Page 22 - MERCIAN Eagle 2022

Queen’s Division Potential Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (PJNCO) Cadre (QDC)
The Queen Division Cadre (QDC) has been traditionally run from Brecon, however, following the transition of
1 MERCIAN from the King’s to Queen’s Division, the QDC has relocated to Otterburn. Otterburn is a bleak place. There is little but moorland and dense woodblocks, making it the perfect place for infanteering! I and my Platoon Sgt (Sgt Baikirewa) commanded one of the two platoons of the division’s future leaders. As a brand-new Platoon Commander
I had to adapt rapidly. I had only spent 4 weeks in battalion before joining the
A section commander takes his section left flanking – Otterburn Oct 2022
course. Most of the skills I was assessing I had only learnt in the last 18 months. Luckily, I had Sgt Baikirewa and the rest of the training team to advise me.
The cadre delivered a wide range of training to the students. The first stage
is a 3-week Skill at Arms teaching the students to give lessons. The students are also taught range qualifications and Defence Train the Trainer. Students then conduct an exercise and education phase. As the Platoon Commander I taught lessons and managed my Section Commanders. By the end of this phase the staff and students had both settled into the course. Then the training started to ramp up when the exercises began.
In this phase I had ample opportunity to take the reins and start developing junior leaders. The exercise element consisted of four days of section attacks, four days of patrols and a platoon actions phase.
This was my first time in command
of soldiers. Throughout the exercise phase the students quickly developed as leaders. Some students shone, producing
A section commander guides the section down a river on a patrol – Otterburn Oct 2022
commendable sets of orders, only having been taught them a week prior. The final test for them was the platoon operations. Sgt Baikirewa and I were ‘in role’, responsible for taking our troops through platoon advance to contacts. It was a pleasure to command. Our top students acted as section commanders, having proved their mettle.
Overall, I would recommend any Section Commander, Platoon Sergeant, or Platoon Commander to take the opportunity to support QDC. It offers a great opportunity to develop the next set of junior leaders. The old adage goes; “LCpl is the hardest rank to gain and easiest to lose.” Who wouldn’t want to seize the opportunity to develop the next generation of robust and capable NCOs?
20
Meeanee Platoon
Sgt Lee Barry
The Meeanee Rehabilitation capability
was formed in 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment when C (Meeanee) Company was tasked to maximise deployability by rehabilitating injured personnel in the interim period of it not having a lead-warfighting role. Based on the operational need for
the Battalion, Meeanee has evolved over the past two and a half years and has adapted based on the nature of injured personnel in its care. Initially there was a backlog of musculoskeletal injuries that meant centralisation under a single chain of command enabled faster recovery, however COVID, the pressures of isolating, and coming through training during a pandemic resulted in an increase in more complex mental health and welfare issues. As
C Company has been re-established as a fighting sub-unit this year, the rehabilitation function was carried forward by Meeanee Platoon.
The Commanding Officer’s mission
was to maximise the combat power and potential of our soldiers through focussed rehabilitation and training in order that they may succeed on operations and whilst
the Battalion will be held at readiness. The Meeanee Platoon delivered Integrated Holistic Rehabilitation to downgraded personnel so that they overcome mental,
physical and emotional barriers to
recovery and return to fitness, physically reconditioned, mentally prepared and where possible better qualified than when they were first injured.
In numerical terms the Meeanee Platoon has been hugely successful, since its inception 78 personnel have been through its books with a 73% return to duty
rate. Where recovery was not possible Meeanee has also enabled 16% to achieve appropriate discharge. Although disciplinary discharge is a last resort option, Meeanee has discharged eight soldiers this way.
While the clear metrics are important measures of success, management
of personnel with mental health issues
has also been a key success for the programme. Meeanee will continue to look at how we best support our vulnerable soldiers and intervene where appropriate.
The main positive from the varied problems that the people and staff
of Meeanee have had to deal with,
is the experience gained and clearer understanding of all the individual problems that are faced by all service personnel regardless of rank and how best to deal with or signpost them. This has been not only educational for the staff, but also the soldiers, who have been able to share
their experiences and assist peers from other companies that have faced similar scenarios, helping their Mercian brothers and sisters overcome adversity in its many forms. It also provides the chain
Pte Siddle partaking in a Meeanee swimming session
of command with the knowledge and confidence that their soldiers are looking after each other in camp, the same way we have come to expect them to do on operations.
As of September 2022, the Meeanee Platoon was dispersed, and its personnel were handed back to their respective companies. The Meeanee program – delivering focussed rehabilitation – will continue under the QMSI, SSgt Brand. I have fully enjoyed my time as the Meeanee Pl Comd/Sgt over the years and have gained vital experience that I will use not only for my remaining time in the Army but for the rest of my life.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE