Page 16 - The Bugle 2018

C Coy soldiering on Ex SARMIS in Transylvania
It’s 0300 as the Rifleman of C Company 1 RIFLES are roused and start to pack away their Bashas. A clap of thunder heralds the first of three torrential storms that day. It’s day four of the final training exercise (FTX) for Ex SARMIS and is set to be a long day. Hoisting Bergens, the tab up to the shoulder looming 300m above begins. It is the first ridgeline of four that needs to be cleared that day.
High above, 7 Platoon is still reeling from the lessons learnt after 24hrs of fierce skirmishes with a Romanian opposition forces (OPFOR) platoon as they contended the high ground on the Coy’s Western flank. Soon the danger of keeping Bowman antenna extended is highlighted as the platoon commander and two section commanders are caught by the arc from a lightning strike and their legs involuntarily kick out from under them.
A glimpse of the experiences – and lessons learned – gained by C Company during their joint exercise with the Romanian 21st Mountain Battalion. The unique mountain terrain, fighting through steep forested slopes, high alpine meadows and vast WW1 trench systems provided the company a long hard
A CLAP OF THUNDER HERALDS THE FIRST OF THREE TORRENTIAL STORMS THAT DAY
look at its role as light infantry. True Rifleman skills that many younger members have never had the opportunity to practice, such as long Bergen moves, an extremely austere G4 Chain and skirmishing in close, complex terrain.
Also for the first time, the section and platoon commanders were able to grapple with an enemy equal in number who fought unpredictably, unrestricted by a rigid script, as true force on force. The Recce section found themselves measured, with no exact grid of enemy locations, they had to search whole valleys to actually find the OPFOR. The signals detachment and Company 2IC found themselves humbled by the 21st’s ability to seemingly get comms regardless of terrain.
Luckily the lessons gained were not entirely one way! The Guns Section and their GPMGs in the SF role were immediately seized upon as a battle winning capability in the mountains with their ability to provide fire support from ridgeline to ridgeline and harassing map predicted fire (MPF) into the valleys below.
The second week of the exercise was an LFTT exercise just to the South, with a LoD the same altitude as Ben Nevis. The steep uphill Platoon Attack range provided a physically demanding but certainly enjoyable run out for the Platoons. The next day proved to be an impressive demonstration of Romanian firepower as they launched into their Company Attacks along the ridge just to the North of the valley that had been ours.
The last week brought some welcome respite for the Riflemen of C Company, with a chance to go mountain biking and swimming. In the downtime they were also able to enjoy the picturesque late medieval centre of Brasov City, an old Austro-Hun- garian frontier citadel built to stem the Ottoman tide, and immerse themselves in the Transylvanian folklore made famous by Bram Stoker.
Ex SARMIS provided an unmissable opportunity not just to train alongside specialist mountain troops in a unique environment but also in a historic location. Whether it’s the Latin script, the Austro-Hungarian fortresses and citadels littering the mountain passes and valleys or the German and Romanian trenches criss-crossing the mountains there was much to gain from the Carpathian frontier.
Lt Max Burns
C Coy 2IC
Snipers gain height
22 FIRST BATTALION
THE RIFLES
Working with Romanian colleagues
C Coy take to the hills on Ex SARMIS in Romania