Page 47 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

A Company
By Major Ben Wilde
The last year has seen us return from a tough few months honing our conventional war-fighting skills in BATUS, albeit in a hybrid context, to completing a gruelling
6 month tour in the Upper Gereshk Valley. The brand new OC, CSM, 2IC and CQMS all came together on the first day of Pre Deployment Training, when the heat of
the Green Zone still seemed a long way
off. With only one
member of the Coy
having had any previous
experience of operating
in Helmand, it was clear
that we had our work
cut out in preparing
the Company for the
rigours of a summer in
Afghanistan, but the
enthusiasm and energy
applied by all ranks from the start indicated that this would not have a negative effect on the Coy’s preparations for operations.
A frenetic period of build-up training through Autumn 2010 culminated in the November UK Road Trip; no doubt a venture that will long be remembered in the annals of A Company history. While the significant resources offered by the OPTAG CFX developed the drills, procedures and planning ability of the Coy, what sticks in the mind are the environmental challenges and the way the Coy let off steam. The Coy clearance operation through a very wet and cold replication of the Green Zone in STANTA was excellent preparation for ops in a freezing jungle – this was only capped by being totally cut off by the snow in Otterburn on the CALFEX. The sight of the Company tabbing out from the Northumbrian version of a Siberian gulag through a dense blizzard was difficult to reconcile with the conditions we would
be facing in Rahim Khalay! However,
the Company met this and every other challenge with typical fortitude and good humour, relaxing in style whenever the opportunity arose – forays into Richmond
and on the Newcastle-to-Amsterdam ferry were particular highlights.
After the white-out in Otterburn that had prevented the Company from conducting anything above Platoon-level live firing, we were given the opportunity of another Coy level live firing package after Christmas, so it was yet another 24hrs in a coach to get to Castle Martin to conduct this; an excellent
Pte Quinlan on patrol in the Green Zone
and the insurgents themselves were not going to allow us to alter the balance of power in the area without having something to say about it. With the end of the poppy harvest, the insurgent commanders in the area focussed their efforts on ejecting us from our small CPs and undermining our credibility with the locals. May to July was dominated by sustained and vicious attacks on to all our base locations, with most members of the Company learning quickly that the insurgent is canny, determined
and a capable fighter – we underestimate him at our peril. The bold and brutal grenade attack onto CP RICHKA on 03 May shattered the relative peace we had enjoyed up until then, injuring five – nearly
half the Multiple.
Over the ensuing couple of months, the men of A Company acquitted themselves with characteristic determination, professionalism and raw courage in the face of concentrated attacks
through use of small arms, grenades
and rockets - with the ever-present IED threat limiting our freedom of movement
at all times. Needless to say, the insurgent came off far worse. We were, however, tremendously fortunate that the RICHKA attack was the most damaging assault we sustained. Of those injured, Sgt Mitchell was the only one not to return to theatre during the tour, and his recovery continues. Cpl Huyton, Pte Kelsall, MA O’Grady and Rfn Comer were all hurt alongside him but we were delighted to see them all return to frontline duty before the end of the tour.
The locals were very wary of engaging too closely with us due to fear of reprisals by the insurgency
shake-out for the troops after Christmas leave and a fine warm-up for the FTX. For the FTX we formed part of the 42 Commando Battlegroup which brought its own set of challenges, but the rigours of routine
in a Patrol Base, use
of additional assets such as the TALISMAN IED Clearance
capability and the occupation and conduct of low-level Checkpoints (CPs) were all new lessons that would prove valuable on operations.
A final period of in-
barracks administration,
as well as some well-
earned leave, then took
us up to deployment
at the end of March
2011. An excellent
RSOI prepared us
well for our arrival at
Patrol Base Rahim in the Upper Gereshk Valley, thankfully during the poppy harvest. This meant that insurgent activity was minimal, allowing us to get to know the
area and local population without too much hindrance. The focus was very much on encouraging the local elders to take more of a political lead in the area, to take on more responsibility for their own security, and to support the fledgling Afghan National Police (ANP) force in the village of Rahim Khalay. Initial progress was slow. The locals were very wary of engaging too closely with us due to fear of reprisals by the insurgency,
the insurgent is canny, determined and a capable fighter
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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