Page 33 - The Bugle Autumn 2016 Issue 12

A Whirlwind Year for A Company
SLOVENIA (Sep 15)
Exercise Immediate Response was focused on interoperability within Europe with the US European Command as the lead organisation and seven other countries bringing manpower and resources to bear. The exercise was split into two phases; the rst was based in Croatia for exercising troops and Slovenia for ‘red forces’, both of whom completed a series of battle exercises. The second saw those in Croatia move over to Slovenia for a nal training exercise. A Company joined a Slovenian company to form the Red Forces Battle-Group. The company learnt a lot whilst working in this new environment with challenging terrain including vast forests rather than the Brecon wood blocks which helped develop their FIWAF ( ghting in woods and forests) drills. Quote of the day from the US BG XO - “Stop Killing all my people” as the Company of 40 defeated their battle- group for the loss of three injured Ri eman.
OP SHADER (PDT and deployment
Oct 15- May 16)
A Company, supported by 6 RIFLES, deployed on OP SHADER to various locations throughout Iraq to including Taji and Besmaya camps near Baghdad, as well as various other training sites near Erbil to the north in the Kurdish region of Iraq (KRI).
The troops in Erbil worked closely with a US / European coalition, developing training for Kurdish forces. A Company concentrated on delivering training to Peshmerga forces. Through training we were able to build effective relationships with those forces that would take part in future opera- tions against Da’esh. The Company developed
Mission Speci c Training teams which trained units for speci c operations; there were two signif- icant Peshmerga Operations in six months, and A Company found and trained the vanguard battalion for both. They also trained the Female Peshmerga and developed an internally displaced persons screening role for Iraqi Forces which assisted in countering Da’esh’s protection of Civilians narrative.
The Besmaya Team, delivering training to the Iraqi Security Forces in obstacle breaching and infantry skills, worked closely with a large deployment from the Spanish Army. The purpose of this training was better to prepare the ISF for crossing the IED laden areas surrounding the remaining Da’esh strongholds. The austere conditions of the training site were not improved when the accommodation became ooded by rainfall and then blown away by passing Osprey pilots.
In Taji, the Ri emen provided Force Protection for training teams who were teaching medical and C-IED skills. The team worked closely with soldiers from Australia and New Zealand, putting in to practice some of the lessons learnt from exercises earlier in the year.
On parade with KAZBAT
QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM THE US BG XO - “STOP KILLING ALL MY PEOPLE”
AS THE COMPANY OF 40 DEFEATED
THEIR BATTLE-GROUP
THE RIFLES
FIRST BATTALION 31