progressive attitude to
the contemporary operating environment can apply disproportionate damage on a much larger enemy force. We hope that our aggressive approach gave the 4 SCOTS BG the best, most testing exercise possible.
2Lt Bowden, OC 11Platoon, C Coy
On multiple occasions we had
the upper hand due to the way we used the ground
4 SCOTS dispatched, just time for a Coy photo
WESSEX STORM was a challenging exercise as OPFOR. We primarily moved on foot which allowed us to use terrain to our advantage as 4 SCOTS (with their vehicles) couldn’t access it. This allowed us to take the Scots by surprise and be effective
in wiping them out. On multiple occasions we had the upper hand due to the way we used the ground, and some of our new equipment gave us an advantage. Overall it was a good exercise to be a part of and to learn how other battalions and regiments operate. We took good learning points from it and will apply them to future exercises and deployments.
Rfn Hawkins, 9 Platoon, C Coy
TASK FORCE HANNIBAL