Page 423 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
GOC’s Desert Rat pennant which flew in North Africa and NW Europe throughout 7 Armd Bde’s campaigns. His father-in-law had looked after it for the last 40 or so years, and he thought that it should be returned to fly again in another War!
Gulf War 2 – Op TELIC
Op TELIC was the codename given to the UK’s military activity in Iraq from the start of the invasion on 19th March 2003 to the final withdrawal of the last British Forces on 22nd May 2011.
Officially, the conflict ran from 20th January 2003.
A joint resolution of the US Congress – the Iraq Resolution – led directly to the 2003 invasion of Iraq under the authority of the UN Security Council Resolutions 678 and 687, which essentially justified the use of all necessary means to compel Iraq to comply with its international obligations – as per the conditions of the 1991 ceasefire agreement. Prior to the invasion, the US and UK indicated that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which presented a world-wide threat.
As a consequence, on 8th September 2002, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1441, which effectively provided Iraq with a final opportunity to comply with its obligations and disarm. Resolution 1441 strengthened the mandate of the UN Monitoring and Verification Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and led, ultimately, to the combined NATO invasion on 19th March 2003.
Her Majesty’s Government had a strategic objective for Op TELIC – it was to create the conditions in which Iraq disarmed in accordance with its obligations under UNSCRs. And, more than that, remained disarmed in the long-term. Overall, some forty five thousand British military personnel were involved in Op IRAQI FREEDOM, ‘the coalition of the willing’, which resulted in one hundred and seventy-nine UK fatalities: Iraqi figures were an estimated two thousand, three hundred soldiers killed and nine thousand PoWs.5 In March 2003, British and coalition forces invaded Iraq after one month of combat operations; the occupied country then faced the difficult task of stabilising and securing the nation.
Eight personnel from 101 MWD Support Unit augmented with three personnel from 1 Defence Animal Support Unit from Sennelager and four trainers from the DAC, deployed to Iraq on 10th
5 Ibid.
6 Director’s View Chiron Calling Summer 2003.
February 2003. The deployment of seventeen Dog trainers was significant for the RAVC. It was the first time an RAVC Unit was included in the pre-planning of an initial deployment of a Logistic Bde. It was also the first time that RAVC Individual Reservists were mobilised. Danny Richardson, Mark Hartley, Gregg Richardson, Chrissy Fox, and Craig Hales all ex-RAVC were called up for the deployment.6
Op TELIC 1
Departing from South Cerney, the Air Mounting Centre’ in Gloucestershire, LCpl David Blackmore RAVC was one of the first of our soldiers to arrive in Kuwait on Op TELIC 1. He was the foremost Corps soldier to journey across the border into Iraq from Kuwait, and he was the last to leave on that phase of the Operation.
At Kuwait airport, the first stop was a huge hangar at Joint Force Logistic Command (JFLogC) for a couple of days combined with recces to Camp Coyote to find the best location for the RAVC. The Camp was situated in the desert on the outskirts of Kuwait City, not so far from the infamous ‘Highway of Death’ (named in Gulf War 1, 1991), and just 15 miles from the Iraqi border. Camp Coyote was a gigantic UK and US camp and staging post, situated prior to crossing the Line of Departure. It comprised of row-upon-row of tentage accommodation for sleeping quarters, thousands of portaloos and huge tented dining facility feeding stations.
From Ali Al Salem – a military air base situated in Kuwait, 23 miles from the Iraqi border – the ‘game changing’ ISO container kennels were hastily set up as part of the security provision. A few days passed while the advance party awaited the arrival of a transport aircraft which arrived crammed full of stores, dogs, and kennels. And on 14/15th February they greeted the remaining RAVC personnel arriving into theatre.
The first handlers were initially attached to 23 Pioneer Regt, and not unexpectedly there was some confusion as to ADMINCON, OPCOM, OPCON of who controlled the RAVC and the dogs.
One of the first tasks was to patrol specific areas of the outer limits of Camp Coyote – the detail initially being deployed by vehicle, then dropped off with a coverman.
The next task was to provide protection to a strategic Bulk Fuel Installation (BFI), named
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