Page 12 - RADC 2015

MILITARY MATTERS
Operation Gritrock - the Dental Story
Capt S Dobie and Pte G Bryan
Preparation
Just one small question, ‘How do you
feel about being nominated as the Dental Centre’s candidates to go to Sierra Leone on Op GRITROCK?’ And a world of change.
Obviously, Pte Bryan and I jumped at the chance to be nominated but due to how junior we were as a team our expectations of being deployed were low. Much to
our surprise we became the regional nominations, yet again remained fairly convinced that we were unlikely to be sent. So you can imagine our shock when it came through that we were going to Sierra Leone after all! Clearly, vast amounts of excitement were felt, but then the realisation hit that we would be the rst land based team out there!
Our experience of eld dentistry was limited to my
participation in, as
the most junior of a
three dentist team, Ex Askari Serpent in Kenya, Aug 13. Pte Bryan had never even seen the deployable dental kit and had
no experience in the
eld outside of basic
training. Fortunately, our kit was coming from 22 Field Hospital, who happened to
be based just over the road from the Dental Centre. And as chance would have it they contacted the Dental Centre to try and arrange for someone to check the electro- med before it was own out and to do
some training with their personnel on the equipment checks. So by the time we left the UK we were at least satis ed that we had functioning kit that we knew how to use.
Next came the waiting game, anticipating our dates to go and what training was
Capt Dobie and Pte Bryan thumb a lift
10 RADC BULLETIN 2015
you can imagine our shock when it came through that we were going to Sierra Leone
needed before
deploying. Turned out there was a fair amount of prep needed, starting off with the ARB (All Ranks Brief)
in Chilwell which unfortunately brought me back from France and Ex Aspen Serpent earlier than expected. The brie ng was not GRITROCK speci c but it did give us the chance to meet with a number of people who would be deploying with us. Back to unit for a week, trying to sort out as much personal admin as possible and get Pte Bryan some kit! As much as I would have liked to have seen Pte Bryan show up minus a Bergan but with a massive pink suitcase it
probably wouldn’t have been the best start to the tour, so to Bergan hunting it was.
Then for the famous Chilwell MATTs week. Understandably it’s an all or nothing course, but it did mean that I was repeating lessons I had completed only a 3 months previously and as important as it is that we all complete these lessons as part of our yearly military training they are not always the most engaging. Saying that, the team
at Chilwell actually did a very good job, they added many more aspects to several MATTs that I had not been taught previously. The training in the RODET I did particularly enjoy, especially with Pte Bryan as the casualty
(an acting role she appeared to adopt on numerous occasions on the tour) who had to be dragged out of the vehicle. And of course there is the AFT, I’m sure only the AFT in Brecon could compete for hills!!
Lastly there was Strensall. The briefs
here were more medically related and included the donning and dof ng of PPE, which, I was very glad to hear, we would
not be wearing in theatre as it was hot and uncomfortable in it in a warehouse in York never mind in Sierra Leone! Here we also had the chance to talk to someone who had recently arrived back, see some pictures and get some packing tips! I have never been a light packer, usually lling my suitcase with clothes for a holiday half of which I do not touch. So trying to pack my kit for a tour
of which the end date was 4+ months was going to be a challenge.
Like Aldershot, only sunny