Page 66 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

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Patrols Platoon Captain Sam Vause
‘You’ve got to be necky to be Recce.’ ... A well known mantra, commonly propagated in the world of Infantry Reconnaissance, which reveals a great deal about the mindset of the soldier who is best suited to this role. Whilst not a new concept to
2 MERCIAN, the last year has seen the Reconnaissance and Sniper Platoons reform together to form the Patrols Platoon, which is an amalgamation of 24 and 13 men from Reconnaissance and Sniper Platoons respectively, and provides a vital function in supporting battle group and company level actions. Both Reconnaissance soldiers and Snipers are handpicked from the Battalion’s Rifle Companies, and are selected based
on their aptitude, experience and skills,
to take a position as either a Sniper or
a Recce Patrolman within the Patrols Platoon. In a fruitful year for Patrols, both Recce and Snipers have run two cadres in order to ensure maximum manning and training levels prior
completing an 8-mile course over some of the largest features on Salisbury Plain, as an individual best effort navigation exercise, with a 55Ib Bergan and rifle. Any students who fail to meet the time constraints are returned to unit before lunchtime. This very much sets the tone for the course from
the beginning, as students are extensively tested across the full spectrum of soldiering skills. The first 3 weeks of LRCC are predominantly spent in camp, with students learning the theoretical and practical aspects of reconnaissance, whilst concurrently the numbers on the course are ever dwindled by those not making the grade on various must-pass events. The last 6 weeks of the 9-week course are all spent on exercise, covering all reconnaissance actions in numerous different environments, all culminating in a final exercise in the Infantry heartland; Brecon. Highlights include a particularly weighty insertion march involving
to deployment to
Ex ASKARI STORM in Kenya.
Ultimately, the
purpose of the recce
aspect of the Patrols
Platoon is ‘to obtain
quality information,
by day and night, in all weathers and in all operations of war’. Clearly, the addition of the Sniper Platoon adds a significant capability
to this, both in terms of kinetic effects and surveillance and target acquisition. The Patrols Platoon is therefore an operational amalgamation of two capabilities, adding significantly to the efficacy of both platoons which share a great deal of common ground, both in the way in which they operate and
in the type of individual who is attracted to these particular roles.
In addition to qualifying soldiers and Junior NCOs as Recce Patrolmen, the last year
has also seen the Patrols Platoon deploy
to Kenya as the enemy force for 2 SCOTS battle group. This opportunity was grabbed with both hands by the platoon, allowed them to act as a manoevrist force, giving soldiers the chance to exercise initiative outside of their normal role. The merits of this have been seen on the most recent Recce Cadre, conducted from June to July in Otterburn and Leek Training Areas.
To ensure that these soldiers are led effectively, Reconnaissance Commanders (at Platoon and Section level) are required to undertake the Light Role Reconnaissance Commanders Course (LRCC), conducted at the Land Warfare Centre, Warminster. Two members of Patrols Platoon have completed the course this year, which has acquired
an Army-wide reputation for its rigorous examination of one’s soldiering credentials, which it certainly deserves. Students are tested thoroughly from the outset; with
Day 1 starting at 0500 for a variation of the Combat Fitness Test. This involves students
a swim across the Usk reservoir in the middle of the night, and an especially prolonged casualty evacuation after the final raid. Challenges on the course revolve around the ongoing themes
of chronic sleep deprivation and excessive weight carriage! Such is the privilege and challenge of commanding recce soldiers. Long may this course retain its reputation.
With the Patrols Platoon now prepared to be tested on exercise, the platoon shifts focus to integrating its tactics with the rifle companies in order to effectively enable their operations. At battle group level,
the platoon is currently working through
its interoperability with other assets, such as Anti-Tank and Mortar Platoons. The testing ground for this will be the ruthless environment that is the Askari Plains and
I look forward to the challenge offered to the Patrols Platoon by Ex ASKARI STORM. Kenya awaits...
Students are tested thoroughly from the outset; with Day 1 starting at 0500...
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
View from OPKenya Archer’s Post Training Area Jan 15