Page 30 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

1st Battalion Grenadier Claire Selway

under the
Guards victory arches
in Baghdad

Operation Shader 7

Roshene
By Lieutenant Adam Woolley
Wright-James
administering
The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards have taken over battle group Support
Company in true
responsibility from June to December, spread out across Iraq to places that Guards’ fashion
include Taji, Erbil and Besmaya where we are key in administrating the
United Kingdom Training Teams in the various locations. We also had a
presence in Forward Operating Base Union III and in Kuwait.

Taji
Roshene Wright-James,
Taji is where the Battle Group headquarters is based and Claire Selway, Abigail
includes the majority of our detachment. Taji is also home Russell and Adam
to a plethora of different nations and many chances to forge Woolley

relationships with them, especially during the World Cup where
the most tenuous of links to other countries were being made.
I was positive that I was 5% Swedish during the Quarter Finals,
but I was wrong as it turns out I was actually 5% Croatian. After
World Cup fever died down it was back into normal routine.
In August it was decided that the Training Team, including
us would take part in a charity event where they would cycle
or run 25 miles each in a 24 hour period, accumulating the
total distance travelled from the Victory Arches in Baghdad to
Buckingham Palace, 3,250 miles in total.
Erbil
Erbil is hosting Number Two Company and Lance Corporal
Jessica Kirk and Lance Corporal Torika Soqoiwasa. These Lance Corporal
two are also joined by Royal Air Force colleagues to provide Jessica Kirk on
a service to the camp from both perspectives, to allow them the training area
to better themselves in a professional aspect. Lance Corporal honing her pistol
skills
Jessica Kirk has also had the pleasure of accompanying the
training teams out and helping instruct the local forces,

imparting her skills for the benefit of the Iraqi people. Hopefully
they continue to take part in the various activities that Erbil is Rear Operations Group
offering them, including the various range packages that have

been put on for us. It’s not all rest for the Rear Operations Group after ensuring
we deployed to Iraq. They have been kept on their toes with
Besmaya administering and getting ready to deploy The Queen’s
Company, who would be supporting the Welsh Guards on
Besmaya is currently under the control of the Spanish as they Operation Toral. The Inkerman Company are also deploying to
host a company minus of Support Company and the Engineers South Sudan as part of Operation Trenton. During this period
Counter Improvised Explosive Device training team. Based we are having many personnel coming and going, and I’m sure

here is Private Roshene Wright-James who has the task of they will learn many different things, most notably drill whilst
administering the United Kingdom based personnel whilst in a Guards’ Battalion.
battling with temperamental communications issues and hot
desking with Company Headquaters. Endnote

But it’s not all doom and gloom as morale is found in the Whilst this is the first operational tour for many members of the
weirdest of places, especially when made to carry out your detachment the experiences they have learned will no doubt
duties whilst wearing a bearskin. Private Roshene Wright- shape them for the future. We now prepare ourselves for the
James has visited the most places as part of her duties, even arrival of 3rd Battalion Rifles Battle Group in December who we Roshene

joining a Spanish led range package on the ranges, in which wish all the best of luck and safety for their tour. We also look Wright-James

she showed up the Spanish with her sharpshooting skills. She is forward to 2019 where we then take over public duties and an firing a sniper
one to watch for the march and shoot competition during the upcoming exercise to Belize, an experience no one will soon rifl e
next Triple Crown Challenge. forget.

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