Page 76 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

THE SAUDIS
WERE TAKEN
ABACK,
HAVING
NEVER SEEN
DRILL QUITE
LIKE IT!
Exercise DESERT
SOLDIER 2 – Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
As part of the Third Battalion’s commitment to Defence Engagement under 51 Infantry Brigade, we were given the responsibility for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While the Air and Sea components make up a larger proportion of British Defence activity in the country, there are still opportunities to train.
3 RIFLES were allocated a two week Command Post exercise, Ex DESERT WARRIOR 2, with the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) in May 2017, to take place in the north-west of the country near Tabuk. The goals of the exercise were to prove a level of interoperability, to learn from each other’s planning processes, but more importantly to exchange culture and build relationships. Part of the cultural exchange started well in advance of deployment, with a series of planning conferences. Each would begin with vast amounts of food and drink, ag-raising, high pro le visitors and photographs. The approval of senior commanders was very important for the Saudi’s, forcing our commanding of cer to engage in the mission critical areas of isotonic beverages rather than simply combat estimate planning.
The party of 35 was brought together from across the brigade, with the majority coming from 3 RIFLES, but augmented by members of 51 Brigade Headquarters, 5th Fusiliers, 5MI, The Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry and The Scots Dragoon Guards. We all met in Dreghorn Barracks ready to deploy before launching into an ill-fated journey. After a 24 hour delay before leaving Edinburgh, part of the aircraft caught re whilst we had stopped in Cyprus to refuel giving us another 24 hours to wait. This did allow the Commanding Of cer to overtake the main body in order to sign for the accommodation with OC LAD, and attempt to calm the increasingly fraught Saudis. Fortunately the aircraft was xed relatively quickly and the main body arrived in time to launch straight into the opening ceremony. The attached members of the party proved WO2 Gray proud with their light drill, having only had one brief session on the runway at RAF Akrotiri. The Saudis were taken aback, having never seen drill quite like it! They were particularly curious about the Fusiliers hackles, and provided serious challenge to Lt Macfarlane’s Arabic skills in trying to explain 18th century uniform and battle honours.
Immediately after a ceremonial lunch with our counterparts we launched into orders, with the 3 RIFLES Battle-group working to the Saudi 7th Brigade, with elements of their forces integrated into ours. Capt Jenkinson took the notional B Coy across to a RSLF taskforce. They use the American (MDMP) planning tool, and as a result both parties had a fascinating time learning each other’s processes. Cultural differences, and the barrier of professional language and acronyms, caused much confusion and merriment – Maj McFarlane was ‘gripped’ by a RSLF General for attempting to brief from a sketch – why hadn’t he used the map, which was much more accurate? On the whole the exercise was deemed a success – the RSLF
IF YOU WISHED TO FARM, PLANT FLOWERS AND RAISE CATTLE IN THE DESERT WILDERNESS YOU CAN DO SO BY APPLYING MODERN TECHNOLOGY AS LONG AS THE COST IS NO OBJECT
learned a great deal from watching British planning and its differences. Our ROC-drill model wowed the assembled RSLF crowd, and the amount of initiative and freedom given to the red-team in our planning surprised the Saudis.
In the time off between the planning phase and the execution, the exercising troops were given ample opportunities to see a small part of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is not much understood in the UK, and there is a vast amount more to the country behind the stereotype of desert, camels, oil and mullahs. These things are certainly part of the makeup of country but Bedouin culture and tradition goes far deeper. Part of this is the importance of looking after one’s guests and neighbours; we were treated like kings throughout, even when our RAF-related bad luck delayed our departure by 24 hours. We received a great many gifts, as well as some fasci- nating insights to the history of the country and the modern manifestation of oil wealth and desert life; if you wished to farm, plant owers and raise cattle in the desert wilderness you can do so by applying modern technology as long as the cost is no object.
The crossing of cultures was to be a feature throughout the exercise. Northern European attitudes and work ethics do not align exactly with Middle Eastern Bedouin culture: we were certainly regarded strangely for our desire to work though the heat of the day, and in return some of the Ri emen struggled to understand the pleasure of watching grown men dance badly with each other on stage,
74 THIRD BATTALION
THE RIFLES