Page 106 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

104
Birmingham University Officer Training Corps – Annual Camp
Garelochhead 23 June - 8 July 2011
Having spent three years with Birmingham UOTC before transferring to 4 MERCIAN, my final Annual Camp proved to be both one of the largest in terms of size and most ambitious in its scale. The professionalism of the officer cadets attending highlighted the ethos that the UOTCs instil in their members. The two week deployment was split into a Military Exercise at Garelochhead Training Area (GTA), followed by an AT phase in and around the mountains of The Argyll Forest Park.
The first phase of Annual Camp consisted of a six day exercise on GTA. The scenario was pitched at Battle Group level and began with everyone being present for a
set of Battle Group orders being delivered by the two Company Commanders. For the majority of troops who had only previously worked at platoon level this
was a very useful learning experience as it enabled them to appreciate a significantly wider view of the battlefield and their
place within it. During the exercise phase BUOTC managed to put four platoons on the ground, organised into two company groups that operated independently up to the final day of the exercise. The two main training objectives were to develop the basic soldiering skills of those who had just reached the end of their recruit training as well as give command experience at section and platoon level both to those going on to TACC and those likely to have command appointments during the next year.
The exercise consisted of a variety of different tasks for the platoons, ranging from Fighting Patrols, Recce Patrols
and Ambushes to Civpop Engagement and intelligence gathering. The tempo of operations was kept very high and troops were pushed hard as warning orders for future taskings were normally waiting for them as soon as they returned to their
OCdt Kirkman collects intelligence from CIVPOP at a VCP
harbour locations. This all led up to the
final attack, which involved both company groups launching an attack on a factory complex. The attack presented one of
the more demanding
challenges for the
troops with a long move
into the FUP and a
complex objective for
the commanders to
get to grips with. There
were also a variety of
assets to add realism
to the final attack, with
simulated mortar fire, live flanking fire, and an RAF Hawk on call to strafe the objective on H-Hour. Throughout the exercise my place in the jigsaw was to mentor and assess those lucky enough to have an appointment as Platoon Commander and the sad moment came when I had to step aside and give up command of my platoon.
The AT phase consisted of a variety of activities from mountain biking to climbing and abseiling, as well as a couple of
mountain days, summiting The Cobbler and several other local peaks, in order to give those attempting to get mountaineering
qualifications some
all important quality mountain days. In addition to all of this there was also a large amount of distance to be covered on foot as the AT activities were split between four campsites that the groups had to rotate between over the
course of the week.
My week of AT began on the midge
infested shores of Glenbranter with a day’s canoeing across the loch. The usual high spirits were apparent in force despite the many capsizes whilst everyone got used to the basics. The strong head winds on the loch were subsequently conquered by the morale boost of a pub lunch on the far shore. With the first day of AT complete and the tone set for the remainder of the week we moved to the next campsite and prepared for two days on the mountains. Despite adverse weather the first mountain day took in no fewer than four summits and after an eight hour slog on the hills the troops had a well deserved rest and a chance to sample some of the local deep fried cuisine.
The two weeks BUOTC spent in Garelochhead proved to be a complete success on all fronts. From my point of view, the three years I spent with BUOTC provided me with a range of experiences both as an Officer Cadet and a Subaltern and has done a brilliant job preparing me for my move to 4 MERCIAN and my continuing career in the army.
2Lt TA Skelding 4 MERCIAN
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
The strong head winds on the loch were subsequently conquered by the morale boost of a pub lunch
JUO Payne demonstrates ‘textbook’ abseiling