Page 18 - Mercian Eagle 2013

did the guys let this faze them. They knew what was required of them and provided it in vast quantities. They demonstrated great flexibility and
Regrettably, we were not so lucky in other situations. It was during a large- scale coordinated attack on the PB that
the men of 9 Platoon worked harder than ever and took the fight to the insurgents in order to extend the security bubble around the camp.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to extend my tour and even more lucky to have spent that time with 9 Platoon. Despite getting a bit of stick for at times being an over-qualified taxi service, every man in the platoon can leave HERRICK 17 with their heads held high knowing that they performed fantastically throughout and made a tangible difference within the AO.
bravery when employing the largely unproven Foxhounds out in
the difficult and often dangerous terrain of
Throughout the tour, the men of 9 Platoon maintained the level of professionalism and flexibility...
the platoon lost one
of its own. LCpl Jamie Webb was tragically killed as a result of
an IED detonation. Additionally, the platoon had a number of men CASEVAC’d during the same attack. The loss of Jamie and his larger-
the Dashte where the
IED threat was ever
present. In fact, it was
9 Platoon who suffered
the first IED strike on a Foxhound in theatre. Damage was minimal and fortunately, no casualties were sustained.
than-life personality hit the platoon and the company hard. During the ensuing week however and in the face of such tragedy,
C Coy Vignettes
Lt Steven Broadhurst, 8 Platoon Commander,
C Company, 1 Mercian
As the Transitional Operations Company for the 1 MERCIAN Transition Support Unit (TSU), C Company trained hard for the specific task of mounting Helicopter Assault Force (HAF) and Ground Assault Force (GAF) operations during light and dark hours. This started early in Mission Specific Training with uplifts in Helmet Mounted Night Vision Systems and other Night Viewing Devices. Initially the soldiers learnt
to use the new equipment by playing games of football at night which, due to lack of depth perception, inevitably
ended with a few cuts and bruises. The more time spent working at night the better prepared C Company became for training exercises and eventual deployment. Having become comfortable with the equipment needed for working at night, we turned our attention to the tactics needed to conduct HAF/GAF operations. This included patrol skills, contact drills, helicopter infil/exfil drills, C-IED at night and compound searches.
These skills were put to the test early during the tour with numerous HAF operations. An operation that highlights the benefits of developing a target and using our night vision technology to our advantage was carried out in support
of the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS). The target compounds had been developed by the Recce platoon with the use of ISTAR platforms, and we were confident the compounds identified would contain a significant insurgent weapons cache. C Company began planning; considering all options and scenarios to successfully achieve the surprise and security needed to ensure the equipment was still in place when we assaulted the targets. The final plan involved a night foot infiltration of 6 kms with a Support Helicopter extraction.
As soon as this option was decided, multiple commanders and 2ICs rehearsed the operation with their soldiers, covering contact drills, obstacle crossing and other skills which by now had become second nature. Platoon Sergeants checked and re-checked kit; ensuring essentials were present
but keeping weight to a minimum. A detailed model was constructed of not only the target area but the route in. ROC drills were conducted before a few hours nervous sleep.
At 0100 hrs, four multiples stepped off into the night from Patrol Base FOLAD. They headed east through the quiet of the Dashte, passing within metres of compounds containing sleeping locals, unaware of their presence. Movement was slow as the winter rains had turned the usually rock hard desert to sticky clay which built up on the soles of boots
and causing muscles to burn after only the first few hundred metres. The multiples battled through the terrain and via RVs to an LUP in a Wadi.
As the sun came up Callsigns from C Coy took over the compounds which allowed them to overwatch the targets and provide an outer cordon for the search teams from Recce Platoon and the NDS. Locals were surprised to see soldiers on their doorstep as none had ventured this far
into the Dashte during recent months. Compound searches were thorough, and with the expertise and local knowledge of the NDS, it wasn’t long before the first of the weapons caches was found. Moving through the compounds the NDS uncovered more caches, and made arrests.
Once the searches were complete, the time came to move
to the exfiltration Helicopter Landing Site (HLS). From experience C Coy already knew this would be the most vulnerable phase of the operation. The expected contact came, with multiples from 8 and 9 Platoons taking effective enemy fire. Enemy firing points were quickly identified and rounds returned. With time to pick up becoming short, commanders tried to break contact to get to the HLS, located approximately 800m away in a Wadi. This was achieved through the mutual support the multiples provided to each other through their locations on the ground and the precise use of sniper and sharp shooter weapons.
With the pick up time rapidly approaching, the troops made their way into the Wadi and took up defensive formations. As soon as wheels of the two CH-47s touched down, soldiers quickly ran up the rear ramps and secured themselves
inside. Force protection at this point being provided by a pair of Apache Attack Helicopters. The CH-47s lifted without a further shot being fired and began a low level flight back
to Patrol Base FOLAD with 2 Detainees, a large amount of equipment and all troops accounted for.
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THE MERCIAN EAGLE