Page 35 - Mercian Eagle 2012

c (Skirmish) company
OC’s Introduction by Major C S Fowler
OC 2IC CSM
7 Pl Comd
7 Pl Sgt
8 Pl Comd
8 Pl Sgt
Asslt Pnr Pl Comd Asslt Pnr Pl Sgt
Maj T Spoor/ Maj C S Fowler
Capt J McIlveen/ Lt G Tyldesley
WO2 L Lougher/ WO2 M Cooke
Lt L Beetlestone Sgt M Harris
2Lt S Vause
Sgt J Herberts Lt J Clark
Sgt R Keeton
I write this intro with a huge smile on
my face having taken over command of
the Company where I had previously served as 8 Platoon Commander. It has been
an extremely busy and successful year
for the Company focussed around two deployments: Op HERRICK 15 and Op OLYMPICS. The hard work and progress achieved through the Company’s efforts
in the Upper Gereshk Valley have allowed 12 Brigade to insert Afghan Local Police sites within Shurakay and Qal-eh-gaz. These areas have never had pro-GIRoA or ISAF bases located their: clear evidence of the Company’s success.
Op OLYMPICS provided a different challenge but one which the Company also excelled at. As witnessed by the many kind words from a multitude of civilians at the Olympic Park, the Company definitely earned the Army credit in the public eye while also having fun enjoying the delights of the Capital.
We look forward to our 2013 commitments which will see the majority of the Company assist with the preparations for the force elements of 1st Mechanized Brigade.
We say goodbye to Maj T Spoor, Capt J McIlveen, Lts Beetlestone and Clark
and CSgt Jackson who are all posted; Ptes Aitken, Brown, Entwistle, Gale, Mason, Pickard, Scott, Sheldon, Smith 27 and Stretton who are posted to D (FSp) Company; and Pte McQuiade who has sadly been medically discharged from the Army: we wish him well.
C (SKIRMISH) Company: Op OLYMPICS by Capt Jem McIlveen
C (SKIRMISH) Company Group deployed on Op OLYMPICS between 14 Jul – 16
Aug 12 as part of the British Army’s wider deployment in aid to the civilian authority, helping to support the security operations in venues across London.
The role involved providing an ‘airport style’ search of pedestrians entering venues, and working with a mixture of
other Services, cap-badges, Police, civilian volunteers and private security contractors (including G4S). Following a three day training package, the Company Group deployed to the Stratford Gate search area of Olympic Park, putting our cap badge very much at the front and centre of the Olympic effort.
Having recently recovered from Op HERRICK 15 and lost individuals
to postings and career courses,
the Company’s numbers needed to be augmented by members of HQ Coy (including the Quartermaster and the Motor Transport Officer who brought their individual LE flair and
character to the task)
and females from the
Royal Navy and Medical
Corps. High standards
of professionalism,
appearance and
bearing were required
of all military personnel
in order to enhance
the reputation of the
Armed Forces, and
the Mercian Regiment’s contingent did not disappoint. To a man the Mercian soldiers
and attachments were smart, courteous and good humoured with the thousands of spectators (from all corners of the world) who passed through the Olympic Park daily. The public were grateful to the
soldiers on the gates and comments thanking the Armed Forces for ‘saving the Olympics’ did much to raise morale.
Amongst the throngs of spectators was a steady flow of VIP visitors including the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for
Defence (desperately seeking volunteers for the TA uplift), Mayor of London (who I am
C Coy Op OLYMPICS
High standards of professionalism, appearance and bearing were required of all military personnel...
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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