Page 98 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Exercise Sabre Strike 18 Battlefield Study to Israel

By Lieutenant Peter Montgomery Exercise Temenos Torch
The primary mission was to provide Mobility Support to facilitate the
movement of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Germany into Poland, and
enhance international interoperability. By Lieutenant Lindsay Merrett
Israel represents the most sought after and fought over place in the world,

making it an incredible opportunity for us to learn about conflict on a
Tasks Soldier First training we attached four American soldiers Battlefield Study.

in each section to allow them to see our tactics and basic
The exercise was broken down into four distinct phases; soldiering training. This also empowered our commanders
Movement to Zagan training area, Mobility Support tasks, to decide on how to implement the American soldiers and

a Soldier First training phase and the redeployment to the additional firepower they brought with them. The Aims
Donnington.
Post Exercise Activities The aims of the study were to develop our understanding
Deployment of British Army doctrine, to improve our ability to think
After completion of the exercise, and before we began conceptually, as well as increasing our knowledge of
Twenty-eight member of 174 Provost Company, 3rd the journey home, there was time for a bit of a friendly the conflicts in the Levant. We travelled to prominent

Regiment Royal Military Police deployed on Exercise Sabre competition between the two nations. The Americans put battlefields of the 1967 ‘Six Day War’, the 1973 ‘Yom Kippur’

Strike 18. The first phase of the Exercise was to complete together a series of events including a physical training or ‘October War’, and the 2006 ‘Second Lebanon’ or ‘July

a significant road move, from Donnington to the staging competition and a Force on Force Capture the Flag style War’.
area where we would meet our United States allies in event. Both events saw 1 Platoon finishing victorious and

Graefenwor Training Area. This required the Platoon lifting the trophy to cap off a very successful and enjoyable On the Ground
to travel 1,147 miles across France, Belgium, Holland, Exercise.
Germany and Poland. The destination was Zagan Training Highlights of the study included a guided tour around the
Area, in Poland, where a Company Harbour Area was walled Old City of Jerusalem. This coincided with the 70th
established for the duration of the exercise. anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, which On Mount
provided a stark example to observers of the importance Bental, in
Mobility Support Phase of understanding perspectives. Whilst this occasion the Golan
was celebrated by Israelis and Zionists worldwide as Heights
During the initial stage of the exercise, 1 Platoon the realisation of a Jewish homeland, Palestinians
established links with United States 529 Military Police commemorate this as Nakba, or catastrophe in Arabic
Company and dispatched an early Border Crossing party referring to the near total destruction of the Palestinian Museum Visit
North to the crossing at Frankfurt. A final reconnaissance society.

of the area was conducted and Platoon Headquarters then We also received a guided tour of the Armoured Corps
co-located with the United States Company Headquarters Museum and National Memorial at Latrun. Originally
before quickly getting to work. From this location, we built by the British in the 1940s as a police fortress it is
pushed the remaining three sections out to the other strategically positioned to control the route from Tel Aviv

Border Crossing Points at Gorlitz, Szczecin and Kadowa. to Jerusalem. It has played a significant role in conflicts
This demonstrated excellent interoperability with our since the 2nd century BC, but more recently it was
American partners as we ensured a minimum of two considered vital ground in the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israeli
United States and two United Kingdom vehicles at every wars.
location. This allowed us to see how the United States
Military Police employ their capabilities when conducting Golan Heights
the Mobility Support function. During this phase the
border crossings parties co-ordinated and controlled the The next move was to the North, in particular, the Golan
movement of 800 vehicles and 19,000 personnel. This was Heights region which is currently designated as occupied
an excellent opportunity for 1 Platoon to experience large Syrian territory. This was the scene for some of the most

scale movement first hand. violent fighting in both the 1967 and 1973 wars, and we

visited a number of stands which brought these individual
Soldier First Training battles to life.
The second phase of the exercise saw the border crossing Into the 21st Century
points collapse once the Mobility Support mission had
been completed. The sections returned to Zagan and, from The study was brought into the 21st century at the final

here, conducted a wide variety of training. This included a stand considering the failures of the Israeli Defence
very successful soldier first package in line with the Royal Force during the 2006 war with Hezbollah. This showed

Military Police Battle Craft Syllabus where the sections a striking case of cognitive biases, in particular an
deployed independently of the Company. This allowed underestimation of their adversary, and an entrenched

the Corporals and Lance Corporal to step into roles of Sending a mindset of fighting in urban operations, resulting in the
Section Commander and Section second in command situation Israeli Defence Force being severely under prepared for
report during

in testing dismounted scenarios such as establishing a a section this particular conflict. This demonstrated an interesting
harbour area and section attacks. All delivered a high attack comparison to the incredible successes of the Israeli
standard of orders and command and control. During this Defence Force in the 1967 war in particular.
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