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4 Platoon enter The Game: The Defence of Aghabadji City
Lt Trucker Middleton
After excelling themselves during Hybrid Foundation Training (HFT) in BATUS, Canada, 4 Platoon deployed with the
B Company Group on EXERCISE SABRE JUNCTION; a concept proving experiment in southern Germany. A portion of this experiment took place in a small, hilly, forested location called Hohenfels Training Area. This required B Company to don
the American TES equipment and go toe
to toe against the local American OPFOR and associated forces. From our exploits in Canada a few weeks earlier, 4 Platoon were familiar with this sort of exercise – a serious military version of LaserQuest. However this time the match was very different. We wired up our lasers and sensors without actually knowing the rules. We also failed
to appreciate how seriously our American Allies took this foray in the woods; once you entered ‘The Box’ you were ‘in Play’ and you could not leave. In this fake war torn country every action had consequences, nothing is notional and if you died you stayed dead until ‘End of Mission’. This is the story of what happened when 4 Platoon entered ‘The Game’...
We deployed to Khalial Province during the final weeks of October 2012. Yet again we found ourselves fighting in a small war in an obscure part of the world. The political situation was all too familiar; a small, democratic, resource rich country had been invaded by a larger, aggressive ex-soviet block neighbour with ambitions of seizing
a wealthy border area. Not only were we facing Warsaw Pact style armed forces but ethnic tensions had also risen among the
minority populations which threatened to spill into civil war or insurgent violence. Why does the British Army keeping sending me into these short wars? Most of which last only a few weeks.
After entering Khalial we found ourselves attached to an American Cavalry Regiment based in large 8 wheeled vehicles called Strykers. We were initially impressed
with these new shiny machines, with their electric heaters, plug sockets, email and remote control 50 calibre machine guns. However, as the battle with the enemy and terrain progressed our hearts returned to our battle tested Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles. Although the heater would have been appreciated when the weather closed in and the snow began
to settle. Our mission was to protect Aghabadji City. We deployed forward of the City to a position overlooking the town of Enslwang. The town was centred in a large bowl surrounded by forests. The terrain offered an excellent
area to engage the
enemy, but also made
the town practically
undefendable. It looked
as though Enslwang
would be sacrificed in
the defence of the City.
destroying any forces that attempted to cross the open ground. 4 Platoon were positioned approximately 1 km to the rear of these frontline trenches. Our role was
to act as the company reserve; we were
to punch forward and support the forward platoons if the enemy threatened to break through. A further battle position was recced to the north of the bowl, an excellent defensive position we dubbed ‘The Alamo’. The Alamo was a set of concrete ruins
and thorn bushes that the platoon could defend against a considerable enemy force. This defence was further bolstered by a minefield inserted by Slovenian Counter- Mobility Engineers that appeared looking for work. Unfortunately The Alamo was not supported by the other forward positions,
if we permanently occupied this position the Company would be spread too thin. We were only to fight from The Alamo if the enemy thrust came from the north.
However our main concern was camouflage. The
platoon set to
work using natural camouflage from the forests to make our vehicles and newly dug trenches disappear. Little did we know the US Army pays $500 per damaged tree.
Once the platoon hide was completed
all we could do was wait. All but essential movement was forbidden in an attempt
to keep our position hidden. The platoon
The Company
received its marching
orders and deployed
forward in the hours
of darkness. 5 and 6 Platoon would occupy positions on the southern and northern corners of the bowl, stopping and
The company received its marching orders and deployed forward in the hours of darkness.
An American Stryker Vehicle – very shiny
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