Page 60 - MERCIAN Eagle 2017

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Pre- Deployment Training for Operation SHADER 5
Sgt Kane – 8 Platoon Sergeant
Unsurprisingly, getting a Company ready for an operational deployment is no easy feat! C (KOHIMA) Company found themselves doing just that for the first half of 2017, ready for OP SHADER in Iraq. Over an intense 6 month period, troops were brought out of their light role element, and turned in to Force Protection Guardian Angel legends!
The first challenge was to ensure that
all of the troops were properly qualified for the task. This involved the delicate juggling act of getting the lads qualified on the Foxhound vehicle without getting in the way of their already busy pre tour schedule of events. Both drivers and commanders had to learn the ins and outs of the vehicle, ensuring that they were aware of its capabilities, and how to best maintain it within the harsh desert environment of Iraq.
The weather during live Firing in Kirkcudbright was bettered only by the bayonet range!
An infanteer’s dream - LFTT in Warcop saw snow, rain, fog and lots of thigh deep mud. It was here that the soldiers came in to their true element
as light role infantry;
working all the way
up from individual
battle lanes, to section
attacks led by their
commanders through
unpleasant (and often
uphill) conditions. Using
live ammunition put the
lads in the right frame
of mind for the operational deployment, and ensured that they had to think about every action that they were carrying out.
After a couple of weeks of regular camp duties back in Chester, it was time to
pick the pace back up! The lads found themselves climbing back on board the
coach, only this time they headed to sunny Sennybridge, Brecon. This low tempo exercise saw C Company familiarising themselves with their Foxhound vehicles through a variety of tasks and scenarios. A vehicle navigation exercise gave
the lads the experience of not only driving and commanding the vehicles, but also enabled them to practice communicating
with the chain of command through the vehicle’s BOWMAN radio system- as the old saying goes; “no comms, no bombs”.
The Pre-MRX saw the lads meet up with the troops from the Royal Engineers who they would be working with over the coming 6 months. Through a series of lessons and scenarios, they worked out their actions-on for all of the scenarios that may be faced in Iraq, these included; contact drills, vehicle manoeuvring, medical lessons and the essential (but very sweaty) CBRN drills.
The biggest benefit of the week however, was the building of relationships between Kohima Company and the Engineers, ensuring that the force that went into the Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) was well integrated and fully understood each other.
The MRX was the culmination of the months of hard work that Kohima Company and their Royal Engineer counterparts
had put in. The directing staff assessed everyone, from the Company Commanders and Platoon Commanders, to the Private soldiers demonstrating their capabilities as a Force Protection Platoon. This saw the lads experience the worst possible events that could happen on tour, including but not limited to; rebelling students, ambushes, road traffic incidents, medical emergencies, burning buildings, and lots and lots of IDF.
Despite the busy and fast paced few months, the lads grafted through it and, ultimately, they can be certain that they
left for OP SHADER as ready as they
ever could be. After a very short, but
very well deserved pre tour leave, they found themselves lining up to get onto the transport to take them to RAF Brize Norton and then on to Iraq.
‘An infanteer’s dream
- LFTT in Warcop saw snow, rain, fog and lots of thigh deep mud’
Members of KOHIMA Coy choose to take the easy method of travel over the Brecon Beacons
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