Page 106 - The Bugle 2018

Lt Matt Hancock OC Javelin, still smiling
IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT EACH RIFLEMAN WAS COMPETENT, CONFIDENT AND COMMITTED (THE CO’S THREE C’S)
Building Capability
Javelin
As part of Army 2020 6 RIFLES have been building their support weapons capabilities, having set up the Machine Gun, Mortar and Assault Pioneer Platoons by the start of 2018. In March 2018 I was asked by the Commanding Officer to set up the Javelin Platoon and proudly got to work. I needed to under- stand better the capability so worked alongside Cpl Blaxter, the only qualified Javelin NCO in 6 RIFLES and took advice from Capt Sharpe, the Adjutant, and Sjt Low, a member of Permanent Staff and Javelin SNCO with a wealth of experience.
The creation of this capability would happen in three phases, each lasting one year. The first phase focused on choosing and training the right Riflemen and Commanders, to ensure that the Platoon had a strong foundation. Each Rifleman volunteered and subsequently completed a military knowledge test and an arduous tab, to ensure that they understood the basics and were fit enough to carry the extra kit.
It was important that each Rifleman was competent, confident and committed (the CO’s three C’s). They had to be competent, as they would be learning a lot of new skills, confident, as they would be attached to other Companies and Platoons as subject matter experts, and committed, as they would have to excel with minimal time.
One of the challenges of the Army Reserve is qualifying any Specialist Weapon Rfn in the weapon system due to the time constraints on Reservists, therefore it will take several years to establish the capability:
• After the first year, the Platoon should be self-suf- ficient with its own kit and qualified Commanders. The Riflemen will have been given the opportunity to practise using the equipment on exercise prior to the official Cadre being run.
• Phase two will focus on building on this strong foundation, by increasing the understanding of the capability within other Companies and by growing the Platoon. A Javelin Cadre is planned for September 2019 as part of the Bn ADE, with the aim of qualifying three detachments.
• Phase three will see the Platoon continue to improve and gain experience, before deploying on a Battalion OTX in September 2020 where they will be tested.
The 6 RIFLES Javelin Platoon has got off to a very good start, but there is still a lot of hard work to be done to build the capacity for the future.
Lt Matthew V Hancock
Javelin Platoon Commander, 6 Rifles
Military Psychological Operations Course
PERSUADE and REASSURE may not be the effects verbs most often found in our beloved Nirexs, but in an increasingly interconnected world where the tactical can in the blink of an eye affect the strategic, Information Activities should be at the forefront of our minds. In April, I attended the Introduction to Military Psychological Operations course run by 77 Brigade at their home barracks in Hermitage where I was introduced to a world of information warfare, behavioural change and cultural psychology.
The two week course brought together a diverse range of military and civilian personnel in order to provide an introduction to the processes, tools and techniques involved in generating non-lethal and non-military effects to achieve behavioural change. We learnt the Psy Ops version of the beloved 7 Questions and worked in syndicates to develop a ‘product’ capable of effecting behavioural change in Somalia. Through a process of Target Audience Analysis (TAA) my group identified a specific Somali clan within Mogadishu that would be particularly helpful in helping prevent Al-Shabaab appeal to a disillusioned youth. Following agreement on our Psychological Objective (a Psy Ops equivalent of a mission), we decided to disseminate culturally attuned messages through posters and radio broad- casts, which had to contain messages that were both truthful and attributable- the British Army must not undermine the values that it seeks to protect.
The course also consisted of a range of interest lectures delivered by speakers from within 77 Brigade, the Joint Intelligence Action Group, the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit, the RAF and Cranfield University. Recent examples were discussed and we heard about the use of video to counter Daesh’s attempts to spread a false narrative and also about Russian attempts to discredit Forward Presence.
One of my key takeaways is the difficulty of measurement of effect in a Psy Ops world. The Army’s entire planning process is geared to kinetic effects which have a tangible outcome, yet human behaviour and attitude isn’t as easy to measure. I also enjoyed hearing about Colombia’s Operation Christmas in which many FARC rebels were successfully convinced to ditch their weapons and head home to spend the festive season with loved ones. Oh, and I came away with yet another acronym – RBIs. Yes, the Army has even managed to create an acronym for free gifts (Relationship Building Items).
This was a fascinating two week course which exposed me to the importance of Information Activity and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone seeking to learn more about non-kinetic effects as part of Integrated Action. Given our own environment in which we are at risk of daily bombardment by ‘fake news’, furthering our understanding of culture, perception and human motivation not only makes us better soldiers, but better world citizens.
2Lt Kittler
Tabbing on the Javelin Cadre... love it!
112 SIXTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES