Page 22 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

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Having been given the task, 1 MERCIAN’s CO, Lt Col Kelly MBE, put C Coy front and centre for this mission. Working with the other Companies, OC C Coy and l focussed on generating the specialist personnel from across the Battalion who would be needed to instruct the multiple courses on each STTT. These were scheduled to take place across an area larger than France, from Starychi in the far west of Ukraine, through Odessa on the Black Sea, to Dnipro in the East, and to Rivne and Novohrad-Volynski in the North. Those participating in the teams varied from senior Captains teaching staff planning in a classroom environment to Recce and Snipers mentoring the Ukrainian soldiers in climates from the blistering heat to the classic Eastern European freeze. Whilst C Coy provided the central command and control for teams drawn from across the Battalion, our officers and NCOs were also represented in every STTT deployed.
As a Company, in June we led an
STTT to mentor and advise the AFU’s
128 Brigade in a variety of front-line fighting skills.128 Bde are based in the Carpathian mountain region of Uzhhorod. Famously known throughout the AFU as a battle- hardened mountain brigade who have completed multiple deployments to the frontline, they were due
to deploy again soon
after our training with
them.
Sgt Strong mentoring Ukrainian Private soldiers on a Basic Infantryman’s Course. Maj / Edward Michell / Uzhhorod, Ukraine / 20 Jun 19
tested at all levels. Not only was the searing heat exhausting, the training audience
was unique. 128 Brigade was a mixed
bag of soldiers, ranging from some who had previously fought with the Russians in Afghanistan during the 1980’s to Georgian freedom fighters supporting Ukraine. We
1 MERCIAN soldiers the recognition they fully deserved for the excellent job they had done.
Whilst many of our C Company NCOs returned from training 128 Bde in July to some well-earned summer leave, others were heading out in August to train with 57 Bde in Shiroky Lan as part of an STTT led by Capt Courtney, OC Anti-Tank Platoon, or with 21 Recce Battalion in Starychi under Lt Cockle, 2IC Dragon Company. Sgt Pratten couldn’t get enough of Shiroky Lan, opting to remain there from August
to November, joining the next team led by Capt Skelding, which trained AFU NCOs to be instructors. Maj Michell was also seldom seen in the UK through the summer and early autumn, calling Dnipro his second home after a long two and a half months training 93 Brigade Officers in Staff Planning skills.
Who knew staff planning could be so exciting? Maj Michell and Capt Evans (19 RA) with Officers from 93 Brigade who are glad
our course had finished! Maj /
Edward Michell / Cherkaske, Ukraine / 28 Sep 19
even trained an 18-year- old infantry soldier whose mother was training side by side with him on the combat medics course.
On completion of our training, 128 Bde put on a pass off parade in which over
500 students, staff and media attended. During the deployment 3 of our instructors were informed of their promotion to Cpl: LCpl’s Kelsall, Grice, and Marsden were all presented their second stripes by the 128 Bde commander, Col Serhii Sobko; an experience I doubt they will forget. He was honoured to be able to give these
Over the 5-week
training package
1 MERCIAN’s STTT
successfully mentored
and advised over 450
of 128 Bde’s troops
across all ranks. The courses varied from basic infantry skills, JNCO, SNCO and Platoon Commander development, the light role recce course, a counter sniping course, staff planning and a combat medic course
which was led by instructors provided by 4 Medical Regiment. The STTT was
Not only was the searing heat exhausting, the training audience was unique.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE