Page 21 - MERCIAN Eagle 2017

Anti-Tank Platoon
JAVELIN PLATOON
The Javelin Platoon have conducted a variety of tasks over the last year ranging from testing Battle Groups in Canada who would later deploy to Europe’s Eastern Borders to conducting Platoon Urban Operations training. Below are a few highlights from this year.
Urban Operations Training.
Urban Operations Instructors Sgt Crawford and Cpl James took the Platoon through a week-long Urban Fighting Training package in Copehill Down Training Village, Salisbury Plain.
This training included the use of force on force training ammunition, forced method of entry training rigs and a fully built mock village. After being taught the urban fighting drills the Section Commanders were
given the freedom to rigorously drill their Sections through methods of movement, stacking, entry and contact drills in different specifications of the urban environment. Bruises were sustained, knees were scraped, knuckles were scuffed, doors were smashed and buildings were made clear!
The week was a refreshing change of pace with lots of new skills being learnt and lots of fun was had doing it.
Sgt Crawford (Anti-Tanks)
JAVELIN CADRE
This year for the first time the Javelin Gunner’s cadre was conducted as a Mercian Regiment. This allowed us to
learn from each other and see how each Battalion operates. The cadre took place over 3 weeks in Dartmoor. The first week consisted of Skill at Arms and AFV; the subject everyone loves to hate but one of the most important lessons for the Javelin Platoon. The second week was the Indoor Trainer; which is our Javelin simulator, this takes a gunner from the very basics of scanning arcs all the way up to destroying multiple Main Battle Tanks. The third week was test week. All the skills and drills learnt over the previous 2 weeks are put into practise through a demanding exercise conducting patrols, Anti-Armour Ambushes and Observation posts.
Overall a demanding but enjoyable 3 week course with top level instruction producing quality Javelin operators.
This Year’s Top Gunner - Pte Fuller.
Cpl James (Anti-Tanks)
BATUS, CANADA – THE OPPOSITION FORCE (OPFOR) FOR BATTLE GROUPS DEPLOYING TO EUROPE’S EASTERN BORDERS
In May last year, the 1 MERCIAN Anti–Tank Platoon deployed to the Plains of BATUS, Canada, as the OPFOR (The Donovians)
in support of the Royal Welsh and Yorks Battlegroup (BG).
Our mission, in short, was to get stuck into the exercising BG’s, causing maximum confusion and attrition, exploit success and
A Javelin Section being taught the methods of Forced Entry
aggressively hunting down their Challenger 2s and Engineer assets.
The Royal Welsh BG was the Platoon’s first run out as OPFOR and we were encouraged to adopt a different style of tactics than we are used to, ie, stay behind observation posts, lone wolf/ guerrilla warfare type attacks. This took a little getting used to, but as soon as we found our feet the Royal Welsh started to feel the pain of the Javelin weapon system.
Throughout the exercise we harassed the BG, on many occasions our Javelin boys stopped the exercising troops in their tracks and by the end of the exercise the Royal Welsh BG feared our Anti-Armour Screens.
The Yorks BG exercise was much the same but this time the Platoon was on top of its game from the start and the Yorks got pounded from the get go with no rest until the end.
Both exercises where very demanding both physically and mentally, and the men of 1 MERCIAN Anti-Tank Platoon achieved their mission; to test the exercising BG’s to breaking point and beyond. Good effort Jav!
Sgt Shaw (Anti-Tanks)
STINGER C/S 71 Capt Bermingham Pte Dwyer
LCpl Williams DMC winner
Pte Herd DMC winner Pte Thomas
Pte Dulukobau
Pte Wainwright
LCpl Felix Cpl Lagi Lagi Cpl Ward LCpl Morris Pte Noone Pte Coupe Pte Rogers Pte Fuller Pte Oakes
STINGER C/S 72 Sgt Shaw
Pte Miamba
Pte Vogiatzis Pte Briscoe
Pte Marsden DMC winner Pte Turner Lcpl Wilson Cpl Barr
Pte Gibbons Cpl Cullum
*DMC, Donovian Military Cross
The Mercian Javelin Cadre conducting a Javelin Heavy Carry over the Dartmoor Training Area
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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