Page 45 - Mercian Eagle 2016

subsequently Company level operations. JNCOs also had the chance to design a week of Company training in the Summer – no mean feat on their part.
Finally, the usual Adventure Training, Sports and Charity fundraising continued in the background. The Company steeplechase competition, ‘fittest private’,
Snowdonia challenge and 3 peaks charity event really stand out, the Pl Sgts and JNCOs deserve much credit here. The Company charity fundraising also exceeded the target set by the CO – well done!
As always new arrivals come in and people are posted out, we welcome the
new and say goodbye to those leaving and wish them good luck. The Company now has 2 sets of Brothers a very rare situation.
I pass KOHIMA Company to Maj Lygo in a strong state, with well trained and motivated soldiers. I wish him and the Company good luck for the future.
OC Foreword Maj N J Lygo (Incoming OC)
I am both excited and honoured to be taking over KOHIMA Company at such
an interesting and challenging time. The programme for the next two years is taking shape now that a deployment to Iraq on Operation SHADER in the latter half of 2017 has been confirmed. Before that we will have to manage a number of other tasks, complete pre-deployment training and a plethora of other courses, as well as maximise the time spent with friends, family and loved ones at every opportunity.
Thanks to the hard work of the Company and Platoon staff, I inherit a company of motivated, fit and largley deployable soldiers which we must maintain into 2017. There
has been a significant turnover of staff over the summer period and it would be remiss of me not to highlight the OC and CSM, Maj Charlesworth and WO2 O’Gara, for special praise. KOHIMA Company wish them all
the best for their next posts at the APC and MTMC(I) respectively.
On a personal level, it is the Company
I joined as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2006 and initial impressions suggest the ethos, humour and professionalism has stood
the test of time admirably! I greatly look forward to the next two years and am exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to command, manage and lead the men of KOHIMA Company.
PHOTO of KOHIMA Coy between Maj Charlesworth (outgoing) and Maj Lygo (Incoming). Missing from photo: Maj Charlesworth!
Working with other Nations on Ex ANAKONDA Sgt Yeates, 7 Pl Sgt, KOHIMA Coy, 2 MERCIAN
Being committed to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF)
resulted in an extremely busy year for 7
Pl, as with the remainder of the Company and Battalion. Once a full take over of vehicles was complete, we were deployed as a Battalion to Poland for Exercise ANAKONDA. We arrived in Poland and barely stopped for breath before we were out training as a Platoon, then Company, starting from very basic lessons in fieldcraft all the way through to operating in complex environments. The remind and refresh
of basic low level tactics and field craft was invaluable and ensured we were able to form part of the bigger exercise as a competent and preofessional force.
Initially, the first objective was to move from Chester to Poland in good order. This required months of build up training, getting drivers and commanders qualified
Members of KOHIMA Coy with their counterparts from different nations
and ensuring vehicle maintenance was at the forefront of peoples minds. The amount
Initially, the first objective was to move from Chester to Poland in good order.
were represented, albeit in smaller numbers.
As a Company,
we really enjoyed working with the other nationalities throughout the whole exercise
and it was great fun. We gathered a good insight into the way
of time this took was
considerable and not
to be under-estimated.
However, the Battalion
deployed in good order
and we were confident
of putting on a good show alongside our colleagues from other nations.
other nationalities work, including their tactics and their kit / equipment, including their weapons and their vehicles. Some elements of the Company took part in a live firing Battlegroup exercise, demonstrating the force we could muster to important politicians from across Europe. For the
lads this included seeing the Polish Army’s famous Leopard 2 tank in action which the blokes really enjoyed, it was very impressive to see the beast live fire and gave us
The second objective was for the
British contingency to work with all
other nationalities on the exercise, which included; the Polish Army, the Spanish Army, the American Army and force elements from the Albanian and Canadian Army. These were some of the main nationalities we saw during our time but this list is not exhaustive as other nationalities
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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