Page 48 - Mercian Eagle 2016

OC Maj Lee Hosford CSM WO2 Malone / WO2
Hollingworth
CQMS CSgt Varley/CSgt Weaver
46
My Adventurous Training Posting LCpl Wilson, 7 Platoon, KOHIMA Coy, 2 MERCIAN
Earlier this year I returned from a posting at Castlemartin Adventure Training Wing. Prior to the posting I had very little Adventure Training (AT) experience so felt a little apprehensive about what the post would entail. Upon arrival, myself and the rest
of the Adventure Training Leaders (ATLs) from across the Army and Reserves were attached to some of the experienced ATLs already delivering training at the AT Wing. This helped us settle in, get to know the camp and also gave us exposure to how an AT package should be delivered.
After a few weeks of shadowing the current instructors at the centre, the new ATLs were sent away to undertake an 18 week ATL package at JSMTW Indefatigable in North Wales. This lengthy course is a zero to hero course that qualified the participants in the following: Summer Mountain Foundation (SMF), Mountain Leader
Training (MLT), Rock Climbing Foundation (RCF), Rock Climbing Supervisor (RCS), Open Boat Foundation (O2F), Kayaking Foundation (K2F), Coaching Level 1 (CI1), Mountain Bike Foundation (MBF) and Mountain Bike Leader Training (MBLT).
All sections of the course were taught by instructors at the very top of their game,
not only in the eyes of the Army but also when compared to their counterparts in
the civilian world. These courses qualified us to take out up to 6 students kayaking, mountain biking, hill walking or rock climbing.
Upon successful completion of the course, we returned to Castlemartin to start taking out students on our own, this
LCpl Wilson leading students on a Sea Kayak trip
required us to plan and deliver lessons whilst making training as fun for the students as poossible. To do this, we tried to avoid delivering lessons in a standard Army format and vary the methods of delivery. Predominantly, I enjoyed taking kayaking and rock climbing more than
the other disciplines, but that was just
my personal preference and some of the other ATLs would prefer to take the other activities so it would always work out well. The importance of having fun whilst being tested by AT is important as we wanted soldiers to leave with a positive impression of AT having had a great experience. They should leave the wing with a feeling of accomplishment and wanting to do more AT or gain qualifications themselves. I also found that if the instructor was having fun, this rubbed off on the students.
At the wing I was fortunate enough to work with some great civilian instructors that were always ready to give you an alternative way of teaching a skill if you were
The MLT qualification allows you to take up to 6 students out on the hills
struggling and offer opinion and advice on how best to progress as an AT instructor. I recently advanced my qualifications by completing the 3 Star Inland (Kayaking
Rivers) and 3 Star Sea and Coastal Navigation Course. I will hopefully get to
use this qualification in the near futrure at Battalion. My time at Castlemartin was really enjoyable, I was impressed with the level
of responsibility that an ATL has and the amount of responsibility they undertake on a day-to-day basis. By the end of my posting I was confident with having the responsibility of 6 novice students’ lives in your hand. This often in the face of adversity, whether it be the weather changes when leading a team in the hills or having young, inexperienced soldiers hanging off a cliff completing an abseil. I would strongly recommend a post to an AT Wing to any soldier who has an aspiration to gain qualifications or improve their ability as an instructor.
D (Dragon) Company
OC Foreword
It has been a busy year since the last publication of the Mercian Eagle. We have conducted large set piece activities (Ex ASKARI STORM and the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce (VJTF)) but this has also been a period dominated by a merciless amount of ‘trawl’ activity; some fun, some not-so-fun.
Ex ASKARI STORM went very well for all concerned despite some horrific conditions. I have never seen rain at Archers’ Post but
I can assure you, when it arrives it doesn’t take any prisoners. In fact, the biggest enemy was Mother Nature, if it wasn’t the weather it was the wildlife as Recce Platoon can attest to. Stalked by Lions a number of times the vendetta finally came to fruition when Sam Vause was M-Killed by a Water Buffalo. Beyond that our Cavalry based
enemy, whose luxuriant hair might have led to them being mistaken for wildlife, were easily tracked by the ISTAR Group.
The 2016 VJTF task has been an interesting and rewarding role which has seen us deployed to various locations around the UK & Spain culminating in Poland with Ex ANAKONDA. For the Polish the shadow cast by a resurgent Russia is very real and we received a great reception wherever we went. As well as the Polish the opportunity to train with our NATO Partners was an excellent one. All Platoons managed to get access to resources and equipment for training that they wouldn’t normally see in the UK which made for a great training opportunity well taken by the Platoons.
Throughout all the ‘big ticket’ activity the trawls process has continued unabated.
Mogadishu International Airport Beach Run
Whilst it has placed a huge strain on the company some of it has been useful.
The love affair with Africa continues and various members of Dragon Company have deployed on training teams from Somalia to Uganda and a few places in-between.
Finally, it is important to note a significant changing of the guard during this year:
THE MERCIAN EAGLE