Page 21 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

a significant burden and takes careful and considered management. Understanding when to use ‘stick’ instead of ‘carrot’ to get the desired effect on the soldier was difficult, especially when corrective action could negatively affect mental health recovery. It was a hugely difficult balance to work out, but one I learned was needed to ensure that soldiers were able to recover in the long term.
I also discovered just how close we would have to work with the medical chain, the Welfare Office, Physio Department and even the Padre and WRVS, all of which
are essential when working with vulnerable soldiers. Unfortunately, not everyone can be rehabilitated, and some soldiers just need an arm put around them and to be shown compassion and empathy when the reality hits home – that their dream job is coming to end due to medical discharge. My role
is not only to help them understanding the discharge process but to also signpost them to the right organisations and people within the Battalion to get booked onto courses and starting to prepare them to become a civilian. Discharge from Meeanee wasn’t a failure, it was the right answer for some and needed to be part of our day job.
The pinnacle of my time as a Platoon Sergeant in Meeanee, second only to releasing them back to their Companies fully fit and better qualified, was a charity swim that every person took part in regardless
Malawi Short Term Training Team
Capt Dan Rhodes, 2IC STTT
Malawi Battalion (MALBATT) 13 commenced their Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) for Op MONUSCO on 13 Sep 21 supported by a 1 MERCIAN led Short-Term Training Team (STTT).
The STTT worked closely with Malawi Defence Force’s (MDF) Peace Support Operations (PSO) training wing, who planned and executed the entirety of the PDT package with our guidance. Having previously been trained by British soldiers, the PSO staff were monitored and evaluated by the deployed Mercian soldiers.
Interestingly the Malawian Battalion being trained was a composite group; it came from different units across the MDF and therefore the Companies were made up of Rifle Platoons, Engineers and Military Police, all from different units, and the Battalion Headquarters (BHQ) consisting of Staff Officers from across the country too.
This led to, on the surface, what would seem a very basic initial training phase, but it was necessarily so given the unit composition. The slow pace worked perfectly to our advantage and allowed bonds with both the PSO Instructors and MALBATT soldiers to be formed early on. As set by Maj Martyn Fulford, the priority
of their injuries and swimming ability. As a Platoon, we swam 56 miles (the diameter of St Vincent) and raised over £2000 for the families in St Vincent who were devastated by the eruption of La Soufriere volcano.
It was a hugely successful event which supported others but also brought the rehab team together.
Caribbean food following the St Vincent Swim
Wellness coaching with Dave Maddock (Capt Retd)
above all else was relationship building. Although we started at a slow pace, the
intensity quickly picked up, with specialist cadres run for disciplines such as mortars, reconnaissance, medical and a Female Engagement Team. The whole package concluded with a number of company level actions forcing the trainees to merge everything they had learned to date.
We all then moved 250km south to the
Contender for front cover! The full STTT
Chikala Hills, a tough jungle-bush training area near Zomba. Each company rotated through jungle warfare training, live firing and counter insurgency operations, with the troops deploying from a working Malawian village each day for that day’s training event. Concurrently, BHQ progressed through
a planning cycle for the MALBATT final battlegroup attack against a simulated enemy position constructed to resemble the
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
19