Page 21 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

7 Platoon – Lt Scott
2018 started with 7 Platoon on exercise
for two weeks on Salisbury plain in
below zero temperatures for the Kohima Warrior Armoured BCS exercise. Snow continued to be a theme as the platoon conducted mountaineering and rock climbing adventurous training for a week in Snowdonia. Temperatures barely rose for Exercise Kohima Warrior 2 where non-stop rain meant dismounted troops were glad
to see Warriors arrive and begin integrated training, which included evading the gaze of enemy Wildcat Helicopters from the Army Air Corps.
hard to build sandbagged and barbed wire defences anew every day. B Coy attacked every morning with a fresh experimental combat grouping, formed from a veritable circus of rotating attachments including Challenger 2 Tanks, Apache Helicopters, Artillery of all shapes and sizes and
Attack Dogs. The Platoon acquitted itself superbly and demonstrated the extreme difficulty of attacking a well defended urban objective, routinely reducing our foe to a combat ineffective unit with well placed counter attacks and initiative from Section Commanders.
May saw the Platoon deploy again to Salisbury Plain for the teaching exercise, Kohima Warrior 3. This included CBRN
Members of 7 Pl are thrilled to follow their platoon commander up yet another Welsh mountain / Snowdonia / Mar 18
7 Platoon digging in during the defensive phase of Ex SS3 / Oman / Oct 18
In August the Platoon began its deployment to Oman on Exercise SAIF SAREEA 3. Applying hard won tactical knowledge and cohesion to a new environment was a task that 7 Platoon proved more than capable of. The heat
in the Warriors was extreme, with outside temperatures often above 40 degrees. The exercise thoroughly tested the Platoon’s tactical abilities and also its sustainment in desert conditions. Section 2ICs and Vehicle commanders worked hard to Sgts Pratten and Doyle in the blistering heat for several weeks before the Platoon enjoyed some well-earned rest and adventurous training.
Congratulations to those who promoted in 7 Pl this year: CSgt Sinclair, Sgt Pratten, Cpl Akhee, LCpl Clarke and LCpl Vogiatzsis.
Pl Comd Pl Sgt
WR Sgt
Lt Scott
Sgt Massey / Sgt Pratten
Sgt Doyle
Snow remained on the ground for
Ex URBAN DAWN 1 where the Platoon demonstrated, to students of all ranks
and cap badges, best
practice in Urban
Operations. At the
exercise end, and with
the Warriors nowhere
to be seen, rumours
abounded as to the
method of transport laid
on to return to camp.
Pte Scarrott was just
finishing packing his kit
for a 10 mile tab when the unmistakable sight of a Chinook appeared on the horizon. The pilot was kind enough to drop the Platoon on the lawn of the Officer’s Mess, just in time to allow Lt Scott a pleasant breakfast.
Ex URBAN DAWN 2 soon followed which saw the Platoon fight as dismounted enemy forces, defending the break-in to Copehill Down Village. The Platoon grafted
warfare and hard fighting in woodblocks through the summer heat. Several members of the Platoon travelled to Inverness to complete the summer mountain foundation course for two weeks, the first step on the road to leadership in the
mountains and an introduction to the theory of leadership for all attending ranks.
The delights of Castlemartin were
made available to the Platoon during the Battalion’s annual range package. The Platoon participated in a variety of light role and armoured ranges and achieved the notable feat of participating in a live armoured company attack, the first for several years to be conducted in the UK.
This included CBRN warfare and hard fighting in woodblocks through the summer heat.
7 Pl find a rare patch of green in the Omani Desert / Sad al Dawr Training Area, Oman / Oct 18
7 Platoon Warriors at sunset on Ex SS3 / Oman / Oct 18
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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