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A HUGE!
3 Company Sit Rep as at 12th Dec 07
(Archive)
12 PLATOON
3 COMPANY REPORT FROM 3 COMPANY - 12 PLATOON
THE STORY SO FAR ......
Like the Holy Trinity, everything the army does is based on the
near mythical number three. Three ranks when formed up prior to
marching out of the gates on a guard mount, three battlegroups
in a Brigade, three rifle companies in a battalion, three
platoons in a company, three sections in a platoon. But wait…
There are shocking rumours emerging from the Upper Gereshk
valley, that someone, somewhere, somehow, is bucking the trend.
Can the order of battle for Number 3 Company really contain four
platoons? Will the entire post war doctrine of the British army
have to be re-written? Is Kat Slater really Zoe’s muvva? The
answers to these questions will be revealed in the next
paragraph…
In short, the answers to these questions are: Yes, probably not,
and of course, everyone knows that, however Kat had to pretend
she was Zoe’s older sister as she did not want to give her up
for adoption. It has indeed come to pass that numbers 9, 10, and
11 platoons have been joined by, and possibly overshadowed by,
number 12 platoon. To explain how this momentous and doctrinally
dubious decision was reached it is necessary to journey back
through the mists of time to a point when the Drum Major was
young and the rest of the Company was even younger…
The advance party arrived in Patrol Base Keenan on the 15th (ish)
October and found that the tactical situation did not really
permit the deployment of the Company in three platoon as had
originally been the plan. This was not a decision to be taken
lightly, for despite the enormous confusion surrounding the
deployment of the company, at least the three platoons had been
able to train together and find the time to form the bonds so
essential for combat, the sort of bonds usually found in Turkish
prisons, men-only saunas, and the Kylie Minogue fan club.
Nevertheless, four platoons it had to be, so four platoons there
were, though initial impressions for Callsign Boron 40 were not
promising.
For the Guardsmen, all of the pre-deployment training was about
to be cast aside requiring a new set of procedures, methods of
operating, and Seniors’ brew preferences to be learnt. For the
Non-Commissioned Officers, LSgts Fitzgerald (Drums), Parker
(Drums) and Wallis (Anti-Tank), and of course the Drum Major,
CSgt Ben Parker, as well as remembering new names and faces, the
long forgotten tactics of a rifle platoon learnt at great length
many years ago in sunny Brecon had to be dug up from the backs
of highly support company orientated mindsets. For the Platoon
Commander, Lt Watkins, the expected tour as the Non-Kinetic
Officer had suddenly turned rather kinetic, and it was with much
relief that the Infantry Commander’s Tactical Aide-Memoire
eventually turned up hidden inside a carefully rolled pair of
long-johns. The initial brief was along the ‘I know none of you
are happy, and neither am I, but we’ll all just have to get on
with it…’ lines, and a slow bedding in process was inevitable,
with much purging on the way.
Yet the platoon possessed its own advantages which quickly
became apparent. The Section Commanders brought a unique skill
set to the platoon, for as well as being versed in rifle platoon
tactics their Support Company specialisations have provided an
extra level of expertise for their sections to pick from, and a
different approach to getting things done. Despite their
preference for standing off and using the range of the weapons
systems to ‘batter’ the enemy, the platoon has found itself
involved in a number of firefights with the enemy at varying
ranges. 12 Platoon were on guard at Patrol Base Keenan for the
first of the Company’s contacts and were quick to bring the
whole gamut of their weaponry to bear. The SA80 and Light
Support Weapon, the Light Machine Gun (all 5.56mm weapon
systems), through the General Purpose Machine Gun in Sustained
Fire mode (7.62mm), Grenade Machine Gun (40mm grenades fired out
to a range of 2500m) and ultimately the Javelin (High Explosive
Anti-Tank fire and forget missile with heat seeking capabilities
capable of being fired at targets up to 3km), all were used to
return fire after the enemy attacked the patrol base and the
check points on the first night after No 3 Coy had taken over
from The Mercian Regiment. The effect of this diverse weight of
fire was enough to deter any future attacks on this location to
date, though the enemy are still not shy about engaging the
patrols as they push beyond the immediate area of the base.
As has been mentioned on the Commanding Officer’s updates, 12
Platoon also had the dubious distinction of being the first of
the Company’s call signs to be engaged on the ground. As they
pushed north on an ‘Influence and Reassurance’ patrol – aimed at
winning the locals on side and trying to establish what really
goes on inside the mind of an Afghan – the platoon was contacted
at close range by a small number of the enemy, estimated to be
around 4 to 6. The platoon overwhelming firepower enable the
sift extraction of all men without any casualties. There are
enough stories floating around after this and a subsequent
contact to keep all concerned in free drinks for life! Whether
there were actually that many Taliban suicide elephant bombs, or
shotgun toting bear-dogs is open to debate…. We sadly had to
wave goodbye to Gdsm Whybrow who picked an injury to his leg in
our second contact; those nearby swear they saw him waving it
above a wall shouting to the Taliban that all he wanted was to
be home by Christmas. In this he succeeded though the same
cannot be said for the stash of biscuits and haribo hidden in
the bottom of his Bergan. He left in remarkably good spirits and
his conduct throughout, including refusing morphine was a
testament to his bravery. We all wish him a safe and speedy
recovery, after all, who is going to carry the LMG, and the AT4,
and the mine detector? He was extracted on the back of Gdsm
Patterson for a kilometre and a half under constant risk of
further attack, though rumour has it Patterson was unaware that
the Company Sergeant Major had given him Whybrow to carry and
had merely smelled the boys on barrack guard cooking at lunch
time. Perhaps he deserved all the extra rations that he ‘found’,
in any case Gdsm Patterson has to be highly commended for his
efforts in bringing a wounded pal out of contact at such speed.
Life is, thankfully, not all about dodging bullets and falling
into irrigation ditches (though Gdsm O’Brien is at pains to do
so when ever possible). The boys get time for ‘R and R’ whilst
manning the checkpoints into the village (no really, it is just
like Butlin’s with the sunbathing, dodgy local food, but a lot
safer than Skegness). This is a chance to get away from the
demands of life in camp, to catch up on sleep (LSgt Parker and
Wallis being leagues ahead of anyone else), interact with the
locals (a diet of locally purchased chicken and chips keeping
Bridgehead garrison going on a recent stint, roasted and
kebabbed over a number of nights), and even take a dip in the
canal (a real man test – water straight from the mountains and
not a lifeguard in sight…). Letter writing is also a great past
time, though the post is very dependent on helicopter flights,
not all that frequent at the moment. Even if they do not make it
here for Christmas, all parcels are most welcome and help to
supplement the rations (insider tip, invest in beauty parlours
offering colonic irrigation, business will be great on our
return!), though Gdsm Bussey and Mr Watkins have suffered
terribly from a sudden influx of dried fruit.
When not pounding the dusty pavements (fields?) of Zumbelay,
taking a pleasant drive through the countryside, and coming up
with ingenious methods of mouse catching at the checkpoints, the
options for home improvements are easily seized upon. The
platoon will shortly be moving to new accommodation which should
(hopefully…) boast electricity, a degree of mortar protection,
and crucially, weatherproofing. This latter is particularly
important as a recent rain shower was an unpleasant reminder for
some of the joys of any training area in the British Isles. A
night time downpour left some regretting the lack of preparation
they had given to staying dry but at least the funny side was
seen by (almost) all; Gdsm Burns softie jacket has, we think, at
last dried out. The nights are, however, getting very much
colder, the odd blanket or hot water bottle would not go amiss,
despite the excessive facial hair growth shown by one or two of
the platoon. LSgt Wallis in particular is sporting a fine ginger
growth, much to the locals’ amusement, and seems to be the only
one untroubled by the enormous dogs roaming the area, foxhunting
obviously not being a popular local pastime. Gdsm Bolabola too
is sprouting in a very bushy fashion, his piano playing too has
improved, and at nights the camp resounds to the tune of ‘I just
called, to say, I love you’, if only his voice procedure on the
net was as concise.
Gdsm Caffrey, Cadman, Patterson and Medlam, have all flown home
for R and R (real, not of the checkpoint variety) and we await
the horror stories that will emerge on their return. Dmr Day,
after demonstrating just the kind of leadership required by the
Battalion by falling through a mud roof, has been selected for a
drill course which will hopefully see him become LCpl Day, and
maybe a better judge of structural integrity. He leaves shortly
with Mr. Watkins, for whom a year at Pirbright telling war
stories (both of them) and befuddling recruits with extracts
from the Profanisaurus (garbooning patrols anyone?) beckons. The
Drum Major will then step up to the plate, with LSgt Fitzgerald
taking over as platoon sergeant (LSgts Wallis and Parker will no
doubt still be in bed). In two months the facilities in the camp
(apparently now a Forward Operating Base or FOB) have improved
exponentially. Whilst the phone situation for ringing home is
not ideal, a rather temperamental internet connection is in
place, though use is necessarily rationed. The worlds smallest
television is also now installed and a small DVD collection is
getting used on a regular basis – though more would always be
welcome. The advent of puffing billies has meant that a hot
(sometimes too hot) shower is at last a realistic possibility,
though few in the platoon are really aware by this difference,
and occasional fresh(ish) food makes a big difference to the
diet.
I leave the platoon in a much happier state than I first found
it, with the hard work having been carried out at the lowest
level. The dismay at being torn from one close knit team has
been replaced with pride at being a part of a subtly different
set-up. The relative scarcity of NCOs has meant that Guardsmen
are stepping up into roles they have not experienced before, and
taken responsibility for tasks for which they find themselves
more than capable yet might have had to wait a number of years
to experience. Indeed when the company went back to three
platoons, and 12 Platoon was placed into suspended animation the
dissatisfaction throughout was secretly pleasing to see. The
platoon no one wished to be a part of had become one of the
closest knit units within the battle group, and one which
approached any task with a great deal of humour and enthusiasm.
I am very disappointed to be leaving, yet know that under Drum
Major Roberts and the rest of the team, the platoon will
continue to work hard when needed, and somehow find it within
themselves to enjoy the rest of the tour. I look forward to
seeing the platoon reunited (however briefly and expensively) on
the return to Windsor.
RJM Watkins
Lt
OC 12 Pl
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