Page 57 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Ex ASKARI STORM
The 3 RIFLES Battlegroup deployed to Kenya during May 2014 to conduct the most important training opportunity of the year and an opportunity for the battalion, along with all its attachments, to excel. A frantic preparative pace from the New Year had firmly set up the battalion to succeed and everyone, from the Commanding Officer to Rfn Wood who arrived to B Coy two weeks prior to deployment, was excited at the opportunity to test our mettle as a battlegroup.
...the opportunity to test our mettle as a battlegroup
training for a just over a week. This involved both live and dry training, and was an
day mixed dry and live exercise with the specialist platoons operating in mixed ‘Find’ and Fix’ groups whilst controlled centrally by the OC and his Tac deployed on the ground, and CSM FSp Coy supporting with his group again on the ground; something not traditionally taught on Recce and
FSG courses. This phase also saw the CO’s determination for Riflemen to be ‘comfortable with austerity’, something which would pay dividends in the later stages of the exercise. All companies were fully deployed into the field on rations with
excellent opportunity to deliver realistic training in an unfamiliar environment. As many platoon commanders and serjeants noted,
it was rare to have whole platoons in one place conducting this
training. It also gave Fire Support Company time to rehearse and trial the ‘ISTAR group’ concept with less pressure; this saw a two
25 Flight supports a CASEVAC from the battlegroup
The exercise is deliberately structured into a number of phases designed to ready the battlegroup for the ‘final test’ on the Askari Spartan phase which sees a full battlegroup deployment into the field. The exercise as
a whole was approached with a very clear intent from the CO in mind; to prepare for contingency operations moving away from Afghanistan to ‘regenerate the battalion’s warfighting DNA’ and to develop and trial concepts which would set us in good stead for transition to an A2020 Light Mechanized Battalion, for example
‘fight light’ procedures
and an ‘ISTAR Group’
concept. Critically, the
aim was to provide an
example of excellence
to junior commanders
and riflemen as to how warfighting should be delivered in the future, at all levels.
The first phase was Askari Warrior, which saw companies conduct their own bespoke
The Battalion 2ic, Major NA Teale, taking a moment of peace
THE RIFLES
THIRD BATTALION 55