Page 17 - Mercian Eagle 2013

were to re-role and take over a number of new Foxhound vehicles in order to give the company a more mobile Ground Assault Force (GAF) capability. They would work hand-in-hand with the Fire Support Group to support not only ISAF but also Afghan Security Forces operations in the Dashte.
In order to achieve this, the Platoon moved back to Camp Bastion for 3 weeks over the Christmas and New Year period. During this sometimes tedious time, the platoon took over the vehicles and conducted essential training on them. To a degree, we had to develop our own tactics and ideas on how we would conduct ourselves in the tricky ground of the Dashte with these somewhat unproven vehicles. It wasn’t all work though, as the blokes who had been living in the relatively austere conditions of FOLAD, took the opportunity to visit the American PX, have a Christmas steak dinner and even bring in the New Year with the Americans
at an all-night R&B night (easily the most surreal thing anyone of us have ever experienced).
In early January, 9 Platoon, along with the FSG, conducted a vehicle move back to
PB FOLAD. Complete
with a new set of skills.
Cpl Green enjoying the inside of his MASTIFF
Nahr-e Bughra Canal. In line with the draw- down that began to occur in our AO, we also were able to provide a mobile screen
for the deconstruction of ISAF PBs; allowing the PBs to be closed
or handed over to the ANSF with the minimum of fuss.
Throughout the tour, the men of 9 Platoon maintained the level of professionalism and flexibility that we have come to expect from C Company soldiers. Our role meant that
we were to be on 30 minutes notice to move for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Needless to say, we became quite adept
at getting from gym kit and into patrol gear ready to go quite quickly. There were plenty of false alarms during this time and not once
We were excited to
be getting back to it
instead of languishing
in Camp Bastion; little
did we know how busy
we would actually be.
Over the following four
months, 9 Platoon
took part in a number
of operations; often
working as deep as
10km into the insurgent
controlled areas of the Dashte. These were more often than not in support of either
the Afghan Army or Afghan Police as they carried out their own clearance ops. In addition, we assisted snipers in conducting a number of covert insertions along the
They would work hand- in-hand with the Fire Support Group to support not only ISAF but also Afghan Security Forces operations in the Dashte....
C Company extracting by Support Helicopter after an arrest operation. One detainee and NDS operatives can be seen waiting to board the helicopter. In the centre of the picture WO2(CSM) Glynn can be seen controlling the extraction
Sgt Howard in a Temporary Check Point during a HAF operation.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
15