Page 73 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Sierra Leone
In February a team of eight deployed to Freetown Sierra Leone as the advance party to a Short Term Training mission. They, and twenty other officers and NCOs, had been tasked with delivering training to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces prior
wherever possible, and so set about creating a Final Training Exercise (FTX) designed to test and develop RSLAF for the challenges ahead.
The FTX was divided into four phases. To each phase was allotted a team
by poor funding – weapons were often substituted with wooden branches, and uniform supplemented by whatever
the troops could get their hands on (a Spider-man day-sack in one case, a set of Hello Kitty knee-pads in another), and crucially ammunition (both live and blank) was very difficult to come by.
In spite of the numerous obstacles, the 4 RIFLES team managed to
deliver the FTX with great success,
as well as providing additional military training during the preparatory stages. The development in the operational effectiveness of RSLAF was substantial. As a collective, they showed an eagerness to learn, a cheerful manner and friendliness which was infectious,
and a genuine pride in what they were and what they did. When the team returned to the
UK in April, there
was no doubt in any Rifleman’s mind that the training
they had provided would make a huge contribution towards Sierra Leone’s efforts in theatre. LEOBATT2, the Second Battalion of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, were a pleasure to work with and we wish them the very best of luck in Somalia.
Lt Achilles Barron, A Company
to their deployment to Somalia.
The Sierra Leone
Armed Forces
(known as RSLAF)
had previously
been called in to
assist with the African Union’s Mission
in Somalia, a long term effort to stabilise the country and emancipate it from the influence of religious extremists – namely Al Shabaab. Other nations involved in the ongoing Stabilisation Operation include Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. Most of these nations have relied on training packages delivered by the US, the UK and western private security companies.
Prior to the Riflemen touching down in Freetown, a battalion of 850 RSLAF troops had been under the mentoring
of ACOTA, a privately run US military training company. The task for 4 RIFLES was to make sure that the training RSLAF had received married up with previously taught doctrine, and was suitable for their Somali-specific role. They were also to add to this training
of NCOs under the instruction of an officer. These included a live firing package,
a conventional offensive phase, a brigade level attack
(something RSLAF had never before achieved) and a counter-insurgency phase (which again was unlike anything RSLAF had ever come across in their training).
Capt Mike Elliott conducts rehearsals with his RSLAF counterpart.
The preparation and execution of the FTX presented many challenges
The preparation
and execution of the
FTX presented many
challenges, both
because of Sierra
Leone’s economy
and issues with the RSLAF, an army trying desperately yet enthusiastically to meet the standards of its western mentors, all the while struggling due to a chronic lack of resources. Their daily routine on exercise and in barracks bore a striking resemblance to that of the British Army, who they try hard (and with pride) to imitate. It was therefore a misfortune that they were so hampered
weapons were often substituted with wooden branches
THE RIFLES
FOURTH BATTALION 71