Page 22 - Mercian Eagle 2013

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Fire Support Group
The period since our last report has included the both the final stages of pre deployment training and deployment on OP HERRICK 17 finishing with the recovery to the UK and normalisation process.
Approaching the end of August 2012 and having just completed FTX down on Salisbury Plain, the Fire Support Group (FSG) was in
gel for use in the hot showers of FOB Shawqat.
With Christmas soon upon us and
the weather changing from the glorious sunshine and baking heat to miserable rain and cold, and the hard baked ground of the desert changing into a tiring boggy clay, the men of the FSG were celebrating the
In true FSG nature this was another change embraced only to find out shortly afterwards JACKAL was to be withdrawn from theatre. If anyone remembers the emotional task of shipping vehicles to Canada for Exercise Medicine Man, the process of handing JACKALS back to be shipped to the
UK is equally emotional with the added inconvenience of years of desert built up
in every nook and cranny. Sgt Billows rose to the challenge however and with the assistance of Sgts Catarall and Hough, all JACKALS were returned in good order and on time. The replacement vehicles were taken over and the Patrol moved back to Folad in order to maintain their support to the company.
During Patrol 2’s time in the home comforts of Camp Bastion, it became apparent that a JAVELIN OP was needed
in C Company’s PB Folad. So, under the command of Sgt Varley, a team deployed to undertake the task of over-watching an area that was believed to be used by Taliban
to target both ISAF and ANSF with IEDs. During the task, the PB came under a large- scale complex attack by a large number of insurgents. In the course of the defence,
the Javelin Op were able to successfully engage and destroy an enemy PKM team with Javelin.
With OP HERRICK 17 completed,
the men of the FSG were able to return home for some well-earned leave with their heads held high, knowing that they’d maintained the high standards set during MST throughout the tour. As with many operational tours before, some soldiers were unfortunately forced to return home early due to injuries sustained in action. We take this opportunity to wish a speedy recovery to Cpl “Mike” Price, LCpl “Nav” Navelinko, Pte “Frank” Aveh, Pte “Franny”
Francis and Pte “Maz” Marriot who were
all injured during OP HERRICK 17.
As the FSG enters
a new era we would like to say goodbye to Capt “Julian” Clayton who leaves us to take on the role of MTO with his newly acquired vast knowledge of vehicles,
newly promoted CSgt “Reg” Varley who leaves us to become Sp Coy CQMS and welcome in the new OC FSG Capt “Jack” Brierley and CQMS FSG CSgt “Rob” Carr.
a good position and ready for the up and coming deployment. The recent uplift of soldiers, including
the six members of the Territorial Army, had bonded well
and become valued members of the team.
The recent uplift of soldiers, including the six members of the Territorial Army, had bonded well and become valued members of the team.
festivities in true Sp Coy spirit after being given the direction to merge back into two patrols following the closure
of two of B Company’s CP’s. The new Patrol
1 became the Battle Group Reserve working out of HUSKY and Patrol 2 lost their beloved HUSKY and
The Fire Support
Group under the command of Capt
“Julian” Clayton (LE “By the grace of god”) manned two substantial patrols; the first under Captain Clayton and the second commanded by the 2ic WO2 “Billy” Borlace. These two patrols would in turn be allocated to both A and C company. So with pre- deployment leave in sight and all flights for the deployment booked everything seemed to be running smoothly. In true Army style however, no plan survives first contact and the FSG was at the last minute, ordered
to break down into three smaller patrols in order to provide B Company with their own FSG assets. What we finally deployed with was not only an orbat that survived planning ‘first contact’, but also the first contacts of the tour.
So with the Fire Support Group of
1 MERCIAN now deployed in Afghanistan across the district of Nad-e-Ali, the patrols were settling in well at their different company locations. Patrol 1, under the command of OC FSG and Sgt Varley, were supporting A Company; Patrol 2, under the command of the FSG 2IC and Sgt Catarall, were supporting B Company and finally Patrol 3, under Magnet and Steel (also known as Sgt Hough and Sgt Billows) were supporting C Company.
The initial pace of life was steady and all patrols were proving themselves as valuable assets to each Company Commander; be that tactically in support of Company level operations, supporting and resupplying the platoon locations or providing a short notice taxi service to many of the meetings across the AO. It quickly became apparent that OC FSG, Sgt Varley and the chosen men had certainly selected their location wisely. While some Patrols from the FSG were dealing with the basic conditions of john bags and the daily bucket shower, Patrol
1 were in fact living with more advanced facilities with the luxury of air conditioning, hot and cold running water and even a small NAAFI facility for those last minute requirements; be that a tube of Pringles, a cold can of Coke or a new bottle of shower
stepped into the less favoured JACKAL; a more reliable vehicle with greater situational awareness but without the reassurance of the greater protection from all of its armour.
It was this configuration the FSG remained in for the duration of OP HERRICK 17, and with routine patrolling becoming less and less frequent the daily routine of operational life became even more important than ever before to keep the men of the FSG in good spirits. Routine varied between constant weapons training undertaken across the FSG, a daily hour of “Insanity” training undertaken by Patrol 2
or the endless vehicle cleaning embraced by Patrol 1 (this gave them the cleanest HUSKIES ever seen in Afghanistan outside of Camp Bastion’s vehicle regeneration facility).
Patrol 1’s ongoing commitment with Battle Group Reserve saw Patrol 2 tasked with the training of the newly formed Foxhound Group (based on
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
9 Platoon, C Company)
commanded by
Capt “Jack” Brierley
back at the generous
training facilities of
Camp Bastion. The
move back proved an
emotional experience
with early morning cold
temperatures in the
open topped JACKALS.
On arrival however, they
were rewarded by the facilities there; namely Pizza Hut, KFC and the American PX. Training mainly focused on the lessons the FSG had learnt throughout the deployment, including vehicle recovery (both routine and post-incident), mounted weapons shoots, vehicle maintenance and low-level vehicle tactics. The direction was given that the JACKALS and FOXHOUNDS would work together to create a large mobile grouping able to deliver troops directly onto a target. This would utilise the FOXHOUND’s ability to transport soldiers and the JACKAL’s substantial firepower to provide protection.
As with many operational tours before, some soldiers were unfortunately forced to return home early due to injuries sustained in action.