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RECCE Sitrep as at 12 Sep 07
(Archive)
CAPT J P F RUSSELL — PLATOON COMMANDER
The Recce Platoon has gone through quite an expansion over the
last 6 weeks morphing from a 24 man Platoon into a 44 man group.
The group is to be attached to the Household Cavalry (HCR)
Battlegroup for Op Herrick 7 operating mostly in the southern
part of Helmand.
The group includes the Recce Platoon, elements of the Sniper and
Anti-Tank Platoons, Signallers and a dedicated Medic. All in all
a fairly potent mix of quality individuals who have all worked
together over time and who are all relishing the various
challenges that Afghanistan is bound to present.
The group will be attached to C Squadron (Sqn) who have already
gone out of their way to make us all feel welcome. Indeed no
sooner had the news reached us that we were to deploy with the
HCR than the Regimental Corporal Major (equivalent of our
Regimental Sergeant Major) had organised for the LCpls and above
to go over the road to their mess for a few cooling jars. All
had a cracking time and it was an excellent opportunity for all
the Coldstreamers to meet their soon to be colleagues. Prior to
going to the mess there was an opportunity for everyone to have
lunch in their respective cookhouses/messes with the HCR so a
thoroughly good afternoon was had by all. The all ranks party
followed with some amusing renditions during the X factor
competition before everyone bomb-burst on some very well earned
summer leave.
The group returned to work in early September for a busy period
of courses, ranges and training. We have been concentrating on
fitness, transferable skills, shooting and driving. Medical
training has and will continue to be, an important and ongoing
part of the groups’ development.
Four days after returning to work we received news that the
group was to be split for the first 6 weeks of the tour. 2
Multiples (12-14 men each) will initially form protection for
the Royal Military Police (RMP) mentoring teams. These are
teaching and mentoring the Afghan National Police (ANP) in
Lashkar Gar and Gereshk. The rest will stay with C Sqn. The
downside to this being that the Multiples’ deployment dates were
brought forward so the joys that Afghanistan have to bring will
be experienced a bit sooner than originally anticipated.
For the rest who are still deploying on the original dates
training will continue in conjunction with C Sqn’s aims.
Hopefully a long weekend will be factored in prior to heading
off to Afghanistan.
This will be an enormously challenging tour that everyone is
looking forward to. The aim is to keep this page updated as much
as possible however it will be dictated slightly by the
Operational tempo... how often the Platoon Commander can get to
a computer!
All that remains to be said from the whole group to all our
families is... lots of parcels and post please. It is the best
morale in the world!
CAPT J P F RUSSELL
RECCE PLATOON COMMANDER
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