Page 58 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

‘...was that the fridge?’
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HORN operator and cover man check a vulnerable point 8 Platoon Lt Wilson
8 Platoon deployed to PB Pasab in the Upper Gereshk Valley in April 2011 under
Lt Cartwright and CSgt O’Gara. They were tasked with securing the local area and providing a welcome distraction for the local insurgents, who could only reminisce about the times before the huge, white balloon turned up to watch their every move (and listen to their every word as some locals believed).
The platoon distinguished itself by fighting hard and patrolling frequently and when I arrived to take over as Platoon Commander, the men were battle hardened and bronzed, if not permanently scarred, by the sight of Cpl Lawrence and his ‘sock’. After receiving one of Lt Cartwright’s speciality ‘guided tours of PB Pasab’, CSgt O’Gara and I bonded quickly over frequent games of basketball on the newly constructed court and continued with the Pasab pace of life: enjoying Cpl Brookes’ culinary delights and avoiding Haines’s bedspace.
PB Pasab was also the home of a contingent of Afghan National Army Warriors and 8 Platoon prided themselves in the close working relationship they had developed with them. They enjoyed learning the local language and teaching the ANA the idiosyncrasies of the Mercian soldier. Patrols were carried out in partnership with
Pte Bradley ready to move with Jackal support
Rehearsals prior to patrolling from FOB Khar Nikar
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
the ANA and their acute awareness of local atmospherics and the Pashtun people, coupled with the professionalism of the Mercian infantryman, resulted in an excellent working relationship and a strong bond between the Afghan and British soldiers.
them think twice about attacking again. A number of small arms engagements were fought and, with support of the Company’s Mortars, ISTAR assets and vehicles, 8 Platoon were able to repeatedly defeat the insurgents and continue to secure the PB and the local area.
Thanks must be given to the men of Dragon Coy who made up the D55 callsign and were a vital element of every Pasab patrol, providing an essential overwatch element and bringing with them the heavy
The platoon quickly became attuned to the AO and developed a good relationship with the local national population, understanding the complex local dynamics and having the ability to
work with the different
groups in the local area.
The platoon prided
themselves on their
understanding of the
local national pattern
of life and developed a
strong relationship with
local civilians. Due to this, security in the area improved noticeably and a constant influx of locals returning to the area provided tangible evidence of this. The nomadic Kuchi tribe, repopulated the area in large numbers and brought with them a multitude of mammals to pester the patrols, with dogs that towered over Pte Brice and a donkey that frequently joined the patrols and was often mistaken for one of the ECM Carriers.
When required, the platoon fought hard and left the insurgents reeling, making
firepower required to persuade the insurgents to break contact. More importantly, D55 also brought with them
fresh food on more
than one occasion (but less than four). Further thanks are extended to
the men of the 9/12 Lancers who brought some Cavalry flair to the PB and also a huge amount of firepower, bringing a new meaning to the term ‘reaction to contact.’
Looking ahead, 8 Platoon will now focus on the build up training for a deployment to the Canadian Plains of BATUS on Exercise Prairie Thunder and some well deserved Christmas leave for those who require RnR after such a hectic POTL.
...enjoying Cpl Brookes’ culinary delights and avoiding Haines’s bedspace
LCpl Pickin contemplating the next patrol