Page 30 - MERCIAN Eagle 2022

Pioneer Sgt Sgt Kelly Pioneer 2IC Cpl Ross
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Assault Pioneer Platoon
This has been a solid year for the
1 MERCIAN Assault Pioneer Platoon
– beginning with the expansion and capitalisation on Op CABRIT Warfare Development (WARDEV) lessons. In May, the Platoon held the first infantry Assault Pioneer mission exploitation exercise
in Longmoor training area, where they displayed and demonstrated all pioneer capabilities to Commanding Officers from several units. The capabilities displayed included mine clearance, defensive position creation, route denial through abatis,
urban operations, and explosive and non- explosive methods of entry. The Platoon also demonstrated the benefits of using quad bikes and gained valuable low level tactics, techniques and procedures from other infantry Assault Pioneer platoons.
The Assault Pioneer community benefited greatly from this experience and from the engagement it brought with other units who contributed their workforce to its success. These links will endure and be built upon in future iterations of this exercise.
The Assault Pioneer Platoon was then also heavily involved in Dragon Company’s contribution to Op INTERFLEX between June and October. This task involved training partner forces from Ukraine in basic infantry tactics and specialist weapons
usage. This is a huge part of a wider NATO effort to support the Ukrainian military which made the operation extremely worthwhile and rewarding. During this extremely busy period, we maintained our operational effectiveness through all ranks attending role specific training. These included boat, chainsaw and plant machinery operator courses and a bespoke locksmith training course, bringing more diverse capabilities online on behalf of the Battalion. We
also welcomed our 2 MERCIAN Assault Pioneer colleagues in September and have set about sharing common practice and integrating with each other. LCpl Allwood and Pte Yates attended and successfully passed a PJNCO cadre, representing
the Platoon and demonstrating the professionalism of 1 MERCIAN soldiers. LCpl’s Green and Taylor attended the Assault Pioneer Section Commander courses, with the latter passing as top student. Cpl Taylor also deployed to Canada
Pte Reed placing charges on a railway line Longmoor – Apr 22
Cpl Ross showing CO 1 MERCIAN non- explosive method of entry tools Longmoor – Apr 22
as an observer mentor on the newly formed Canadian Army Assault Pioneer course. This is hugely beneficial for the Platoon,
and a fantastic opportunity to get some overseas experience, building on an already great working relationship with the Canadian military. Rounding off an impressive set of course attendees, Cpl Ross passed as the top student on the Assault Pioneer Sgts course – an impressive feat which placed the 1 MERCIAN Assault Pioneer Platoon even more firmly on the map.
Finally, there has been a changing of the guard. We have had to say goodbye to
Cpl Taylor and Cpl Green who have moved on due to promotion to B (Malta) and C (Kohima) Coy 1 MERCIAN respectively. We have also welcomed a new arrival in Sgt Kelly as the new Pioneer Sgt. Sgt Strong, a stalwart of the Assault Pioneer community, has departed for the sunny uplands of the Czech Republic and we wish him all the best for the future.
Cpl Ross creating an abatis in CBRN kit Longmoor – Apr 22
THE MERCIAN EAGLE