Page 74 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Exercise EAGLE’S RESOLVE
Overseas Training Exercise (OTX) planning guide- lines suggest at least a four month lead time in order to allow for the necessary preparations to be made. For Ex EAGLE’S RESOLVE, A Company had little more than 5 weeks! Having learnt on our return from Christmas leave that we were off to Kuwait, Coy HQ had its work cut out ensuring that ights, freight and manning were con rmed at the earliest opportunity. The outline intent from higher was broad, and allowed plenty of room for manoeuvre - a Company level, Defence Engagement (DE) focused deployment which delivered training to the Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF) before culminating in a high-pro le demonstration of interoperability. The detail, they said, could be con rmed on the initial recce.
Due to constricting timelines the recce was scheduled just two weeks before deployment! Arriving into Kuwait City to nd the temperature mercifully cool, our initial planning meetings with the Kuwaitis set the tone for the rest of the
OUR HOSTS COULD BE LIGHT ON DETAIL AND WORKED AT A DIFFERENT SPEED TO WHAT WE WERE ACCUSTOMED TO
exercise. We were hosted exceptionally well, and drank many, many cups of Karwha, but also learnt that our hosts could be light on detail and worked at a different speed to what we were accustomed to. This slower pace of working was something that the whole Company would need to adjust to. Pressed for time, we nevertheless returned from the recce with provisions for Real Life Support agreed with both the Kuwaiti forces and US forces based in Camp Buehring and a programme around 75% complete.
Returning two weeks later after a hectic period of pre-deployment administration, the Main Body was initially fascinated with the at, featureless desert into which they had arrived. For a number of Ri emen, this was their rst time abroad and the environment was completely different from anything that they had experienced before. The Company moved straight into a KLF camp, where we had been provided with a new accommo- dation block and external catering support for the duration of the exercise. It was, however, short on recreational facilities, and it was notable that the purchase of SIM Cards, allowing Ri emen to access the internet and stream lms, increased morale tenfold. CSjt Kato was also found to be signi cantly happier when the OC and CSM returned from an Expat club in Kuwait City in a 4x4 laden with weights, plates and other gym equipment. Despite the austere living condi- tions compared to the UK, by living amongst the Kuwaitis and interacting with them every day, the Company was able effectively to conduct low-level DE on a continual basis. In doing so, we laid the foundation for an excellent working relationship with our hosts, for whom no request was too dif cult.
The rst phase of the exercise consisted of Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) up to Platoon level on the Udairi Range Complex. Ably planned and conducted by Lt Blackmore, the ranges posed a number of challenges not otherwise seen in Brecon or Otterburn – a lack of relief made planning for dismounted attacks dif cult, whilst camels and Bedouins constantly wandered near or into the arcs of the range; this led to down-range clearance taking up to 3hrs. Thankfully, the Coy had the Arabic speaking Rfn Al-Zireg and Sjt ‘the camel whisperer’ Kavanagh in its ranks to help avoid any misunderstandings. Despite these dif culties, the ranges (particularly the Section and Platoon lanes) provided a stern test for exercising troops, testing both physical tness and command and control in abundance. With the doctor due to return home on completion of LFTT, and therefore losing our medical cover, completing the Platoon Attacks became a race against time – OC 1 Pl had never conducted such a hasty estimate in his life!
Phase 2 consisted of a Platoon rotation through three different activities. A Platoon at a time would deliver training to our Kuwaiti partners, whilst another would conduct their own low-level section and platoon training using the American training facilities at Camp Buehring, and the last would take the opportunity to explore Kuwait City and a bit of R&R. For some platoons, this meant
Target indication a basic but tough skill to master in a featureless desert
72 THIRD BATTALION
THE RIFLES