Page 36 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

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OTX in Jordan
Cpl Garner
In January 2020 A (Grenadier) Company were deployed to Jordan as a Short-Term Training Team (STTT). We were sent there with a mission to help develop Jordanian armed forces in their military tactics. Whilst there we utilized the time and real estate
to develop our own skill set, conducting a Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) package. The ranges themselves were set up by an integral range team which included section and platoon attacks with a trench system clearance to finish. The trench system had been dug by the company Sergeant Major, WO2 Umney, prior to arriving. The trench system was particularly good as the blokes, with live ammo and bayonets fixed, stabbed dummies and threw live grenades into bunkers, adding realism to the attack.
Due to the large amounts of guard duties that come with being based in Cyprus,
core infanteering skills can show signs of skill fade, which became apparent during the LFTT package. However, through the knowledge and guidance of the Non- Commissioned Officers (NCOs) we were soon back up to speed. Once the LFTT package was completed we switched fire and assumed the role of an STTT. The team itself was led by the Corporals of 1 Platoon, as we did the training side of things. Corporal McCullagh and Corporal Garner conducted platoon training drills and tactics with the Jordanian armed forces consisting of flank attack, assault, suppress, reserve, how to break cover, how to move between cover and how to clear trenches.
We found the language barrier initially quite hard to overcome. However, this was helped by the use of one of our interpreters, Captain Farnham, who taught us some basic Arabic as well as helping bridge the
gap between both nations. The private soldiers led by Lance Corporals were
very useful as they acted as demo troop, showing Jordanian forces what we had taught them. We worked with the Jordanian army for several weeks before putting on a day for the government in which they got a chance to show off exactly what they had been taught. The day began with British and Jordanian armed forces conducting a live attack where the Jordanian army started the attack by clearing through the trench system before pushing down towards the village. A (Grenadier) Company were the break in force clearing through open ground and throwing live grenades into bunker positions.
Through the use of smoke, the Jordanian army then echeloned through our company and carried out a live attack on the village itself. The whole attack was observed
from a platform above on a high feature by Jordanian officials. Once finished they came down and we met Jordanian general and numerous senior military personnel where they exchanged gifts and various awards.
Whilst in Jordan we also conducted
an embassy day where the staff from the British embassy came to the back area and got the chance to fire various weapon systems. On the whole the day was a huge success with a lot of embassy staff buzzing because they had never fired a weapon before.
At the end of our stay the Officer Commanding and Company Sergeant Major took the whole company to Petra free of charge and then put us in a five-star hotel for 24 hours on the dead sea. On the whole Jordan was a huge success for A (Grenadier) Company.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE