Page 26 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

The Ri es junior of cers’ skiing team (un-of cial) take time out of their busy social schedule to pose for a picture in the Austrian mountains
LMG Camp
In week 15 of the Combat Infantryman’s Course (CIC) course P7 (Ri es) platoon deployed to Altcar Ranges near Liverpool to complete a week of machine gun ranges that culminates in the Light Machine Gun (LMG) Annual Combat Marksmanship Test (ACMT). This is a great opportunity for young trainee Ri eman to get away from Catterick and operate as a platoon. This prepares them well for similar range weeks they will experience in their battalions and is also opportunity to concentrate fully on shooting. After zeroing the LMG’s on the Monday morning the platoon begin correct progression on to application of re between 200m & 400m, once they have correctly found their Point of Aim (POA) they record this in their own shooting record books that they carry on each range to develop their shooting.
After the platoon has correctly completed appli- cation of re it moves on to preparation for - and the ACMT itself. The LMG ACMT is a tough shoot beginning with defence at 200m moving all the way back to 500m before a rapid move back to 200m in order to simulate an attack. The platoon all success- fully completed their test with only a few re-shoots. As well as shooting during the day the platoon completed Physical Training (PT) in order to keep the tness ticking over. We played football against the line platoon in our intake, resulting in a win for the men in green, and relaxed in the welfare facil- ities that are available on camp. Overall, the week allows the platoon to focus on shooting and helps trainee Ri eman experience training outside the usual routine of Catterick.
Lt Rhys Evans, PTC 7 Platoon Commander
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG TRAINEE RIFLEMAN TO GET AWAY FROM CATTERICK AND OPERATE AS A PLATOON
Tactical Exercise 3
Tactical Exercise 3 (Tac Ex 3) is the sixth exercise that Ri emen in training at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) undergo, and as the name suggests, the third “tactical” and more infantry focused exercise on the Combat Infantryman’s Course (CIC). Up until now, the recruits have been trained and tested on how to administrate themselves correctly in the eld, how to correctly conduct the full array of patrols, and the core skills required of an infantryman on offensive operations. Tac Ex 3 seeks to test the Ri emen’s physical and mental robustness through an arduous four day exercise, with a scenario focussing on defensive operations.
The preparation for the exercise starts two weeks prior to deployment, with the issue of Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) equipment and the teaching of correct conduct in a hazardous CBRN environment. This culminates on the Friday before deploying with the recruits entering the Respirator Test Facility to prove to them the effectiveness of the equipment they are issued.
At 0800hrs on the Monday morning, Ri es 6 Platoon stepped off on a 6km insertion TAB where they were then greeted by a wealth of defence stores at a rural defensive area, sited by the Platoon Commander and started prepping their positions. Tasked with completing a re trench to Stage 3 level (with overhead protection, an admin area and two re bays) the Ri emen started digging and didn’t rest until the trenches were complete. In order to further test their robustness, the Ri emen also conducted Section standing patrols on a rotation, adding to the levels of fatigue. The terrain proved an interesting challenge for the construction of the defensive positions, with the ground predomi- nantly being made up of thick clay and large mineral deposits, which needed a signi cant amount of grit and determination to get through. With the Section Commanders leading the way and showing the Recruits that it could be done, the Ri emen showed great resilience working through the night and nished construction within 14 hours – a fantastic effort for their rst time digging in!
The second phase of the exercise saw the platoon deploy into rural operations, acting as the screen for a Company defended location. The focus of this phase was to introduce the Ri emen to Fighting in Woods and Forests (FIWAF), highlighting the complexities of ghting in congested and close terrain. They took to the challenge well, covering a signi cant distance again, and tackling the problems with good situational awareness and communi- cation that are integral to this style of warfare.
The nal phase of the exercise was focussed on Forward Operating Base (FOB) defence with the threat of Chemical Weapons by the enemy escalating in the exercise scenario. The following 36 hours saw the Sections deploying on Recon- naissance Patrols, Clearance Patrols and ghting off increasingly aggressive enemy attacks. This culminated in a “Chemical Gas” attack at 0200hrs, resulting in a 2km extraction from the FOB in full CBRN kit and respirators. The platoon then went through the full decontamination procedure before extracting a further 6km back to camp.
All in all, Tac Ex 3 proved both a mentally and physically challenging exercise for the recruits, demonstrating to themselves that they are capable
24 TRAINING
THE RIFLES