Page 105 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Exercise COMMANDO RATTLESNAKE
In March this year, 13 soldiers from 6 RIFLES had the opportunity to join soldiers from C Coy 1 RIFLES on an overseas exercise in the USA. Exercise COMMANDO RATTLESNAKE was a 3-week joint unit exercise with Charlie Coy 4th Bn 31st Infantry Regiment, part of the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division based in Fort
Drum, New York. The exercise aimed to enable the exchange of lessons on training practices, identifying areas of improvement between the US and UK interoperability.
For reservists the challenge was twofold, Riflemen had to quickly adjust to the Operating Procedures of C Coy 1 RIFLES as well as adapting to working to US Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs). The
challenge for all Riflemen was the severe weather conditions.
future exercises and operations.
As a section commander I was fortunate
enough to participate in an exercise that tested our abilities to call in live mortar fire and suppressive fire from a KIOWA attack
Fort Drum is located approximately 30 miles to the South of the Canadian border, therefore Riflemen had to quickly acclimatise to
temperatures of below
minus 20 degrees
Celsius and learn to
patrol using snowshoes
in up to 5 foot deep
snow.
The training included
Fighting in Woods
and Forests (FIWAF), Operations in Built Up Areas (OBUA) and Battlefield Casualty Drills Training (BCDT), so it was a great
helicopter.
One of the most
interesting training experiences of the exercise was the division’s BCDT training facility, which involved practicing BCD skills on human-like manikins
that breathed, bled and had a pulse. Overall, Exercise Commando Rattlesnake
was a gruelling month of training, freezing
Riflemen had to quickly acclimatise to temperatures of below minus 20 degrees Celsius
reservists were made to feel welcome from opportunity to practice those skills with our weather, integration and friendship. the outset by C Coy members, but the main 1 RIFLES counterparts in preparation for
OP COMET - Glasgow 2014, 20th Commonwealth Games
This year was the 20th Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow, the second largest sporting event taking place in the world this year; 6500 athletes and
officials and 1.5 million
spectators from 71
countries and territories
taking part.
by the Joint Regional Support Unit and the troops accommodated there.
2 Royal Gurkha Rifles Battlegroup formed from 250
The members of D Coy were separated to work in different teams, with the 3 JNCO’s being allocated positions as 2IC’s of search teams. The opportunity to work with members of the three different services, the police and the Clyde-sider volunteers was a very positive and constructive experience. We also enjoyed support and feedback from the Spectators, who were glad to see members of the armed forces in a public role. I was particularly lucky to find my
team on the athletes search area so got the benefit of meeting and greeting those taking part as competitors.
Police Scotland and
the Home Office had
asked the MOD for
support in conducting
a safe, secure and
successful games. To this end roughly 1,500 members of the Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force including reservists were provided as military venue security forces across Scotland.
6 RIFLES contribution came from D (Champion) Coy; Cpl Martin Harknett,
LCpls James Littmoden and Francis Elliot, Rfn Mark Looker and Luke Langley were mobilised via the RTMC in Chillwell before moving onto a 4 day training package at the RLC barracks in Grantham.
The training package would be familiar to anyone who took part in Op OLYMPICS, covering vehicle and pedestrian searching, conflict management and physical intervention to bring each individual up
to the same standard required for SIA accreditation and provided the opportunity to take the GNVQ qualifications.
Once the training was complete, we moved up to Tulliallan where the HQ and Service College for Police Scotland was located, however vacated by the service for the period of the operation and taken over
LCpl Littmoden outside the Commonwealth Games stadium
Police Scotland and the Home Office had asked the MOD for support in conducting a safe, secure and successful games
Gurkhas from A and Sp Coy augmented from members of
all three services to provide security cover at the SECC venue (encompassing the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, the
Clyde Auditorium, the SSC Hydro Centre and the International Broadcast Centre).
THE RIFLES
SIXTH BATTALION 103