Page 80 - QDG Year of 2022 CREST

78 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Op Newcombe – Royal Irish
I deployed to Mali as a Platoon Commander from Nov 21 to June 22. As part of the Light Mech Infantry Company deployed on Op Newcombe, our primary purpose was to interact with the local population in remote urban centres that had limited security presence from Malian forces or other UN partner nations. As part of the LRRG, we would patrol vast swathes of the Sahel around Gao for periods of up to 3 weeks. Whilst patrolling out to remote settlements, our counterparts (brothers) in the Light Cav Squadron would find and mark routes through this inhospitable terrain for the rest of the Task Group, whilst the LMI Company provided protection for the sustain, recovery and medical elements of the TG. Once the LRRG arrived closer to the urban areas, the
tion with the local populous or through identifying certain buildings such as Mosques, marketplaces, or Medical Centres, and then look to conduct Local Leader Engagements with these people. Information critical to us was the security situation in the area and the state of the local economy, but equally as important was what they needed, such as food, water, infrastructure, and medical facili- ties. This key information gathered from our Human Terrain Reconnaissance would then be compiled into detailed patrol reports, that were then fed up the chain of command to the higher echelons of the UN. Whilst we were patrolling
in these areas, we found that we provided short term security for the local populous, allowing them a respite from Terrorist Armed
we were patrolling, the UN could not remedy these issues overnight. Exten- sive planning and funding would need to take place within the higher echelons of the UN as well as a permanent security presence on the ground. As a result, it was very rare to see a physical, tangible result of our work in the initial months of the tour. We all knew this would be the case, however when fatigue set in on long patrols, it was easy for us all to become slightly disenfranchised. When we patrolled into Labazanga, a riverine settlement on the border of Niger, we met with the Village Chief and witnessed the
LMI Coy would patrol into these remote settlements to conduct Human Terrain Reconnaissance. This usually looked like 3 Platoons patrolling different areas in the larger settlements, or separate villages where the population density was smaller and more spread. We would locate where local key community players were living, through conversa-
Groups and local criminals.
If I had to choose my favourite memories from the tour, they would be
as follows.
Labazanga, March 22
Although we were gathering an abun- dance of information on the needs of the people who inhabited the areas
opening of a water tower that had been built by the UN. A huge crowd of local people turned out for the event, and the joyous emotions on display because of the water towers construction proved to us how much this meant to them. Equally, it was a physical result that reminded me and my Platoon that we were having a positive impact in Mali.