Page 11 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

Post-HERRICK 12 by Lt T J Fisher
Since commissioning from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in August 2010 and subsequently completing the Platoon Commanders Battle Course at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon, I finally arrived
at Battalion in the new year, after what
at times, seemed like an endless wait to finally get my hands on a Platoon of Infantry Soldiers.
Having just returned from Op HERRICK 12, it was a challenging time to join the Battalion but I was warmly welcomed by
all and soon settled into what was quite clearly a hectic routine. I joined B (Malta) Company which, having been placed into suspended animation in 2008, had been reformed for Op HERRICK 12 and was now to be reformed on a permanent basis. It was exciting to be part
as a whole but also on a personal level for myself, it allowed me time away from the hectic day to day schedule of Battalion
life in order to get to know the different personalities within the Platoon. As it turned out, due to inclement weather, we spent most of the exercise stuck onboard a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel which gave me ample time with which to introduce myself. Overall, the exercise was a good experience, and I think looking back, most who participated will agree with this. It was interesting to see how an Amphibious Task Force operates and how life onboard a warship applies different pressures to the battle preparation procedures and how many different considerations are thrown into the mix when planning an operation.
B (Malta) Coy end of tour photo
participate in some ‘challenging’ activities. Among the highlights of the week was a day’s mountain biking, which, although it left a certain part of the anatomy pretty sore, was an exhilarating day and this coupled with a day paint-balling, ensured that the Coy had its fill of adrenalin for the week.
In my opinion however, the best results
of the week for the Coy were born out of the ‘nights out’ that were enjoyed by all members. No doubt facilitated by the days activities which allowed people to compare who came off worse in the Pl vs Pl paintball matches for example. It was this that truly allowed the Coy to bond and make a noticeable difference in the solidarity of the Coy that has been seen since.
The pace of life, whilst having not relented, has certainly become more manageable as I have got to grips with
life as a Pl Comd. The coming months for the Coy will be challenging and exciting
in equal measure. After an exhausting range package culminating in a weeks
live firing on SENTA, the Coy will continue to make headway through necessary courses, particularly driving courses. From a personal point of view, I am very much looking forward to this time in the Coy
and the future prospect of Ex ASCARI THUNDER in Kenya at the beginning of next year, certainly signals that a challenging and rewarding time for the Pl lies ahead.
TJF
However, if I learnt anything from nearly two weeks aboard a ship in choppy seas,
is that I certainly joined the right organisation, and after witnessing Sgt Billows turn green, I’m sure he did too.
After the official reformation of the Coy, we embarked on a
weeks Adventurous Training in Lancaster. After a number of busy and hectic weeks where, for the soldiers, I can understand that at times life felt slightly disorganised and ‘off the cuff’, so to speak. A weeks Adventurous Training came at the right
time for the Coy and was a thoroughly enjoyable week. The aim of the week was to encourage socialising amongst the Coy (particularly with a number of new members) whilst also allowing the opportunity to
This last year has been an eventful period for C Company and I reflect back with pride on what has been achieved, both in terms of successes on operations and the performance of the Green Machine since returning to ‘normal jogging’ in the UK.
of the reformation of
B Coy and being part
of this process has, I
believe, allowed me a
greater insight into the
history of the Coy than
I might have ordinarily
been privileged to. It
certainly has been a
blessing to have such
a wealth of history to
draw upon and on which to base the future of B Company.
Soon after arriving it was clear that although the Coy had just returned from operations, life would be anything other than boring and uneventful. Within a short time of taking over as 4 Pl Comd my platoon was given the opportunity to take part in an exercise with the Royal Marines aboard HMS Albion. This exercise was a great opportunity not just for the Platoon
C Company
Major K D Taaffe
it was clear that although the Coy had just returned from operations, life would be anything other than boring and uneventful
OP HERRICK 12
Having performed well throughout MST, C Company deployed under the command of Maj Wood to the Upper Gereshk Valley and an area already well trodden by the boots of 2 MERCIAN. The Company was to be co-located with an Afghan Army Tolay to control an AO that included a significant population spread over several villages and two key Danish reconstruction and development projects. Other than the slow progress of the projects, our portion
of the Upper Gereshk Valley had seen little development since it was originally cleared by our 2nd Battalion back in 2007, other perhaps than through an enduring, although limited, mentoring team and the renaming of FOB Sandford to FOB Rahim. On the arrival of C Company, FOB Rahim was found to be basic and little more than a vacant compound. Despite the austerity, it was superbly located, sitting on dominating ground and providing observation deep
into the Green Zone. Of course seeing is one thing and dominating another and the dense vegetation of the Green Zone and narrow alleyways of the villages provided insurgents with opportunities of their own. Given the paucity of ISAF and ANSF in the area up until our arrival, the Taliban had enjoyed only limited constraints on their freedom on manoeuvre that would soon change, following the arrival of a fully manned, equipped and battle hungry
OC
2IC
CSM CQMS
8 Pl Comd 8 Pl Sgt
9 Pl Comd 9 Pl Sgt
Maj K Taaffe Lt A Kersey WO2 W Glynn CSgt Muir
2Lt B Smith Sgt Kershaw 2Lt S Pope Sgt K Howard
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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