Page 17 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

5 Platoon
Overseas training exercises, SETT taskings and career courses have resulted in an extremely busy 2019 for 5 Platoon. The year begun with Ex KHANJAR EDGE in Oman, under Lt O’Malley-Pearson. In addition to a BCS and BG TES phase, the exercise allowed for a period of live firing; this served to prove the area for future training by the British Army.
Urban operations training lead by JNCOs on Ex URBAN CROSS / Copehill Down Village / Sep 19
The beginning of autumn saw an opportunity to deploy to Copehill Down Village to conduct urban operations training. The week included a variety of lessons such as door breaching and methods of entry using the rhino rig house. After a period of instruction, the platoon was split to allow for section level rehearsals. Rehearsals were conducted by day and by night, in buildings of varying complexity in preparation for a dawn attack on the final day. This was an incredibly enjoyable week of training; Pte Thums’ reaction to the FOB coming under contact from the Yorkshire Regiment at 0300
was a personal highlight.
It is pleasing to see platoon members
progressing in their careers. This year has seen two members of the platoon pass a JNCO cadre, putting them in line to become Lance Corporals in the near future. LCpl Sibanyoni
put in a good performance at SCBC which he completed in the summer. Cpl Cox has also recently returned from Infantry Battle School after completing PSBC Tactics and LFTT and is now using that experience to prepare the next cohort for their visit to Otterburn and then IBS in the new year.
Pl Comd: Pl Sgt: WR Sgt:
Lt O’Malley-Pearson/Lt Olive Sgt Tomlinson/Cpl Hall
Sgt Hird
Post Oman, 5 Platoon deployed to Castle Martin Ranges to complete an annual gunnery camp. During the camp they completed a range of 30mm shoots and several light role ranges, working up from fire team to platoon level and culminating in an integrated attack. The camp allowed the platoon to develop their basic soldiering skills and gave junior commanders an opportunity to exercise leadership in the field, several private soldiers also qualified as Warrior gunners in preparation for future courses and for BATUS 2020.
Pte Thums’ reaction to
the FOB coming under contact from the Yorkshire Regiment at 0300 was
a personal highlight
The national Armed Forces Day event in Salisbury required a contingent from 5 platoon to display an element of the battalion’s capability through a demonstration of an armoured platoon attack. The attack was led entirely by junior NCO’s who showed themselves to be very professional and highly competent; they put on a great show for hundreds of spectators.
The new year will bring many challenges for the platoon, with soldiers soon heading to Canada to perform winter maintenance before returning to BATUS as exercising troops. In addition to BATUS prep, the platoon will be adapting in order to fulfil our commitment to Op Toral in 2021, a challenge which has been gratefully received.
B Company conducting platoon level LFTT / Castlemartin / Jun 19
A soldier from B Company during LFTT / Castlemartin / Jun 19
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
15