Page 8 - Bugle Issue 19 Spring 2022

1 RIFLES
Defence Engagement on the Smiling Coast
In August 2021 Captain Tom Conlon deployed as the 7th Infantry Brigade Liaison Officer to The Gambian Armed Forces.
The task was to embed not only with the military of this small West African nation, but also the British High Commission and British Defence Section in order to set the conditions for multiple Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) over a period of five months; as well as seeking out opportunities for future engagement and capability building.
This unique role provided plenty of unexpected challenges, with the opportunity to be one of the International Observers in the country’s first post-dictatorship elections being chief amongst them. Teams from across the British Army and Royal Navy instructed on a wide range of topics including close protection and support weapons. In addition to the deployment of a LO, 6 members of 1 RIFLES deployed in September 2021 to deliver pre-deployment training for UN Operations. The Riflemen’s time in The Gambia offered a
range of unique experiences, the most notable being the challenge from the Gambian Armed Forces Training School to a football match
in the national stadium, complete with FIFA referees and national anthems. Unfortunately, the Riflemen had not been selected for their football skills, losing 6-1.
The Riflemen quickly found an attentive, and motivated training audience that could not have done more to try and make the team feel welcome. The strong bond that developed between the team and the Gambian Armed Forces allowed the team to go above and beyond the initial expectation with one highlight being the establishment of FOB BEACHLEY, the first Forward Operating Base within the Gambian training estate which allowed for an impressive final exercise for the Gambian soldiers preparing for operations on UN Missions in Mali, the Central African Republic, and The Democratic Republic of Congo.
Post-match photo at Independence Stadium following a 6-1 defeat to the GAF
Snipers of the GAF demonstrate what they’ve learnt from their 1 RIFLES instructors
8 RIFLES The Bugle
Unfortunately, the Riflemen had not been selected for their football skills, losing 6-1