Page 31 - Bugle Spring 2023

5 RIFLES
Summer training for D Coy was all about Warrior; it had been nearly two years since the company had last mounted
in its core role and all eyes were on
the forthcoming exercise in BATUS. The enaction of the AFU Training at Scale operation changed everything. This is the operation which brings Ukrainian civilians to the UK to train to join their Armed Forces and prepare them for returning
to fight the Russians. The operation was given to 5 Rifles at the eleventh hour and D Coy were to be the first sub-unit to take the mantle.
With just ten days from the directed change to reception of the first Partner Force recruits, these frantic days were spent on recces, examining the initial training programme, and working out how we were going to make it all come alive.
From the outset it was clear that the quality of our training delivery would
hinge on JNCO empowerment. It was Coy HQ responsibility to unleash the creativity, innovation, and tactical acumen of our JNCOs; ultimately encouraging them to own the training. There were two sets of people who we knew the delivery would also rely on; foremost was the Ukrainian National Security Element (NSE) - the Partner Force chain of command there to support training and manage discipline. The second was the interpreters; the working relationships we developed with them proved to be as vital as the demand for their presence.
Meeting the Ukrainians for the first time was a sobering reminder that this is no exercise. The Partner Force recruits came in all ages, sizes, and levels of aptitude;
all bound by duty to fight against the existential threat to their homeland. With riding instructions to approach the task as staff do ITC or IBS courses, this was a real first for many of our instructors; some of the LCpls yet to be substantive were stepping up to teach, monitor and facilitate training. The severity of the circumstances that brought these men and women to England for military training was not lost on anyone and the importance of ensuring their short time was fully exploited for their benefit was a prevailing theme.
The section commander ownership of the training programme really allowed
them to flourish. It is difficult to think of a task where so much responsibility, freedom and reliance was vested in our Cpls. The rapport they built with the recruits, with their interpreters and the Ukrainian NSE was nurtured and became the foundation upon which the training objectives were achieved.
It was always clear that the task
would develop quickly, and this was most apparent in the efforts to refine the training programme. Led by a constant cycle of identifying lessons and assessing how best to use the resources and training estate at hand, a culture evolved which sought to drive continual betterment. The intelligence led refinement of the course has brought in elements designed to expose the Partner Force recruits to as many aspects of the battlefield they will return to as possible. The juxtaposition of trench warfare akin to WW1 with the use of drones and sophisticated modern weapons is replicated in the training. These themes are most evident
in the final day which pits the recruits in
a dynamic scenario involving Warrior and effects guns on a live firing field range and the use of actors in a mass casualty serial.
Much of the training was very much back to basics and recalled our heady days in basic training, though unforeseen difficulties arose which complicated the simplest of serials. The oppressive summer heat wave precluded most tasks in the middle of the day and ensured all were working to the very limits of light to achieve all the training required. For D Coy the
task of digging trenches down to stage three landed on the hottest day the UK has ever seen. That the Ukrainians achieved
a complete and fully riveted trench in the
Meeting the Ukrainians for the first time was a sobering reminder that this is no exercise. The Partner Force recruits came in
all ages, sizes, and levels of aptitude; all bound by duty
to fight against the existential threat
to their homeland
margins of enforced rest is indicative of the level of motivation, military bearing and effort that characterised their performance throughout.
As the training programme developed and eventually grew to five weeks so too did external interest. The diary of visits became as congested as the training area, which has remained a constant. The third rotation for the 5 RIFLES Delivery Unit
saw the integration of two sub-units from the New Zealand Army. These companies offered a new perspective, relief for A and B Coy 5 RIFLES and a sign of the commitment and determination of the international community to resist Russian activity in Ukraine. This ‘internationalisation’ was an interesting progression for all ranks and levels delivering the operation, with all Riflemen able to enjoy getting to know the Kiwis and support them in provision of the same training.
The importance of the operation was underlined in October when the Ukrainian Armed Forces executed a successful counterattack on mass against Russian gains within their country. Feedback from Ukrainian Brigade Commanders in the field directly cited their troops with training from the UK as demonstrating battle-field awareness, confidence, and competence.
D Coy’s experience of AFU Training at Scale over three rotations was varied and eye opening. The sense of fulfilment in contributing to the preservation of Ukraine was palpable and every Rifleman learned a great deal from listening and sharing during the training. Our sights now turn back to the core role once again and focus on developing our mounted capability. Maj Warburton, D Coy
RIFLES The Bugle 31