Page 8 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

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THE MERCIAN EAGLE
CO Foreword
Lt Col Ned Kelly OBE
2019 has been an operationally focussed year
for the 1st Battalion. The two key operations supported by 1 MERCIAN were A Company’s deployment to Estonia on Op CABRIT between Mar-Oct 19 to deter Russian aggression towards Europe’s Eastern flank, and the deployment of 175 members of 1 MERCIAN to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defeat the Russian Led Separatist Forces in the Donbass region of the country. Both operational deployments enabled
1 MERCIAN soldiers to actively participate in sub- threshold activity in the modern era of constant competition against our nation’s adversaries.
In Bulford, soldiers have been actively contributing to UK Resilience operations through support to Op TEMPERER, whilst simultaneously maintaining our warfighting edge as a world class armoured infantry Battalion and preparing for
the Battalion’s next operational deployment; Op TORAL 12 in Kabul, Afghanistan, in early 2021.
Whilst 2019 has been dominated by operations, there has also been plenty of other activity. B Company cemented our relationship with the Sultan of Oman’s Armed Forces by deploying again to Oman on Ex KHANJAR OMAN, proving the long-term viability of UK training activity within the borders of our Middle Eastern ally. Dragon Company delivered a wholesale uplift to their Support Weapons capability through armoured infantry courses
and specialist weapons cadres. C Company has focussed on the rehabilitation of injured soldiers, returning over 30 medically downgraded soldiers back to the fighting companies and HQ Company has supported a plethora of Battalion level tasks. These include two armoured infantry range packages, specialist communication courses
to enhance our signalling capability and live fire tactical training on Salisbury Plain and in Wales.
The Battalion also led a major experimentation exercise, trialling cutting edge 2025 armoured capability in a virtual environment, has converted to Protected Mobility platforms in preparation
for Op TORAL 12, rehabilitated 246 armoured vehicles after Ex SAIF SAREEA 3, won a
gold medal in the arduous Cambrian Patrol competition, as well as led the Armed Forces Day 19 National Event in Salisbury where troops from 1 MERCIAN paraded through the city,
gave displays to the public and hosted Royalty. Throughout this period 1 MERCIAN soldiers have deployed on exercises and operations from Japan to the US to Israel and all over Europe, developing our interoperability and having a global impact on the defence and security of our nation.
But it certainly hasn’t been all work.
1 MERCIAN are the Infantry Alpine Ski champions and came third in the Nordic Infantry Skiing championship; and as I write, teams from
the Battalion are out on the slopes of Europe once again. 1 MERCIAN are the 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade boxing champions and have continued this success by winning 2 of the 12 Army individual boxing weight categories, with one soldier now boxing as an elite sportsman
for the Army. The Tug-of-War team won their league weight category and competed in front of Her Majesty the Queen at the Braemar Highland Games. The football team, having started from nothing this season, are placed well in the Army league and continue to go from strength to strength.
The Battalion has also supported adventurous training expeditions across Europe as well as deepened our skills in a variety of disciplines. By January 2020 all the Battalion’s soldiers will have redeployed to the UK in preparation for honing our armoured infantry warfighting skills in Canada in autumn 2020 before switching focus to mission specific training in preparation for Afghanistan. It has been an operationally fulfilling 2019, with the opportunity in 2020 to get back to our warfighting roots, before training for combat operations in Kabul in 2021. Stand Firm. Strike Hard!
1MERCIAN