Page 11 - Bugle Issue 18 Auntumn 2021

1 RIFLES
Whilst deployed in Manchester supporting COVID testing a task came into deploy Short-Term Training Team to Gambia. With some swift planning the eleven strong team escaped Manchester and deployed to Gambia for the three-week task to provide a training package to assess the current standard of a Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Coy. C Coy provided the bulk of the team of nine Riflemen, ranging from Rifleman to Major, a medic and a vehicle mechanic.
Gambia is an English speaking country
that has traditionally been a proactive contributor to regional peacekeeping efforts. Most notably, the GAF have provided a Force Protection Company to the UN mission in Darfur (UNAMID) since 2007. Following the drawdown of UNAMID in late 2020 the GAF were left looking for their next opportunity
to deploy with the UN and they are hoping
to get approval to deploy a QRF Coy to either MINUSCA (Central African Republic) or MINUSMA (Mali) but as yet, the Coy has not been ‘signed-off’ for this role. The British Peace Support Team (Africa), a UK Defence Engage- ment team based in Nairobi, requested that
an Army STTT deploy to Gambia to deliver a training package in order to assess the current standards of the QRF Coy and develop a plan to bring them up to the UN required standard so they can deploy.
The package was divided into a teaching phase and a Final Training Exercise (FTX).
The teaching phase was delivered at the
GAF Training School where there were good classroom facilities and plenty of outdoor space. Due to the heat, most lessons were delivered outside in the ample shade provided by three vast cashew trees. The Gambian
soldiers were
hugely enthusiastic
and showed a real
eagerness to learn.
Pairs of Cpls and
Rfn were the key to
the training. It was
fantastic to see the
Rfn grow in confi-
dence as they honed
their teaching skills,
mentored by Brecon
qualified Sect Comds.
The FTX was a testing
three-and-a-half-day
exercise in a remote
training area where
the STTT had a chance to see the lessons they had taught being put into practice by the GAF.
The QRF Coy demonstrated that they have the aptitude for learning and positive attitude required to achieve the UN standards, but there is still a fair way to go. 1 RIFLES is now the country lead for the Gambia and this
STTT is the first step in a more enduring role
in developing the GAF and improving British influence in Gambia. Already in the pipeline is the deployment of a 1 RIFLES liaison officer into the British High Commission to mentor the GAF through the next steps in their training and subsequent STTTs to deliver the training to get the GAF QRF Coy ready to deploy.
The task was extremely professionally rewarding which, combined with the endless blue skies and steady 30 degree tempera- tures, ensured morale in the training team remained high throughout! This task showed the flexibility of our Riflemen with them going from working with the local authorities in Manchester dealing with COVID to training a foreign army in Africa within the space of a 10 days!
the Gambian Armed Forces QRF Coy
Cpl Tommy Richards and Rfn Jordan Pope
Cpl Joey Poole delivers a lesson to
deliver a lesson on recce patrols
The Gambian soldiers were hugely enthusiastic and showed a real eagerness to learn
Rfn Miles Gumbley delivers a lesson
on Ground Sign Awareness
RIFLES The Bugle 11
TRAINING THE
GAMBIAN ARMED FORCES