Page 16 - Mercian Eagle 2012

HQ: Maj Russ Atherton HQ: WO2 (CSM) Davison FSG: Capt Clayton
FSG: Capt March
FSG: WO2 McCauley/ WO2 Borlace
Mors: Capt Sawyer Mors: WO2 Vickery ISTAR: Capt Wheeler ISTAR: CSgt Vezza CQMS: CSgt Malone
14
Support company
As I put pen to paper some of the Company have already departed for Afghanistan
and the upcoming HERRICK 17 tour. The remainder of us will shortly catch them up and in the blink of an eye it will be Apr 13, an Afghan winter will be behind us, and the lads of Support Company will once again be marching through the Counties they so proudly represent.
In true Olympic fashion, this year has been somewhat of a sprint event! The later half of 2011 saw us prepare for Ex ASKARI THUNDER whilst concurrently tackling individual MST courses, driving cadres and support weapons courses. The Platoon Commanders became more adept at the juggling act of generating capability whilst maintaining a focus on ever-changing priorities and Kenya was a proving ground for many of the new soldiers welcomed into the Company.
The Mortar Platoon took Joint Fires integration several steps further and delivered some fantastic training to our Royal Artillery counterparts. Bedding in, firing on and recording targets before our Artillery brethren had adjusted their first target became a routine sport and allowed Sgt Devlin and the MFCs to prove that indirect fire isn’t just a Gunner sport! Some cracking direct fire ranges allowed the Mortar numbers to see what happened at the enemy end of the bang whilst CALFEX provided the opportunity to smash targets in front of the Rifle Companies.
Whilst Capt Wheeler took it easy on the Light Role Recce Commanders Course, Sgt Dickinson led the Recce Platoon with style and developed their covert capability in the run-up to the final exercise. Determined
to avoid BGHQ, Capt Sawyer made a cameo appearance as the Recce Platoon
capability, Mortars supported 4 Brigade Live Firing in Castlemartin whilst Recce Pl honed its technical and shooting skills. On top of such an impressive surge in individual MST courses, several NCOs completed demanding career courses and earned well-deserved promotion and qualifications ahead of HERRICK 17. We also said goodbye to the CSM, WO2 Davison who moves onwards and upwards to RQMS and WO2 McCauley who moves to ITC Catterick as a CSM. Between them we should be well stocked with both soldiers and equipment for the next two years at least! Sgt Dickinson leaves the Recce fold on promotion to CSgt and is now adjusting to life in a Rifle Company as CQMS A Coy.
Notably two members of the Company also trained hard to represent the Battalion at boxing: Pte Marriott (FSG) who beat his SCOTS opponent with style and Pte Hassell (Mors) who has subsequently been selected for the Army Squad and will return to the Bn, and a uniform, in the summer of next year.
Sadly this year was also marred by the tragic death of LCpl Quigley in a traffic accident. LCpl Quigley was a rising star whose banter, quick sense of humour and talents on both guitar and motorcycle will be sorely missed.
Support Company also says goodbye to a number of soldiers who have done their time and wish to try pastures new as civilians – we wish them the very best of luck and hope to catch them for a beer on the flip side of the upcoming tour.
RGA
The Platoon
Commanders’ own
articles will tell much
of the story from this
past twelve months
but for me it has
been a year that has
seen the Company
go from strength to
strength and build on
the foundations of a
strong reputation that
delivered so much
on HERRICK 12. Ex
ASKARI THUNDER was the first real run out for a newly developed FSG and the training they delivered was second to none. Cross-country mobility, hides and harbours, masses of range work and a genuine delivery of battle-winning firepower on the final exercise proved that the FSG are a potent force. Sgt Hough’s frequent visits to the medical centre and Sgt Catarall’s ability to bend the laws of physics in a WMIK
are worthy of a special mention, as is the emotional CASEVAC of Pte Rathbone who couldn’t have chosen a more punishing hill to fall down if he had been given a choice!
Commander and despite the best efforts of a confused route card and some severe knees to chest along a wadi and back (and back again), the Recce platoon
really made its mark. A particular mention goes to the attached team from 4/73 Bty who seamlessly integrated with the BG and to LCpl Dickinson who discovered that
Danger Close fire missions are that much more dangerous if you’re 500m in front of the main body marking the LD for a BG attack!!!
Backing up the Company from the slums of FOB SIMBA was CSgt Malone, Cpl Varley and the mighty Spermus Maximus who took on the role of ‘CQMS extraordinaire’ and administrated a camp of over 500 soldiers from seven different units – two fish and five loaves certainly do go a long way.
The recovery from Kenya saw us plough on with MST which fragmented the Company into its specialist strands. The FSG went industrial on driving
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
The Platoon commanders became more adept
at the juggling act of generating capability whilst maintaining a focus on ever-changing priorities...
Support COY Ex ASKARI THUNDER