Page 31 - The Bugle 2018

A Company formed part of the multinational Building Partner Capacity (BPC) Company and were charged with training the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) - our Coalition Partners in the fight against Da’esh. 44 Sappers from 22 Royal Engineers Regiment were attached to the Battalion and provided a critical engineering function to the Coalition. The Sappers proved to be a huge force multiplier and delivered much of the new infrastructure required to expand Al Assad from 2000 to over 5000 Coalition partners during our tenure. The final task saw the Officers of Battalion Headquarters embedded directly into the United States led Task Force Headquarters. Their role was to work hand in glove with our Coalition partners to plan and deliver the campaign to advise, assist and enable the ISF. Each task formed an essential cog in the Coalition campaign to rid Da’esh from Iraqi territory.
Our arrival into Al Assad was at a fascinating time; the Battle for Mosul was in its final throes and Da’esh was under increasing pressure from the Coalition, particularly in the North East of the country. Coinciding with the start of our tour, the attention of the Coalition campaign shifted to the Euphrates River Valley, to clear what would become the final pocket of Da’esh within Iraq. This saw Task Force Al Assad (TFAA), and by extension 2 RIFLES, deeply involved in the effort to clear to the Syrian border and finally liberate Iraqi territory.
A Company’s task proved to be varied and interesting for the Riflemen. Working closely with other NATO partners, particularly the Danish, the Riflemen were able to learn best practice from across the Coalition and really develop themselves professionally. Equally, interacting daily with the battle hardened ISF, many of which had been fighting Da’esh for several years, A Company was able to absorb many hard-fought lessons from the ISF of how to fight in the contemporary operating
environment against a dynamic, devious and deter- mined enemy.
The task to secure Al Assad Air Base was particu- larly challenging for B Company for a myriad of reasons. The Coalition airbase was situated within a larger ISF controlled camp, which had recently been attacked both by Da’esh infiltration and indirect fire in the days and months prior to our arrival. Complex issues such as co-ordination and integration with the ISF were a constant source of friction. This was a crucial nuance to B Company’s mission; which thanks to their professionalism and tact were able to develop the ISF and enhance the overall security of Al Assad by incorporating a layered approach. Secondly, despite the SECFOR task being the main effort, it was generally monotonous for the Riflemen, with subtle frictions created by working with our Coalition Partners. For these reasons, it was a challenging task which relied heavily on our Riflemen and Junior NCOs to ensure that standards remained impeccable and morale high. Everyone rose to this challenge in spades, contributing further to the hard-fought reputation the British Army has earned over years of operating alongside our NATO partners.
Away from our primary tasks, Operation SHADER 5 provided an excellent opportunity to foster our relationship with our NATO partners by bringing extracurricular stimulation to the wider community within Al Assad, whether educating the United States Task Force Commander and Sergeant Major about the Battle of Salamanca, the Rifles way; or SSgt Thomas delivering Coalition CrossFit with his exuberant South Walian charm. The Second Battalion was able to build on the fine work started by 4 RIFLES a year prior and continue the Regiment’s proud history in Iraq over the past 15 years. Captain Rhys Jones
Operations Officer
THE SECOND BATTALION WAS ABLE TO BUILD ON THE
FINE WORK STARTED BY 4 RIFLES A YEAR PRIOR
A Battalion bugler at sunset over Al Asad Airbase
THE RIFLES
SECOND BATTALION 37