Page 68 - The Bugle 2018

Ex AFRICAN LION
(April 2018 – Morocco)
The team’s final deployment was working alongside the US Marine Corps and Spanish Army to develop North African SOF in Morocco. Ex AFRICAN LION, well resourced by the US, is an important event in the Moroccan calendar. It began with a strike demonstration conducted by the team and the USMC, followed by eight days of round robin training, culminating in a multinational air assault demonstration for North African and US VIPs. The training encompassed CQB, CIED, Cordon and search, Combat Med, and marksmanship. The team’s experience and training allowed it to take a lead on the training needs analysis and training
design that was implemented and was gratefully received by the US exercise directors and African SOF. The mark of success was the specific request for a Spec Inf team for their next exercise.
Team 1’s experience is an advertisement for the opportunities available in the Spec Inf and alongside it’s training team deployments has been critical to furthering the emergent Spec Inf capability to operate at reach and in the high threat environment. It has been a rewarding and enlightening period, dramatically developing the team’s train, advise, assist and accompany ability.
Capt Dominic Watson – OC Team 1
JORDAN MTT
(January – March 18)
Prior to Christmas leave, Team 3 received warning for a team deployment to Jordan. Our task was to develop the conventional capabilities of the 2 Battalions of the Jordanian QRF Brigade; an amalgamated unit formed in 2017 to act as Jordan’s strategic reserve and spearhead unit. Amidst the blur of deployment preparation, we discussed the mission with the previous MTT, received Battalion G2 briefs and planned a concept of training.
Landing in Amman we were expeditiously moved to the Joint Training Centre, conducted a brief RSOI package and began the task. The Team was split
EATING AND LIVING WITH THE QRF OFFICERS PROVIDED A GREAT CULTURAL EDUCATION IN HOOKAH AND CHAI
between the 81st Bn near Zarqa and the 61st Bn in Al Humiymah. Team 3 South, with 61stBn, had glorious views across Wadi Rum and easy access to the Red Sea an Aqaba. The Northern Team weren’t jealous at all... After some initial rapport building, KLEs, and lots of chai, both team locations began training the QRF in a back-to-basics course. To do this, we worked alongside existing QRF instructors and the Command elements in the Bns to ensure the training objectives were relevant and deliverable. Sometimes we delivered lessons directly, and on other occasions we provided support to the existing instructors with training aids, lesson preparation and exercise planning. Throughout the training cycle we made use of the PTI and CMT already present in the Team, running Coy or Bn PT and creating medical scenarios for exercises.
Both locations culminated their training cycles with small test exercises to quality control the training and provide feedback on future training for the QRF Bns. With masses of training estate in Wadi Rum, and Blackhawks on call, the Team were able to use creativity and imagination to put their respective training companies through their paces. This was a unique opportunity where we were not limited by resources, as is often the case in the UK.
Luckily it wasn’t all work; with the odd weekend off we were free to see the sites of Jordan at Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea and experience the souks in Aqaba. Eating and living with the QRF officers provided a great cultural education in hookah and chai. Lasting and meaningful friend- ships were formed with brother officers and men of the QRF, who could not have been more accommo- dating. As a training audience we were impressed by their strong morale and discipline, needless to say we learned much from them as they did us. With all said and done we bid our goodbyes (not all eyes were dry...) and exchanged gifts with our partners. On return and reflection we have been very proud to have worked with the QRF, and to have visited such a fascinating and welcoming country as Jordan.
Lt Matt Smith- OC Team 3
LCpl Steerment conducting PT with the Jordanian QRF
74 FOURTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES