Page 15 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

4 Platoon – Lt Arnold
During 2018, 4 Platoon deployed on several large scale exercises both on UK soil and overseas. It has been a thoroughly rewarding year which has tested and developed us all; the result has been that 4 Platoon reached the peak of our military training at the culmination of 2018.
environment. B Company’s efforts set the conditions for a successful Ex URBAN DAWN 2, in Copehill Down village. The premise of this exercise was to allow a company group to experiment clearing a specified portion of the village, each time increasing the number of assets available. This proved an excellent opportunity to train and develop our modern urban warfare skills. 4 Platoon consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt and adjust to changing situations and embraced the use of the experimental drones issued to each section.
Toward the second half of the year, our focus switched to Ex SAIF SAREEA 3, a Battlegroup exercise
in Oman. To ensure
we would be ready for such a challenge, we completed a three-week live firing package in Castlemartin ending
on a high, managing
to achieve a Company Integrated attack,
carefully co-ordinated by GTAT. We were successfully validated and ready to deploy to the dusty deserts of Oman.
Oman proved to be everything we expected and was thoroughly rewarding. Many of the Platoon, myself included, had never operated in the desert before and had to immediately face the realities of fighting the platform, keeping yourself in one piece and conducting large scale BG tactics in such an unforgiving environment. Additionally, 4 Platoon was the only Warrior platoon from the BG to be involved in the firepower demonstration. This experience to live fire alongside our Omani partners in a foreign country will be the highlight of many of our careers thus far.
My congratulations to all members of
4 Platoon who have all excelled during this year and achieved everything that has been set before them in the highest possible manner. Well done!
Early January saw us deploy on
Ex URBAN DAWN 1, during which
1 MERCIAN became the lead for experimental urban operations within 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade. Each platoon instructed on various elements of Urban Warfare in separate locations throughout the UK. 4 Platoon deployed to Rype Village, Lydd to run a
comprehensive ‘street
fighting’ package which
combined the Marker
Round Training System,
a free-thinking enemy
and an aggressive
civilian population,
in order to create
a realistic training
Pl Comd Pl Sgt WR Sgt
Lt Arnold
Sgt Mardell/Sgt Rai Sgt Wilson
To ensure we would be ready for such a challenge, we completed a three-week live firing package...
Street drills in a wintery Rype Village / Lydd / Feb 18
“The Fighting 4th” / Oman / Oct 18
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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