Page 8 - Chiron Calling Autumn/Winter 2022

Brunei
look at
life
by Pte Beau Hartley 104 MWD Sqn
On the 10th of April I and Pte Smith- Kirkham flew from Heathrow airport to
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital. We spent 24 hours in hotel isolation before being transported to Medicina lines in Seria, where we met the Jungle Warfare Division (JWD) team that we would be working with and the dogs that
we would be handling. The first
two weeks in Brunei involved acclimatisation PT, lectures on the jungle, bonding with the dogs and learning how to utilise them best
in this environment. The lectures covered a variety of topics from different types of jungle, what animals we may encounter and how to best pack kit to save us carrying any unnecessary weight. One of
the highlights of the course was the survival day which taught us how to stay alive if we got separated in the jungle. Each Jungle Warfare Instructor (JWI) took a stand teaching us how to collect water, food and how to build different forms of shelter. For lunch we tried a variety of animals and insects
that could be found in the jungle and were taught how to prepare
and cook them safely. After this,
we stayed out for our first night in the jungle. Sleeping in a hammock, darkness under the canopy and all- around noise made this a very new experience. In the following days we conducted Section river crossing drills with the dogs. We soon came to realise pushing a bergan raft
and controlling a dog while trying to swim is quite an art form, and it becomes more difficult when the dog decides to swim for the wrong bank!
8-day exercise which took us a fair distance through the Labi jungle. Upon completion of the exercise, we were extracted by helicopter. Some of the jungle’s charm is lost when under the canopy but from the air, it looks amazing.
After JWIC was finished we settled into a routine of maintaining the dogs’ training and helping JWD where needed. This also allowed
us time to take leave and travel
now the borders are opening up post COVID-19. Over the past six months we have been able to visit
The first
jungle exercise
of the course
lasts 14 days
and is split into
two phases,
the first is the
Individual
Skills Phase
where the
students learn how to navigate and move through the jungle. We joined them on each day, finding out for ourselves why it is so difficult to navigate in the jungle and why it can be slow moving if done tactically. The second phase was a platoon exercise where the infantry soldiers would hone their craft under the canopy. In this phase we would embed ourselves in with the patrols for Close Target Reconnaissance (CTR) and an ambush.
As the course progressed, we would be involved in live firing, riverine exercises and a final
Singapore, Bali, Thailand and Malaysia. JWD also organised a battlefield study to Vietnam which we were lucky enough to participate in.
It was a great
experience and significantly increased my knowledge of the Vietnam war.
These past 6 months in Brunei have been an amazing experience, there have certainly been some challenging bits but with such a welcoming and experienced team it’s all been achievable. There are opportunities out here that you
are unlikely to get back in the UK, whether it be travel, learning from some of the most experienced instructors in the British army or being able to handle Tracker and IP dogs in a realistic environment. I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s fit and eager to learn.
We soon came to realise pushing a bergan raft and controlling a dog while trying to swim is quite an art form
6 / Chiron Calling