Page 73 - MERCIAN Eagle 2017

C (Kohima) Company
Major R Spalton, OC C COY, 4 MERCIAN
It is traditional and accurate to start these articles with the comment that it has been another busy year. This statement is equally true for Kohima Company, but more striking has been the diverse and varied nature of this year’s activities.
Last October saw the Company deploy to Lydd to take part in the Battalion’s Annual Training Exercise. The Company took part in a four day FTX, fulfilling roles from Riflemen in the sections to the Battlegroup Chief of Staff, split between the Rifle Company and HQ Company that made up the orbat for this phase. When not getting damp and tired in Kent, we were able to take part in a range of Adventurous Training, local cultural and historical excursions, notably Dover Castle and the Battle of Britain Memorial, as well as the more traditional military pursuits of live firing and combat fitness tests.
Concurrently, 9 members of
the Company, led by Lt Seb Sansom
and Sgt Adam Leverton, deployed with 4 LANCS for a six month operational tour
on Op TOSCA, conducting peace-support activity on the Green Line in Cyprus. Perhaps the image of operations in Cyprus is a little different to that of operations
in Iraq, but the team made a valuable contribution to this long lasting and on- going operation.
In the early spring, another ten members of the Company, this time led by Second- in-Command Capt Lloyd Watts, deployed
to Uganda, again in an operational capacity, providing vital training to the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) to prepare them for their own operational commitments in Somalia and elsewhere. As annual camps go, Uganda is certainly a little more exotic than Folkestone.
Sustaining the firm base does not cease, when, the bulk of the Company
are deployed. Captain Jay Longmate, Kohima Company’s PSAO has been busy working to maintain and develop the physical infrastructure of the Company, with a reinvestment of activity in Mansfield, whilst also making significant efforts
to strengthen our links with the local
community in Nottingham. The diverse nature of the Company is highlighted by one of our more recent recruits, Pte Fahima Khan, the first Female Muslim member of the Company who has now successfully completed basic training and is soon to commence Phase 2 training as a Combat Medical Technician. Sgts Gord Hardy and Neil Orton provide the recruiting lead that has enabled C Company to gain interest amongst the diverse communities of the East Midlands. Recruiting remains a difficult, ceaseless and often thankless task that is as vital for the Army Reserve as the rather more appealing activities undertaken in Uganda and Cyprus.
As I write this article, the Company is investing in our next generation of junior commanders with 9 private soldiers attempting a demanding pre-JNCO cadre. The photos below show that the younger generation is just as able to withstand the rigours of soldiering as their predecessors and that tabbing never goes out of fashion. At the same time, Sgt Bryan Chadbourne is busy recruiting his own brand of chosen men as another dozen members of the Battalion attempt the Assault Pioneer Cadre. In this role, C Company will provide niche capability to support the Battalion on exercises and operations.
I have no doubt that in twelve months’ time, Kohima Company’s article will begin with observations of busyness and diversity, but both are the lifeblood of the Company that helps us achieve the sense of belonging that we strive for.
Image 1: Three Musketeers. WO2 Jason Lamonby and his team supporting C Company’s recruiting activity at the Chatsworth Show.
Image 2: Leaders of men? Messers Tweneboa, Higgs and Boycott from
C Company being put through their paces on the pre-JNCO cadre.
Image 3: C Company leading the parade through the streets of Mansfield on Remembrance Day.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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