Page 78 - The Bugle 2018

Training a SPEC INF Company
Comd SPEC INF’s intent is to have the capability deployed on CFA’s new battle craft syllabus
TEAMS ARE STRUCTURED SO THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADVISE AND ASSIST PARTNER FORCES ON A WIDE RANGE OF INFANTRY SKILLS
to deploy anywhere in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the line of march. To realise this intent Representative Company have undertaken a wide variety of training over the last 8 months. The aim of this being to train and prepare riflemen of all ranks to meet and overcome the tasks and challenges that they will face in multiple theatres and in multiple roles. This is a step change from previous experiences of the past where individuals were trained to prepare for a single deployment or task. Training therefore has been varied, inter- esting and challenging in equal measure. Culmi- nating with an overseas deployment in Belize, Representative Company’s training cycle has included individual qualifying courses, collective training, PDT and mission specific training.
At the start of our eight-month training cycle, the focus was on getting riflemen qualified to fulfil their role within a SPEC INF team. Teams are structured so that they have the ability to advise and assist partner forces on a wide range of infantry skills, from assault pioneering to small unit tactics. There was also a need to train and qualify certain members of the company to become instructors in specialist skills such as fast roping and the ever-popular close quarter battle. Once specialists had received their relevant training, attention could shift to training the company as a whole.
Collective company training centred on the need for every member of the company to be masters of the basics in order to be credible mentors to a partner force. To achieve this, the company
exercise for two weeks in Sennybridge where they were tested on their ability to carry out low level tactical action and personal administration in what proved to be fairly typical Brecon weather! After this, R Coy ran a 4-week range package, focusing on CQM for the first two weeks, before moving on to two weeks of LFTT in Lydd. This gave the teams the opportunity to hone marksmanship skills and prepare standard operating procedures for future deployments.
The final test of the company as a whole came in the form of an eight-week long Ex MAYAN STORM, effectively pre-deployment training for the fast approaching deployment window. Testing team cohesion, tactical ability and individual robustness, the exercise proved to be a challenging and rewarding experience for all, giving teams the ability to apply polish to the drills that had been learnt over the previous six months.
Before deployment, teams focused on prepa- ration for the specific missions they had been given, whether that be language training (Arabic and Dari) or learning the tactical procedures of the partner force they would be working alongside. This added the finishing touches to a busy but fulfilling training window. It also meant that alongside the measurable improvement of military skills the teams now worked well as cohesive units; also knowing how to make the most of individuals’ skills within the team and having the ability to operate independently and at reach.
Lt BCW Upton
Team 11 Commander
BOTH 4 RIFLES AND 5TH GROUP ARE REGIONALLY ALIGNED WITH THE MIDDLE EAST
Team 12 of Representative Company took on the responsibility for the company to continue the estab- lishment of a lasting professional relationship with the 5th SFG(A). 5th Group, one of the Green Beret brigades, have been in the business of training, advising, assisting, mentoring and accompanying (TAAMA) indigenous forces since 1952. Made famous recently in the film ‘12 Strong’ they are one of the most operationally deployed units in the U.S. Military. They represent a great opportunity to guide Spec Inf during its infancy and become a partner for future operations. Both 4 RIFLES and 5th Group are regionally aligned with the Middle East providing a perfect platform for cooperation.
In June, Sjt Vaughan and I spent a month at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the home of 5th Group. During this time, we had the chance to participate in company training, deploy on an FTX with their teams as well as collect valuable lessons learnt from their recent kinetic operations. The recce concluded that while some obvious capability gaps remained, focused around qualifications and assets, the base line was markedly equal, a good starting point for the new partnership.
The relationship will see more opportunities for cooperation this year both in the U.S. and Kenya. Throughout August Team 12 will be embedded with A Coy, 3rd Bn, 5th SFG(A) for their major summative exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Centre in Fort Poke, Louisiana. During the exercise the team will be responsible for a Partner Force who they will live alongside, deliver training to and then accompany on joint planned missions. The exercise is designed to replicate the complexities of modern conflict areas where U.S. Special Forces units could deploy. The teams will be tested on their ability to understand and manipulate a web of military and cultural networks. Following on, Team 12 will be deploying on Ex ASKARI STORM in Kenya where they will train and accompany a Kenyan Defence Force company throughout. During this a member of 5th Group will be embedded in our team to share expertise and further strengthen the working relationship.
Lt J Robertson
Team 12 Commander
Relationships with U.S. 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
84 FOURTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES