Page 29 - Bugle No. 17 Spring 2021

Some
are even mastering the use of the stone pizza-oven
4 RIFLES
R COMPANY
OPERATIONS CYCLE
Afghan students move to the live fire
tactical training area to hone their skills
Representative Company 4 RIFLES have been deployed in Afghanistan since May 2020. They are the most recent iteration from the Battalion to deploy on the 4 RIFLES enduring operation with the Afghan Special Police, with whom we advise and assist. The training establishment, which was set up by previous rotations, trains Afghan soldiers destined for the country’s premier security units who lead their counter terrorism and counter narcotics operations.
4 RIFLES previously delivered the Police course alongside Afghan instructors before a transition to mentoring the instructors and staff. This enabled the development and investment in their institutional viability and the assurance of the training pathway. The relationships between Afghan instructors and 4 RIFLES advisors have gone from strength-to-strength, proving incredibly resilient during the unprec- edented and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The team’s regular face-to-face meetings have clearly, and rightly, been restricted to protect all parties. All meetings have had to be conducted in the open-air, even through a particularly harsh Afghan winter! Both Representative Company and our partners have accepted
this as the new normal, including the wearing of facemasks and surgical gloves to further protect each other.
Despite fewer visits to advise the Afghan Police, the rapport and camaraderie continues, built on the hard work of previous rotations. During a first visit for one of our Riflemen, he removed his mask to drink some water. One
of our interpreters looked sheepish when an Afghan instructor made a comment in Dari. A few laughs could be heard by other instructors before the interpreter turned to the Rifleman and said: “They think you should leave your mask on after COVID - you’re much uglier without it!” Both Afghans and Brits at least shared a laugh together in the cold and the light-hearted joke was well received. This demonstrates how humour and our multi-national team spirit have continued to grow, even in uniquely challenging times. The team hope that it won’t be too long until both nations can sit around a table and enjoy a meal and chai together.
With less time spent delivering the opera- tional task in a hands-on fashion, Representa- tive Company have had to find ways to advise
from reach and maintain productivity. Internal team training is constantly being programmed, ranging from realistic and relevant medical serials, to time on the ranges practicing CQB and marksmanship. The Riflemen have used the deployment to enhance their soldiering skills, conceptual understanding and had
the opportunity for personal development.
For some, this included future career course preparation, whilst others have taken up learning a new language. Some are even mastering the use of the stone pizza-oven, creating delicious home-made pizzas from scratch; lifting morale for the troops and giving the team a break from the culinary delights of the German cookhouse in camp.
The prospect of sunshine and warmth
in the coming weeks as the Afghan winter begins to subside is enticing. The team
have reflected on the tour and, despite its differences, it has allowed those deployed
to implement their own training, experience
a different culture in a challenging environ- ment, and further the cohesion of an already tight-knit collection of Riflemen. In the current climate, the Company is very aware of how fortunate it has been over the last few months. Capt Raymond
A student ground
assault force raid rehearsal
The snow-capped
peaks of the Hindu Kush
An ever-lighter touch: Afghan
partners train on the range
All meetings have had to be conducted in the open-air, even through a particularly harsh Afghan winter
CQB training is a cornerstone of
our training to the Afghan Police
RIFLES The Bugle 29