Page 64 - Mercian Eagle 2014

OC
CSM 2IC IO
CQMS
FM
7 Pl Comd 7 Pl Sgt
9 Pl Comd 9 Pl Sgt
10 Pl Comd 10 Pl Sgt
Maj OER Major R WELSH
WO2 G Long Capt V Graves
Lt J Greenwood INT CORPS
CSgt J Werrett Sgt G Swann Lt JDJ McNeil Sgt D Street Lt E Whatling Sgt M Sumner Lt D Smith
Sgt M Cornbill
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C Company
This year has seen C Company deploy to Afghanistan to take over responsibility for MOB PRICE, the biggest base remaining
in Helmand outside BASTION, in order to draw down UK ownership and handover to the US. We deployed under the Manoeuvre Battle Group, commanded by 4 SCOTS, in October 2013.
Upon landing in to theatre, many of
the Company were in the shock of capture for the first few days! We were put on to the RSOI conveyer belt and spat out the other end by the 4 SCOTS training team. Their training team were generally very helpful and insightful; they were more than happy to spend extra time training individual soldiers that weren’t confident in anything. After this comprehensive 7 day package, the main
body boarded Chinooks and flew to MOB PRICE.
The task was simple; Hold and Protect PRICE, Support ANSF engagement and Deliver Base Realignment And Closure/ Transfer (BRAC/T). To do this, we had three platoons who were slated against three tasks – Sangars; Main Entry Point Guard and QRF. The CQMS and Coy 2IC gave
us all an initial camp orientation. It became immediately obvious as to the size of the place we were tasked to protect. By this point, the Fusiliers had closed roughly half of the camp, but it still took 30 minutes
or so to walk its perimeter. The handover from the Fusiliers was competent; they had deployed as an Ops Company, delivered about 5 ops and then been re-tasked
with Force Protection and had seen their battlegroup withdraw a month earlier.
There were a number of different agencies based at the MOB. We were host to a Gunline, an Exactor troop, a Brimstone troop, an Engineer troop, an ICS det, an HLS support team, a WIS compound, a Dog section, an LST, and two liaison teams. The KLT based on 3 MERCIAN and the DLT, consisted of Maj Gareth Williams, WO2 Dean Hudson, Sgt Pritchard, an Int Corps Sgt and a CULAD. Bringing these elements together required a lot of time, talking and encouraging, but by a month into the tour visitors were commenting on the changed feel in the place and noting that the successful change from a large sprawling, anarchic MOB to a Company location was complete.
The routine nature of FP struck home quickly; the rotation of six days on Sangars, MEP and QRF fell into place easily, though we later extended to 7 days for admin reasons, but it was clear that standing in a sangar looking at not much for 6 months would be hard work. A clear training directive was put in place early to cover both the mandated refresh training and some added extras to try and keep people sharp and the platoons set about tweaking their internal programmes to gain best effect.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE