Page 41 - The Bugle Issue 12 Autumn 2016

1 RIFLES OP SHADER
1 RIFLES has spent the last year on an Operational footing, tasked with a mission to contribute to the international coalition effort to defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria through building Iraqi Security Force/ Kurdish Security Force capability. The development and support of legitimate regional security forces has seen the majority of the Battalion deploy to Iraq and the Kurdish Region of Iraq on a rotational four to ve month Build Partner Capacity mission. Well placed to deliver a training mission off the back of recent deployments on Op NEWCOMBE to Mali, the Battalion was going through its Collective Training validation on Ex WESSEX STORM as it was warned off to deploy to Iraq in summer 2015.
The deployment has been spread across three locations in Iraq, Erbil in the Kurdish Region, Besmayah east of Baghdad and Taji to the north of the capital. The Build Partner Capacity mission has seen 1RIFLES working closely alongside Royal Engineer trainers who have been providing expertise in CIED and BREACH methods. The deployment has seen Ri emen living and working with Coalition partners, in Taji the ANZAC Task Force and in Besmayah the Spanish contribution.
C Coy under Maj Ru Streatfeild were the rst to deploy in August 2015, the bulk of the force to Erbil with elements also deploying to the southern locations. With little time for pre deployment training C Coy were able to scope the measure of the task and provide A Coy, under Maj Ben Salt, with inval- uable pre-deployment training advice. 1 RIFLES rear co-ordinated and assured the pre deployment training, working closely with the Mission Training and Mobilisation Centre to assemble all of the disparate force elements together. A Coy deployed to in January 2015 relieving C Coy in place, again deploying elements south to provide force protection to the Royal Engineer and medical training teams.
A restructure of the Land forces saw a Battalion HQ(-) deploy to Iraq in April to provide command and control assurance across all three of the United
Kingdom Training Team locations. Battalion HQ were closely followed by B Coy under Maj Oliver, who had the bene t of both A and C Coy’s experience to build upon during their preparations, meaning a compre- hensive package of pre deployment training. With the restructure 1 RIFLES were tasked to provide command and control of the sub unit locations in the south of Iraq. Maj Will Peltor took command in Taji and Maj Adam Birley RE took command of the sub unit in Besmayah.
The nal rotation saw Support Coy deploy teams, led by Maj Jono Mills in Erbil, Maj Ed Richardson in Taji and Maj Perry Bishop RE in Besmayah with the Commanding Of cer and elements of BHQ staying rm to provide assurance and continuity across the deployment.
To date the United Kingdom Training Teams have trained over 20,000 legitimate Iraqi forces. These forces have been directly involved in taking the ght to Daesh, in the liberation of Fallujah, the extensive recapture of territory in Northern Iraq and the push for Mosul.
Captain J D Murray
Adjutant 1 RIFLES / UK Training Teams (Iraq)
TO DATE THE UK TRAINING TEAMS HAVE TRAINED OVER 20,000 LEGITIMATE IRAQI FORCES
Rfn Robinson Grimes teaching the Marksmanip Principles
Cpl Young (6 Ri es) mentoring a Section of Peshmerga during an exercise...
THE RIFLES
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