Page 60 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

58
‘7 Platoon Commander’ Lt Andrew Cole
Arriving fresh from the Platoon Commanders’ Battle Course, I went immediately to Lydd for Op TOSCA pre- deployment training and took charge of
7 Platoon. Having spent four months doing nothing but conventional warfare, I had
to revert to Public Order training; this was certainly a challenge, but proved a good way get to know my new platoon and settle in to my first command. The All Ranks Brief and MRX flew past and, before I even had time to move into the Mess in Chester, I was boarding an aircraft at Brize Norton headed for Cyprus.
The UN Order of Battle dictated that
a Hungarian officer commanded my platoon. Though not an ideal situation for any Platoon Commander, this did provide opportunities. Though still in charge of the ‘domestic’ management of my soldiers, I found myself in Company HQ, working in
a planning role and available to soak up many of the less conventional tasks one finds when operating under the UN. One such task was the delivery of guided tours around the derelict airport; the wood blocks of Brecon prepare an infantryman for many things, but not for that.
I returned to the UK in the New Year, then deployed with Dragon Company ten days later to play enemy for 2 SCOTS
on Ex ASKARI STORM. Having not
been to Kenya before, this provided a good opportunity to familiarise myself
with the terrain and the exercise prior to
2 MERCIAN’s deployment in late 2015. We took advantage of the time to undergo low-level dry training, acting as Rifle Platoons, something many of the soldiers in Support Company had done little of for some time. Fighting in heavy Swiss Cam uniforms, complete with baseball caps, we supported the company phase of
the exercise by harassing a convoy and attacking a defensive position. For the final exercise, we then fought as a Company Group, withdrawing as the Battle Group advanced, holding defensive positions and attacking 2 SCOTS as they dug in. Each and every man stood firm and struck hard until his glorious, but sadly inevitable, death.
My next significant task was running
the battalion’s team for the Divisional Operational Shooting Competition. This fell shortly after 2 MERCIAN’s return
from Cyprus. Resources and manpower were therefore tight. With limited time
and few ranges to train on, this was difficult. It demonstrated that, as a Platoon Commander, the easy part is to turn up somewhere and start shooting in the
right direction. The real challenge is the paperwork and coordination required to enable it. Despite setbacks and unavoidable
training constraints, the team arrived in Catterick fully qualified to shoot and able to compete.
Shortly after I had returned to my platoon for the first time in eight months, I was
off again, this time to Otterburn for three weeks, to act as Platoon Commander for the final exercise of the Prince of Wales’s Division PJNCO Cadre. This proved to be a good shakeout for me personally, practising conventional operations over challenging terrain. It also educated me in respect of how we select our future NCOs. For the students, it was a very demanding exercise and those who came through it fully deserve their promotions.
As my first year at battalion drew to a close, I finally spent a week on exercise
with my platoon as Kohima Company underwent LFTT in Otterburn. The breadth of experience gained aside, it was a relief finally to be doing what I thought my job would be as a Platoon Commander; that is to say commanding my Platoon. However,
it would appear that this will be the nature
of the Army as it moves into a contingency role. In the absence of an overriding operational focus, there are many main efforts. At a low level, this means a busy schedule and often a lack of continuity. If my experience says anything, it is that flexibility is of the utmost importance.
2 MERCIAN DIV OSC Team, Wathgill Ranges, May 2015. Back Row (L-R): Cpl Baikirewa, Pte Jamieson, LCpl Webster, Lt Cole, LCpl Roberts, Pte Packman-Mallalieu. Front Row (L-R): Pte Bumby, Pte Harmes.
Original billboard inside the New Terminal, A day on the ranges with Argentinian The New Terminal, Nicosia International unchanged since 1974, Nicosia International NOC, UNPA, Cyprus, Nov 2014 Airport, UNPA, Cyprus, Dec 14
Airport, UNPA, Cyprus, Oct 14
THE MERCIAN EAGLE