Page 12 - Mercian Eagle 2016

Operation ORBITAL: A Soldiers Perspective Sgt Paul Simmonds
Over the past few months one of the main activities that A Company has been involved in has been the lead for Op ORBITAL. This is a training and non-lethal aid mission, passing skills and techniques to both conscripted and contracted Ukrainian solders, developing their ability to deliver sustainable resilience against a state sponsored force which is currently occupying their territory.
Op ORBITAL has delivered a wide range of skills to the Ukrainian armed forces, including basic and advanced fieldcraft, recce, urban operations, patrols, basic marksmanship and Live Firing Tactical Training. This has given the Ukrainian Army, Marines and Special Forces the basic know how of how to operate in a wide range of conditions. We have also used a lot of the hard learned lessons
and counter IED experience gained from operations in Afghanistan to prepare the Ukrainians for a number of related threats that they too are encountering. On every deployment our training teams included medics, who took the lead in delivering an excellent standard of training to their Ukrainian counterparts, covering a wide range of skills from basic first aid up to and including mass casualty scenarios.
All of this training was thought of, put together, administrated and delivered at the lowest level. At times this saw our Corporals delivering training to Ukrainian Officers, sometimes equivalent to the rank of Colonel, a testament
to the professionalism and teaching qualities of many of our junior NCOs.
We also had to be self-sufficient throughout the Op, making our own training aids (using pigs legs and guts, IEDs and whatever else we could get
our hands on) and organising our own feeding, PT and routine. Each deployment
was split in to several 3-4 man teams who developed their own programmes and delivered training at their own pace; this worked really well and allowed us to form strong bonds with those we were training. As we returned to different training centres the level of instruction increased; by the end we were integrating Pl weapons, conducting live firing (risky at times!) and teaching advanced courses. Our last
two deployments to the Airborne and Special Forces centres were the highlight of the deployment and showed just how advanced our soldiers and NCOs are compared to a capable foreign Army.
Overall Op ORBITAL for A Company has been a great success and we hope that what we have passed on to the Ukrainian forces will continue to save lives and help them regain control of their country.
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Operation ORBITAL
Major Keith Page
From Feb – Jul 16, Grenadier Coy deployed to Ukraine on Op ORBITAL, a defence engagement operation designed to improve the quality and quantity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). For those unaware, Ukraine is currently fighting a state backed insurgency on their Eastern front. Their military has been underinvested in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and
is now in a state of rapid development to defend it’s remaining borders and contain the highly kinetic conflict in the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts (Counties).
Grenadier Coy has deployed eight Infantry, three Ground Sign Awareness (GSA) and three Staff Planning (SPC) Short Term Training Teams (STTT) across six Training Centres in Ukraine. Each STTT has deployed for approx. 3 weeks at a time, delivering infantry training, Pre-Deployment Training and instructor courses to the UAF. In total, Grenadier Coy has trained 1183 UAF soldiers and deployed for 151 days,
a significant achievement that has required much effort to select, train, deploy, deliver and recover our soldiers, 94 in total, in good order. Of particular note is how well our soldiers have coped with the frequent deployments, only returning to the UK for 3-4 days in-between STTTs; many have in effect deployed on a six month tour.
On the ground our junior commanders have been given significant mission command. Each unit trained varied in quality and training requirements, therefore each deployment was bespoke. Our NCOs have thrived in this unconstrained environment, using their initiative to deliver some excellent tactical lessons, battle exercises and ranges. Of note, is the tangible effect our
Cpl Davis instructs Ukrainian soldiers on Op ORBITAL
men have had on the Ukrainian Army, with evidence showing that the training delivered is saving lives on the front line.
The operation has been an excellent opportunity for our men to learn a foreign language, pick up skills from another
battle-hardened Army and to develop their own instructional skills. Grenadier Coy handed over to C Coy 1 MERCIAN in Jul 16 and wish them an equally successful and interesting tour.
Members of A (Grenadier) Company’s STTT 16 with the Ukrainian Presidential Guard at Desna Training Centre in May 16
THE MERCIAN EAGLE