Page 21 - Bugle Issue 16 Autumn 2020

3RIFLES
RECCE
PLATOON
2019 was a year that revolved around operations for the Recce platoon. Thirteen members of the platoon deployed to six different locations in Federal Iraq and the Kurdish autonomous region to delivered training and provide force protection on Op SHADER 8. Two of the platoon deployed to Ukraine to deliver Recce training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and six members of the platoon deployed to the Balkans to support UKSF on Op ELGIN.
On return to the UK the focus was imme- diately on individual training with three of the LCpls on SCBC, Cpl Knight on LCRCC and Capt Brash and Cpl Robinson off to Brunei on JWIC. By Christmas the Recce platoon was fully qualled up with jungle warfare reconnais- sance commanding battle course ninjas!
19 new Riflemen and NCOs joined those already in the platoon on the 13 of January in Sennybridge camp for the start of the 2020 Recce cadre. The first week laid the founda- tions of any good recce soldier; the ability to navigate in any weather at night and a good
understanding of doctrine. Straight away it was obvious to all that five weeks in a January Brecon wasn’t going to be easy but by week two the troops began to get used to the battle rhythm and as they learnt new patrol skills. Week two brought the dreaded OP insertion exercise where the students must dig a subsurface observation post in a single night. By the time morning came any morale the bokes had had been washed away by the rain and what looked like a group of miners or mud wrestlers extracted under fire before taking a well-earned weekend.
The cadre culminated with a live fire
Straight away
it was obvious to all that five weeks in a January Brecon wasn’t going to be easy
package and the final test exercise. By this stage the patrols were working as well-formed units tearing across the ranges on Brecon with slick skills. After a long insertion TAB the patrols set up sub surface OPs on two farms and started live reporting the enemy’s activity. After a set of radio orders Cpl Haslam’s patrol was faced with the task of leading a company of 98 Officer Cadets from RMAS into an FUP for a first light attack. Haslam herded the cadets with the calm manner of a pro. Meanwhile Cpl Baird’s patrol linked up with B Company from 3 RIFLES and delivered them a back brief before leading them into another first light assault. After six days of hard graft the patrols came together and conducted a raid on the final enemy strong point before extracting their casualties three miles back to an exchange point.
A hugely busy and rewarding year has brought new members to the platoon and leaves us in a great position for 2020, with much more to look forward to.
Pre options brief prayer
to the recce gods
Cool guys don’t
look at explosions
Raiders of the
lost SAAF
RIFLES The Bugle 21