Page 38 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

Leaving Cyprus
Pte Fogarty
On October 11th, A (Grenadier) Company came back from a long-earned leave back at home with our friends and family. When we got back, we got straight in to the process of leaving Episkopi barracks to Akrotiri, whilst packing up for our move to Weeton barracks.
We started off by zeroing our rifles ready for Akrotiri force protection followed by an RSOI package. This was the only requirement for the company to deploy to Akrotiri. Our kit was prepared and ready before the company was sent on leave. Throughout the week we packed our boxes which are being sent to Weeton barracks. All the lads worked all day and all night to make sure boxes, rooms and
the block was in good order ready for the hand over to 2 YORKS.
Our boxes were being packed into ISO containers ready to be shipped to the UK. We worked all the way up until midnight making sure everyone’s boxes were weighed and put inside the containers. Altogether there was about 150 boxes to get through, it got a bit hectic doing the same thing over and over, however we got there eventually. During this, Pte Smith, whose car was being used for lights in the later hours due to darkness, had discovered a flame igniting from his bonnet through the headlights of the vehicle. A fire had sparked, and the emergency services
were called in to put it out. A few lads were tasked to help but the emergency services dealt with the issue and quickly it was out. This was the last thing we needed after a busy week and a whole day of doing freight!
A (Grenadier) Company are now on the last few weeks of their time in Cyprus, and are now settled into the Force protection rotation at RAF Akrotiri. We soon fly back to the UK. The lads are looking forward to getting home to their families and having some much-needed time off before a busy 2021 which starts with Ex ASKARI STORM in Kenya.
36
A Coy CSM
WO2 Umney
2020 – what a diverse year for the men of
A (Grenadier) Company. The year started with a joint overseas exercise in Jordan with the Jordanian armed forces (JAF) in one of the most hospitable countries I have ever been to. The Company flew from Cyprus and 40 minutes later landed in King Hussein International airport, Jordan. The exercise duration was 4 weeks long and we made every moment count. For the first 2 weeks we partnered the JAF in a live firing and training. The week after this the company wanted to give something back to the local area so a group of enthusiastic volunteers descended on a refugee centre and 48hrs later it had the smell of new paint and the children’s play area had new artwork and toys. The last week of the exercise the platoons went on a cultural tour of Jordan starting with the lost City of Petra, then camel riding in Wadi Rum and all finished by a night in a 5-star hotel on the bank of the Dead Sea.
Operating at full capacity whilst trying to understand all the COVID-19 restrictions was challenging to say the least but in true Grenadier fashion the Company, under an
ever-changing working environment, kept smiling and delivered to the highest standard. The decision was made to change the unit move date which
I thought was going to be a blow to the morale of the Company but
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Company was still split once we left RAF Akrotiri. With 1 platoon still in Bahrain, the remainder of the Company began training for our CT 2 public order validation in Troodos which the Company
excelled in. At the end of September, after some well-earned leave, the Company completed the Fallen Grenadier Trophy which is a section-based competition to compete for the Grenadier trophy and to remember the Grenadiers that have given the ultimate sacrifice in battle since the Mercian Regiment formed in 2007. The sections over a 24hr period are tested
on navigation, battle first aid, military knowledge, signals, command tasks and then finish with a section attack. This year’s top 2 sections were only separated by 1 point. As I write this article, we have just finished our CT2 validation of our combat skills on an exercise called AETOS FURY and from what I saw the Company showed why it continues to be the tip of the bayonet for 2 MERCIAN.
All was going well on
our return from Jordan,
the company had a few
days to reset before
1 Platoon deployed to
Bahrain for what should
have been 6 weeks
and the remainder of
the Company took
over force protection
of RAF Akrotiri air
base for what should
have been 4 weeks. Then the whole world changed as COVID-19 arrived in Cyprus and the lockdown began resulting in 6 weeks in Bahrain becoming 6 months, and 4 weeks in Akrotiri becoming 3 months.
The last week of the exercise the platoons went on a cultural tour of Jordan starting with the lost City of Petra
THE MERCIAN EAGLE