Page 74 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

OC Maj Martin Watson
PSAO Capt Keith Mahoney MBE 2IC Capt Gordon Kaye
CSM WOII Keith Groome
SPSI WOII Ted Coxon
CQMS C/Sjt Chris Powell
QPSI C/Sjt ‘Decca’ Winter
72
E ‘Rifles’ Company
By Capt Gordon Kaye 2IC E ‘RIFLES’ Coy, 4 Mercian
The 2010 training year for E Coy, saw the return of Capt Nick Heath, Sjt Gordon Kaye, Cpl Kenny Barclay, Cpl Nick Reader, Cpl Lee Wickson, Rfn Dan Coley, Lee Comer, Anthony Courtney, Scott Empson, Mike Hubbard, Mark Francis, and Colin Hamlet from mobilisation with Normandy Coy during HERRICK 10.
Training also saw a move away from conventional ops for the Battalion, with the focus being on training soldiers who were to deploy on HERRICK 14. Fortunately the Company was in a strong position to assist with battalion training
due to the return of the
E Coy Normandy Coy
contingent.
were etched into soldier’s minds. Annual camp also saw the Company complete
the CFT (TA) which was conducted over 6 miles, however the RSM WO1 Whillock (3 Mercian) did ‘encourage’ all NCOs, Officers and those deploying on HERRICK 14 to voluntarily complete the 8 mile CFT. I am pleased to say that all the soldiers from
E Coy took part in the 8 mile CFT, which was passed with ease. Camp also saw the introduction of the Operational Fitness Tests which had only been published a few
The message from annual camp 2010 was clear. If you’re not fit, you need to get fit. If you want to stay in the TA, you need to be fit to deploy, and if you’re not fit to deploy, you need to get fit.
2010 saw Cpl Lee Jones complete the Platoon Tactics Course (PTC) at Brecon, so Cpl Jones will hopefully be in line for his third tape in 2011, ready to fill a platoon Sjt position that has been recently made vacant. L/Cpl Shane Bate attended the same course, and like Cpl Jones he is waiting to gain another tape in 2011.
2010 – 2011 saw the departure of Capt Nick Heath who had been the Company 2IC at E Coy for a number of years. Nick was a dedicated servant to the Company during his tenure as 2IC organising many training weekends and employing his devious and cunning nature to provide challenging and thought provoking weekends which were testing to all soldiers taking part. Capt Heath has moved on
to become OC of Recruit Training for 4 MERCIAN, a role which he will fill with his characteristic enthusiasm.
The Company saw another departure in
Annual camp for the
Battalion took place in
Thetford. 4 MERCIAN
were accommodated
in Wreatham Camp, on
the edge of the training
area, (a camp no doubt familiar to many readers). The main focus of the fortnight was training those who were going to be mobilised in 2011 for their forthcoming tour. Drills and skills learnt from HERRICK 10 were taught and cascaded down to the Battalion. Skills such as Op Barma, Op Kala, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) identification and casualty evacuation
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
weeks earlier in the
MATTS training guide, with all soldiers from
the Battalion attempting them. Meanwhile the work of the range team under C/Sgt Crump (SPSI B Coy) ensured that all exercising troops were treated to a first class range package. The culmination of
annual camp involved an exercise using the new Afghanistan style training village on the Thetford Training area.
The exercise phase of the camp was tiring and physically demanding, however the TA is training for modern operations and thus needs to be fit and sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable to support our Regular colleagues on operations.
If you want to stay in the TA, you need to be fit to deploy, and if you’re not fit to deploy, you need to get fit.
WO2 Shaw with his Chosen Men