Page 57 - Wish Stream Year of 2016

were not in command at the time tried to pla- cate them as much as possible before eventually OCdt Dimech could make a deal through which we could use the compound as our patrol base. ‘Compensation’ was agreed with their ‘tribal leader’ but this caused unrest and meant that we were dealing with an agitated civilian popula- tion for the time we were in Kitensee village.
Overall the situation was dealt with relatively well and a full-blown crisis was avoided. However, had additional offence been caused by unpleas- ant interactions between the locals and us, then it could have escalated into public disorder. This illustrates the reactivity of the exercises. Our actions have long-term implications on the envi- ronment that we are working in, as they would on real life operations. This requires every cadet, whether in command or not, to have solid situ- ational awareness at all times and to realise how they t into the bigger picture.
This issue was particularly pertinent on Ex TEM- PLARS TRIUMPH, an urban operations exercise during which we operated from patrol bases in and around the village of Longmoor, which was occupied by con icting tribes’ people, played by our fellow Of cer Cadets. The scenario revolved around the provincial elections and began with a placid local population who became more agitated as the British Military failed to ensure security, and free and fair elections. Towards the end the locals became extremely hostile and it was important that every cadet was aware of the severity of the situation in Longmoor before stepping out of the patrol base; otherwise they would very quickly become overwhelmed by aggressive civilians. Throughout the exercise the atmospherics in the village varied, and the operations room, occupied by the company commander, the intelligence of cer and several others, was relied on to analyse this and pre- dict any threats in the area, such as the laying
The Company Commander and the Intelligence Of cer in the Operations Room
of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). In turn this would rely on information from every mem- ber of a patrol being fed up the command chain to allow the Ops Room to ‘keep a nger on the pulse’. This brings out another strand of the complexity of Senior Term exercises, which the contribution of every cadet is vital in complet- ing the jigsaw that makes up the contemporary operating environment.
OCdt Fairhurst may have felt insigni cant in his OP on the top of a hill, but by being aware of the ambush and the enemy’s capabilities, and being vigilant in the direction of enemy threat, he pro- vided an important screen which allowed other, more crucial missions to be carried out. On exercise we attempted to replicate the cycle that platoons would rotate through when operating as a company. Each platoon would spend time on guard, on patrol or as a quick reaction force on either 5 or 15 minutes notice to move. This meant that the Company always had a secure
On exercise we attempted to replicate the cycle that platoons would rotate through
British Forces operating in Kitensee village
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