Page 11 - Mercian Eagle 2013

32A head across from CP Polad to meet 31A in CP Zarawar
far more kinetic in terms of insurgent activity. The Dashte was a completely different environment to operate in compared to the green zone in and it was a testament to
all the soldiers in the Company that they were able to operate to a high degree of competency in both, switching between the environments at the drop of a hat.
One of the most interesting elements of the tour for my multiple was the interaction with the Afghan National Security Forces, namely the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP). After a number of green on blue incidents towards the start of Op HERRICK 17 in other locations, this was the area that worried
us the most. There was obvious and understandable initial trepidation amongst the multiple when a duo of ANP turned
up at CP Zarawar for our first joint patrol. Despite some obvious shortcomings we found the police, on the whole, cared about the local area and were proactive in their work to keep it
safe. The ANA were
even more impressive,
the way in which they
conducted themselves
and approached the
problems they faced, I
think showed all of us
that they are indeed up
for the challenges of the
future.
Life in a CP, as I’m sure all of my multiple will testify, can become at times very boring and tedious. With a constant routine with little variety and the same faces around for
LCpl Ellerton and Cpl Holland discussing the closure of CP Zarawar
months on end, tempers can fray. This was rare however and as a multiple we found
a number of ways to entertain ourselves. I
skilful performance in the final. We also held ‘Zarawar’s Got Talent’ which inspired some truly bizarre entries, some of which made
it onto film – if only this was a interactive magazine! I would venture to say I’m sure Pte Glover is certainly glad it isn’t.
We closed CP Zarawar in mid-December and although the closedown proved to
be a lot of hard work with many sleepless nights, all of us I think it is fair to say, left CP Zarawar with a heavy heart. For what seemed like an eternity it had been our home and we went through a number of experiences as a multiple whilst based there, both good and bad, that none of us will forget.
With a constant routine with little variety and the same faces around for months on end, tempers can fray.
think the most popular activity we held was the CP Zarawar badminton tournament. Using
our makeshift net and racquets kindly sent out to us in the post we held a multi-stage tournament over
a number of days that became rather competitive. Although no one would admit it at the time, I think it’s only fair that LCpl Ellerton finally receives some praise for his
5 Platoon, B Company (Malta) – CP Polad, Op HERRICK 17 by Lt Middleton
With MST for HERRICK 17 fully under
way by the start of February 5 Platoon
were slowly but surely being knocked into shape. Whether that be from the constant deployment on exercise, frequent kit checks or the numerous courses, 5 Platoon were becoming a fighting force to be reckoned with.
The FTX started off with a reasonably high tempo with a patrol matrix that was tighter than your average QM. After 76 hours into the exercise 5 Platoon got sent to man an isolated CP about two kilometres away from the PB. A couple of patrols were put out but over the following 76 hours a total of zero serials were carried out against us. It was less busy than what had been
envisaged. However, the culmination of MST left us well prepared for what we
were likely to face on tour. With a couple of weeks pre-deployment leave enjoyed,
5 Platoon made their way to Marne Barracks on 1 Oct for a head count and the long journey out to Camp Bastion.
On arrival at Camp Bastion the RSOI package kicked off with an endurance
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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