Page 19 - Mercian Eagle 2016

8 Platoon
Having assumed command of the Mighty
8 Platoon in April of this year, it’s fair to say that the fast-paced yet rewarding nature
of working with infantry soldiers has lived
up to all I had hoped it would, and more. The platoon has an abundance of highly capable and experienced soldiers which
is a welcoming sight to any new Platoon Commander. Just before I arrived, 8 Platoon had completed a challenging Public Order exercise in Copehill Down Village, which required the controlled use of a baton
and shield in order to deal with angry and riotous crowds. In true 8 Platoon fashion, they got the job done.
promote in the near future. Cpl Barton and LCpl Thompson also qualified themselves as Regimental Instructors of Gunnery; a rare occurrence for two people in the same platoon within a matter of months.
Meanwhile, on the Adventurous Training front, Pte Reed and Pte Hitchens attended a two-week Mountain Biking AT package
in Scotland. They inform me that they are now good enough to turn professional. I reminded them of The British Army’s Values and Standards, particularly integrity. AT and sport were carried on through the summer with many soldiers trying their hand at Road Cycling, Surfing and Rock Climbing.
June saw the start of C (Kohima) Company’s short term training deployments to Ukraine on Op ORBITAL; Kohima Company’s main operational commitment for the rest of the calendar year. This saw Sgt Collins, LCpl Warren,
8 Pl Comd 2Lt Johl
8 Pl Sgt Sgt Collins
Within 2 weeks of arriving, Exercise LION’S STRIKE gave me a chance to work with 8 Platoon for the first time in the field, conducting offensive operations in both Armoured and Light role scenarios on Salisbury Plain Training Area. The troops did not disappoint, completing all missions to a high standard. Inspiring performances, particularly from Pte
Marshall and Pte Binks,
allowed me to see early
on that there are some
high quality soldiers in
the platoon who are
ready to be tested on
a JNCO Cadre. The
exercise was also my
first experience of how
the platoon bonds, how the soldiers work together, and what makes them tick.
Armoured Infantry offers a plethora of qualifications to soldiers due to the many roles which need to be filled in a rifle company. April saw Pte Mackenzie, Pte Reed and Pte Bray complete their Initial Gunners Test; the requirement to qualify
as a Warrior Gunner. Since then, they
have sharpened their skills on a two-week Battalion Gunnery Camp in Castlemartin, posting some very impressive scores for newly qualified Gunners. LCpl Williams returned from the arduous SCBC in Brecon with one of the best reports written up for
a Mercian Soldier in recent years; a great effort by him. Following this, Pte Marshall attended the JNCO Cadre and passed the course, putting his case forward to
LCpl Williams, Pte Wainwright, Pte Varney, Pte Tyson and Pte Mackenzie all deploy
as instructors and demonstration troops. More soldiers from
8 Platoon deployed than from any other platoon in the company. I put
this down to the sheer professionalism of the soldiers involved in terms of their ability, work ethic and conduct. The lads truly set the standard for the rest of the company
to follow in deployments to come. There
is now a steady feed of 8 Platoon soldiers moving back and forth. In July, those who did not deploy on Op ORBITAL spent two weeks on Castlemartin Ranges, enjoying
a mixture of high quality Armoured and Light role range packages. This is where the soldiers had a chance to familiarise
and test themselves with a number of different weapons systems such as the 30mm Main Armament and Chain Gun on the Warrior AFV, the SA80 Rifle, the Light Machine Gun, the GPMG, the Grenade and the Underslung Grenade Launcher. Amid some complaining about the Welsh weather
The troops did not disappoint, completing all missions
to a high standard.
and landscape, it proved to be a valuable fortnight of training for the company.
Following a few weeks of well-earned Battalion leave, 8 Platoon can look forward to a range of exciting opportunities. Soldiers will be sent to Eastern Europe, the Falklands and the French Alps on various training and operational commitments. Alongside this, members of 8 Platoon will continue gaining qualifications on courses and will take
part in a number of Adventurous Training Expeditions planned for early 2017.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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