Page 59 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

9 Platoon Capt Codling
9 Platoon has finished a successful,
and very busy Op HERRICK 14 Pre- Deployment Training (PDT), with
the Company, before enjoying an exceptionally varied tour of Afghanistan. We engaged in virtually every role possible for ground-holding infantry troops to engage in. The majority of the platoon had remained since BATUS earlier in
the year and a number of promotions were achieved from within the Platoon, notably LCpl Hodgetts, LCpl Rosamond and LCpl King. Cpl (now Sgt) Sweete completed PSBC and Cpls Casey and Street were welcomed from A Coy and ATR Winchester respectively.
Following the successful completion of PDT, the Platoon deployed to Afghanistan in early April expecting to join the Company at FOB Khar Nikar in the Upper Gereshk Valley. It was quickly discovered, however, that we were to be detached
to C Company of the Danish Battlegroup and were to operate from PB Hazrat
some 12km south west of Khar Nikar and close to Gereshk City. 2 (Assault Pioneer) Section were retained by the Company
in order to occupy OP Akhtar, one of the numerous outstations in the AO. At the time of deployment, this detachment was open-ended although was assessed to last for at least six weeks; it turned out to be three months.
Over the forthcoming three months,
9 Platoon made PB Hazrat their own, conducted regular patrols within a very large and physically demanding AO, and administrated a FOB-sized camp. We were co-located with the Danish Coy HQ, a US Marines ANGLICO (Fire Support Team) and numerous military and civilian ISTAR operators. PB Hazrat itself is located on top of a sizeable hill which made coming back from patrol very arduous, from whatever angle! The AO had been occupied previously by a full Irish Guards Platoon who had been able to patrol more offensively and had achieved a good degree of stability in a previously very volatile and IED-heavy AO. 9 Pl were able to hold those gains and maintain the relationship with the
Team Fiji - Cpl Vakadekoro appears happy to be met at CP Watan by Pte Nainunu (left) and LCpl Lagilagi (right); Pte Nainunu appears to be less convinced about the cameraman
local nationals. The Platoon did a great deal of thankless work at Hazrat, unseen by the Battle Group for the most part, with great vigour and commitment. During this period LCpl Rosamond was forced
to return home to seek treatment for an eye-infection. Despite having completed two previous Op HERRICK tours he lasted barely three weeks on HERRICK 14. I must point out that the rumours from the blokes, that he sustained his injury whilst attempting to shower in alcohol gel, are unfounded.
completed a particularly busy period at PB Bahadur whilst Cpl Biusavu et al took some well-earned R&R and Capt Codling and his team occupied a new CP for three days whilst they, with the help of the attached Field Engineers turned it into a station for the Afghan Special Police, the NDS. This was of particular enjoyment
for Pte Nainunu, LCpl Lagilagi and Cpl Street who were given permission to spend an afternoon cutting down trees
to clear fields of view from a Sangar. Pte
With half the Hazrat
personnel having
completed R&R
and with the other
half having just left
for it, the Platoon
eventually moved to join the remainder of C Company, 3 MERCIAN, at Khar Nikar. Over the final three months of the tour the Platoon was to, at one time or another, take over command of each outstation bar PB Pasab, provide up to two patrolling sections from the main FOB and take over FSG responsibilities for three weeks, all whilst retaining a section in OP Akhtar. Whilst the pace of life was slower at
Khar Nikar, the danger from insurgent small arms was increased and patrolling posed an entirely different threat to that of Hazrat where the IED threat was the main enemy. Sgt Timperley and his section
Nainunu celebrated his enjoyable, but tiring, afternoon by sawing up a log and using it as his pillow.
9 Platoon had a particularly narrow
escape towards the end of the tour when Cpl Casey was shot in the head. He was miraculously saved from serious injury
by his ballistic eye-protection and his helmet. He was evacuated to the hospital at Camp Bastion where it was discovered that he had worse during boxing. As a result he was to enjoy some extra leave and an 8-day period of decompression
in Cyprus. Cpl Casey was met in Cyprus by the majority of the platoon although Akhtar section had already recovered to Germany, where a good time was had by all.
Cpl Casey was shot in the head
The majority of the Platoon before leaving FOB Khar Nikar
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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