Page 61 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

‘Commanding a 4 Nation Platoon on Op TOSCA’ Lt Dan Brown
As a Platoon Commander on Op TOSCA, creating team cohesion within a Multi-National platoon was a challenge to ensure soldiers from four nations with different cultures got the most out their time in Cyprus. At times this required a careful balancing act between being driven by a British Chain of Command, while working under the United Nations cap badge.
would go off running while Slovakian, Hungarian and Argentinean would go and do their own training under their respective PT representatives. However, we still maintained at least two sessions per week where we would train as a platoon to maintain a measure of platoon cohesion.
Integrating all four nations was a key focus, and I was keen to appreciate the cultures of the other nations we were now working with. To this end we
organised several social events in the early months. Each nation would host the others, providing food and drink from the host nation, along with go karting and paintballing welfare trips. It was a shame throughout that there was a language barrier with the Argentineans,
as they were very kind and hospitable people throughout, and it would have been good to be able to enjoy their banter more.
Op TOSCA was a very new experience to all those who have been involved from the MFR contingent, and it provided some excellent opportunities. The experience of working closely with a diverse group of international soldiers will not be forgotten.
Physical Training (PT) particularly provided
challenges in winning over the foreign nations
in this respect. Due to the command structure
being dominated by British personnel,
PT initially was run exactly how a British
Infantry unit would run their programmes
in a UK camp. However, this is different to
how the soldiers of the other nations train
in their respective units, causing a light role British regime to
be unpopular. A balance needed to be drawn, whereby British soldiers could maintain a level of fitness to be able to return home to the UK, ready to go straight back into conventional training, without losing the interest of the foreign soldiers. This meant doing several separate PT sessions a week, where British soldiers
Integrating all four nations was a key focus
8Pl Sgt Sgt Atherton
Within the first week of joining the company, I found myself behind a riot shield in Lydd, conducting public order training for a UN deployment to Cyprus on OP TOSCA 21. After a brief period of leave, we deployed to take over from the Irish Guards on what was to be a tour of a complete different nature and dynamic from the last decade.
Being a Pl Sgt in command of 46
men from four nations, which included Slovakians, Argentinians and Hungarians, tested every command style on the planet. After working through the language barrier, I came to realise that a soldier has the same mentality no matter the uniform he wears. He will always moan about being over worked, under paid and not getting enough down time. Although this time we couldn’t moan about the cookhouse as it was outstanding. Over a short period of time the company now named the Mobile Force Reserve, bonded with each other, which in Slovakian terms means drinking what can only be described as battery acid with chilli in it.
The tour provided good opportunities for the lads to unwind and get some quality AT under their belts. We spent hours training for any public order situation that might arise during our tour, as well as continuing to train in a more conventional manner.
With the training being conducted by all nations, it meant we could all benefit from learning how we go about doing business within our respective armies. It was evident to see that most armies of today train for peace missions and tours, where the British Army is amongst the few that still train for offensive operations. Trying to conduct training that would keep the bloke’s skill set current, but make it interesting for all nations proved a big challenge. Six months passed without incident, although we deployed on exercises and on standby.
Back on UK soil we now take on new taskings to the ever evolving threats that the Army and nation faces today.
(Above) Cpl Smith instructs 4 nationalities, UNPA, Jan 2014. (Below) 8Pl of the MFR, Including Argentinian, Hungarian and Slovakian soldiers, UNPA, Nicosia, March 2015, Op Tosca 21
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