This update covers D Company's initial deployment and the lead up to Xmas
D Company HERRICK Deployment update 1
All TRB deployments appear to start in a very similar manner. The arrival phase of any operation is an administrative challenge that units will normally have months to prepare for; luckily for us the company arrived in Bastion during a reshuffle of responsibilities between the logistic Regiments; as a result the whole camp was already in turmoil and our demands and requests simply joined the party!
Already in place were the Short Term Training Team, helping to prepare the Jordanian Task Force to join coalition operations. Not really knowing what to expect we were pleasantly surprised to see them out jogging at 0600; smartly turned out for breakfast and eager to learn. They are keen to address the issues which plagued the previous Jordanian Task Force, which failed to impress many who worked with it, and in the first week of training they have achieve this aim comfortably. Lessons from Dav 91, Nige Neale, Cocos, Fish, and Jock cut through any language difficulty (yes they really could understand both Cocos and Jock – something most of us fail to do!), demonstrations organised by Wendy and Scouse, coupled with mentoring from the Platoon Commanders- 2Lts Cookson and Shooter, quickly revealed a solid level of knowledge. Progressing towards range work has shown there is still some way to go before they reach their initial operating capacity (Never again can Wendy tell the new lads in his platoon they are the worst soldiers he has ever seen handling a GPMG!) but if their levels of enthusiasm are maintained they should make it in the end.
The arrival of the main body, due to be employed as the Police Mentoring Teams, was facilitated by James Harris in Kandahar, something we are very grateful for. With only 2 full training days before deploying forward to the operating locations, his efforts ensured this was not reduced further, despite the efforts of the CSE show (they used to be a mixture female singers and dancing girls but unfortunately the show consisted of some comedians – not a scantily clad girl in sight: quite disappointing for the Fusiliers) which arrived in theatre at the same time and is taking resources that we could have used. A few hours rest on Tuesday, after travelling through the night, was quickly followed by zeroing of the weapons systems and our first introduction to the local Afghans, nicknamed “The Death Wish Group”, who seem keen to pick up brass even as it is being ejected from your rifle! They are not particularly worried about which end of the rifle they approach from either. Further complications arouse when the one vehicle we had managed to spring from the CSE entourage broke down and had to be towed back into camp.
The next day saw completion of the mandatory RSOI package and a return to the range for some judgemental training, teaching the boys to make quick decision about which targets to engage, was followed by a full day of vehicle shooting, compound clearing and defensive fire power demonstrations, all in line with the task we are about to undertake. The superb range package both B and A Coy had spoken at great length about lives up to its reputation, and the efforts of the STTT in putting it together should not be under valued. The huge rise in confidence after seeing and using our equipment to its full potential is obvious and the Company is now ready to deploy to the Forward Operating Bases and start our patrolling tasks. Having seen the Jordanian Soldiers are we ready for the Afghan police?!!
At the time of writing we are enjoying a few hours of extra final administration courtesy of the RAF; most of 11 platoon have made it to their Operating Base, they’ll tell you about their first patrol and some of the hidden difficulties of coalition operations if you buy them a drink when we get home; whilst the rest of us wait for our taxi. We’ll keep you posted on what we get up to in the near future.
D Company on the Afghan Front Line for Christmas
Although D Company 1 R WELSH (RWF) is likely to be based in at least 4 separate locations on OP HERRICK this Christmas, all of them are, in different ways, very much on the front line of our efforts in the war torn country. The Short Term Training Team will have just finished on the front line of coalition building, brining partners up to the required standard to take part in OP HERRICK. This hugely difficult task, taken over from 2 RRF’s after SAFFRON SANDS this summer, challenged the instructor’s abilities to the full. Sgt ‘Wendy’ Wendrich and his team of NCOs (‘Nige’ Neale, ‘Cochos’ Williams, ‘Fish’, ‘Dav’ 91 & ‘Dead’ 28) overcame language and cultural barriers to ensure their students were able to meet their initial operating capability deadline, and only technical problems with their equipment have stopped the new partners taking an even fuller role in operation. The team are now re-rolling to form a fourth Police Mentoring Team, joining those already deployed in Lashkar Gar and Gareshk. They are to be joined by a merry band of reinforcements, fresh from various career courses – or even career breaks in the case of new arrival Cpl Harrhy.
The mentoring teams stand firmly at the heart of Task Force Helmand’s Main Effort. Those based in Gareshk recently found themselves across the provincial border in Nimruz, with their Afghan Police colleagues, redefining the western boundary and front line with the Taleban held region. The task of identifying and surveying the current police check points brings the company into daily contact with both the police and the local population, something of a rarity in the current operational climate. Old fashioned navigation by bearings, using ‘your nose’ and ‘bivouacking in the hinterland’ means there is not much of the Gereshk patch that these multiple have yet seen. An interesting early task was to deliver the Brigade Commander’s armoured civilian car to his HQ, which required Joc Walters driving on HMNVGs behind a Czech convoy. Having identified the obvious error of not having an IR headlights on the vehicle, and driving into what in conventional warfare would be described as a tank ditch, we pulled ourselves out and eventually delivered the car in the middle of the night, to an extremely excited Brigade Staff Officer – leaving quickly before he noticed the ever-so-slight problem with the tracking (or the front axle!).
D Company’s easy banter and relaxed professionalism have already been identified as invaluable assets in the Brigade’s efforts to move Helmand towards normality.
Those working in Gareshk are fortunate to be based in FOB Price, known across theatre as ‘FOB Nice’ with the best cookhouse in Afghanistan! Unfortunately for them they spend most of their days patrolling or are forward mounted in a self sufficient patrol base called PB (North), so they don’t get much time to enjoy it!
The final deployment location for the company is at the heart of Helmand Province, the Capital Lashkar Gar. Co-located with the Brigade Headquarters, they are the very public face of the UK long term ambitions for the region. Working long hours as a small force, they are constantly on the move providing a visible reassurance to the local police force, who remain under pressure from an enemy keen to ‘score a success’ at the centre of local governance. Whilst they prefer to maintain a low profile inside the camp perimeter (too many RSMs in a small camp!), they are already well known outside it, and have found more areas for optimism among the police than most observers expected.
We all hope you have a good Christmas, whether you are in Cyprus or back home in Wales. There are a few problems with the post – so if you have sent parcels and presents and we have yet to receive them, do worry, they’ll arrive eventually.
