Page 15 - QDG 2022

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 13
Following swiftly on from the success of Op MEERKAT 2, in February Op MANKALAN 1 saw the LRRG deploy south from Gao along the Eastern bank of the river Niger, its ultimate objective being the small riverport of Labazanga close to the Niger border. On route, clus- tered along the riverbank, were villages and small towns of interest; Tasiga, Fafa, Ansongo and Lelehoy that would be visited in turn. Due to the IED threat on main roads, A Squadron was once again key in providing the Task Group with an entirely cross-country route, no easy task given the size and weight of some of the LRRG’s vehicles including fully laden fuel tankers, REME recovery vehicles and Mastiff Armoured vehicles. Added to this was the complication of the terrain which was a mixture of soft sand, wadis and sharp exposed rock and the presence of the enemy and his civilian scouts. Given these multiple difficulties A Squadron’s junior Officers and SNCOs did an exem- plary job navigating and securing a safe passage through the desert for the whole TaskGroupandreallywerethemission enabling asset.
Over the 17 days of the patrol, as the temperature continued to rise into the
A winning team
mid-40s centigrade, we participated fully in the main effort, which was enabling UN civil agency activity. Given their habitual reluctance to leave the relative safety of Gao, it was heartening to see that the LRRG’s presence gave the UN the confidence to deploy via helicopter 17 individuals from 5 key organisations. A Squadron welcomed, transported, protected, and facilitated work by the UN Police (UNPOL), Community Liaison Officers and UN Governance Directors in
key conurbations, allowing the inspec- tion of key infrastructure and gathering of vital information from local residents. It must never be forgotten after all that no peace is possible without a civilian solution, and the military must act as servants and facilitators of the civilian agencies. Op MANKALAN 1 also a clearly demonstrated burgeoning UK and German interoperability with 6 German personnel being attached to the LRRG – a first in Mali.
Some helicopters were friendly
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