CGS: Give Afghan mission time |
Future proofing: LSgt Matthew Wallis (Coldm Gds) talks to a local child during a patrol in the village of Kopak, near Babaji, in December
Picture: Sgt Keith Cotton, RLC
BRITAIN must maintain its efforts on Op Herrick to ensure its investment of “blood and treasure” does not go to waste, according to the head of the Army.
Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Gen Sir David Richards said the recent troop surge into Afghanistan meant that the mission in the country now had sufficient international military support.
But the Chief of the General Staff stressed that the allied community’s efforts would ultimately only be successful if Afghanistan’s own security forces are sufficiently well trained.
“I don’t think there will be a military presence in the shape it is today for more than about three-to-five years, but we’ve got to do this properly,” Gen Richards told presenter Kate Silverton.
“There’d be nothing worse than we hand over to an Afghan army and police that are not yet properly prepared to take over the role.
“But I don’t see why, in the case of Afghanistan where we’ve invested so much blood and treasure already, that we would just get out altogether.”
Comparing the public perception of the war with the middle years of Op Telic, Gen Richards said that an increase in equipment and soldiers on the ground would signify the start of a “more successful” period.
“Two years ago [in Iraq], people thought the country was about to implode. It looked pretty disastrous,” the senior officer explained.
“Today people are cautiously optimistic and I think we’ve just got to give Afghanistan time now.
“I know people have said we’ve had long enough, but actually we knew the ingredients – we never resourced them and understood the correct formula.
“I’m confident that in the next year, with all the extra resources about to go in, that it will become more successful and we’ll see our way out of it.”
Despite the combat troops in southern Afghanistan gaining the most public recognition, Gen Richards was quick to praise the British Army’s often-unheralded work in providing reconstruction and security for Helmand’s civilian population.
“What’s the most important thing to all of us? It’s actually security,” he said. “It’s the ability to go to work in the morning or to go shopping without risk of being blown up.
“We’re too often associated with killing and blowing others up. Actually what we most like to be associated with is securing other people’s lives. Nothing gives us more satisfaction and when we get the resources right we can do that.”
Nimrod crash inquiry prompts air safety review
FAR-reaching moves to tighten up military aviation safety procedures are taking place following a report into the loss of a Nimrod aircraft in Afghanistan.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said he would be implementing the majority of the 84 recommendations in a review carried out by barrister Charles Haddon-Cave.
These include the setting up of a new Military Aviation Authority to provide regulation and audit of flying across the three Services. A comprehensive overhaul of airworthiness procedures is also being undertaken.
Mr Haddon-Cave’s investigation was launched after Nimrod MR2 XV230 crashed following a mid-air fire in September 2006, killing all 14 Service personnel on board.
The barrister believed that the incident could have been avoided, citing a “failure to adhere to basic principles” and “an ineffective and wasteful” safety regime as being among the factors that contributed to the devastating crash.
He also blamed a “systematic breach of the Military Covenant” by the MoD and defence contractors BAE Systems and Qinetiq for the failings.
But Mr Haddon-Cave did not criticise the Nimrod’s current airworthiness.
Speaking after the publication of the report, Mr Ainsworth said his department had spent seven weeks scrutinising the document and he welcomed the recommendations that had been made.
He again apologised for the mistakes that had been made in the lead-up to the incident and said his thoughts were with the loved ones of the personnel killed in the crash.
Mr Ainsworth added: “What we must do now is learn all the lessons from Mr Haddon-Cave’s report and take the actions necessary to implement them.
“I share the view that our future management of air safety is of the highest order and I am grateful for the detailed proposals the Nimrod Review has made.
“Mr Haddon-Cave’s proposals regarding safety culture have a resonance beyond aviation and we are now looking at their applicability more widely across the MoD.”
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Picture: Graeme Main
CHILLED-out soldiers embraced the snow that brought the UK to a standstill as they headed out on exercise to make the most of a valuable training opportunity.
Troops from the Army Training Regiment in Bassingbourn were on manoeuvres in Brecon, south Wales, and woodland near Maidstone in Kent (pictured below) where they were able to hone their skills in extreme conditions.
They used a farm as a forward operating base and rehearsed the basics of fire and manoeuvre – all while colleagues in civvy street juddered to a halt.
Maj Mark Goode (REME), officer commanding Rowcroft Company at Bassingbourn, said he was delighted with the performance of his troops in Kent.
The recruits braved temperatures well below freezing as the UK was gripped by the deepest cold snap for more than 30 years.
Maj Goode added: “It looked and felt like Norway out on the exercise area, but this was a good opportunity to get to grips with extreme conditions.
“Not only did the recruits learn battle skills, they also learnt the importance of admin discipline, such as keeping your sleeping bag dry and the use of ration packs.”
With the British Army operating in extremes of climate in Afghanistan, Maj Goode said that soldiers had to learn to look after themselves and each other early on.
Away from Kent, he explained that recruits on their final training in Brecon had benefited from a modified exercise, which had taken advantage of deep snow and ice.
Maj Goode said that current operations meant soldiers were spending more time in the open.
He added: “On a recent Afghanistan tour, the right flank company of the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards spent 171 of their 190 days living out in the field.
“I was deployed on Op Herrick 7 two years ago and it was extremely cold. You have to realise that good personal admin is your lifeline in those conditions.”
Brits eye Bastion move
A HIGH-RANKING officer has revealed that all British troops based at Kandahar in Afghanistan are set to be moved to Camp Bastion within the next two years.
Lt Col Dave Munson told Soldier that the future strategy for Operation Herrick was to use Camp Bastion as an efficient rear base.
“The way we manage our logistics won’t be split between Kandahar and Bastion – it will all be from Bastion,” said the officer responsible for planning for the main base.
“Virtually all of the British Army will be out of Kandahar and they [soldiers] will come to Bastion and be sent to the forward operating bases from there.”
The move, scheduled to be completed by June 2011, will be made possible on completion of a new US-built runway which will allow for larger aircraft to fly in and out. Lt Col Munson said: “There are timescales on when the move will be completed but they are very much dependent on when the opportunities present themselves to make a difference.
“The key is the big runway and that will be up and running by the fourth quarter of 2010.”
Since the British Army moved into Bastion in 2006 it has grown from a makeshift camp with a 12-kilometre perimeter to a full-scale garrison with a 28-kilometre perimeter.
After starting life as a barren space in the Helmand desert, the base is now home to 20,000 Service personnel and civilian contractors.
“It’s an amazing place if you realise that we have only been here since 2006 – this is a town,” said Lt Col Munson.
“We need to be a base that delivers all that we need and we are on schedule to do that.”
Lt Col Munson plans for Bastion to be the epicentre of logistics and a place that motivates personnel.
“Bastion serves as a rear base for troops to move forward – we are a force-support hub,” he added.
“We are conscious of the conditions that troops going forward have to live with; Bastion is not going to be seen as a luxury rear area – what we want are the right conditions for everybody.”
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Afghan National Police visit England |
SENIOR members of the Afghan National Police (ANP) got a first-hand glimpse of British pre-deployment training during a visit to England. The four-man delegation, including Helmand provincial chief of police Col Asad Ullah Sherzad, head of administration Col Ayoud, head of counter-terrorism Maj Almas Khan and ANP training officer Lt Ahmad Fared, spent time with the Scots Guards who will be mentoring Afghan police recruits when they deploy to Helmand province this spring. The highlight of the visit was a trip to the mock-Afghan village at Stanford Training Area in Thetford. Speaking after the trip, an enthusiastic Col Sherzad said: “We have finally made it to the UK and in the last two days of our visit I have been interested to see the amount of effort being put into training.”
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Guidance for bereaved families
FREE legal advice will be provided to families whose loved ones have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
The initiative, which is part-funded by the MoD, will enable The Royal British Legion (RBL) to offer independent legal expertise to bereaved Service families.
The RBL will be able to give information and guidance, particularly about inquests.
The scheme follows feedback from a forum set up by the RBL and the War Widows Association of Great Britain which showed that families felt there was an absence of independent legal advice.
RBL Director General Chris Simpkins said: “Our aim is to ensure that bereaved Service families are satisfied that a full and transparent inquest has taken place.”
The scheme is due to be rolled out by the summer.
Reporters pay ultimate price
THE risk to journalists covering the fighting in Afghanistan was brought into focus after the deaths of two defence reporters in a fortnight.
Sunday Mirror correspondent Rupert Hamer was killed when the vehicle in which he was travelling was caught in an IED blast in the Nawa area of Helmand on January 9.
His photographer Philip Coburn was seriously injured in the attack, which happened while the pair were embedded with American forces. A US marine also died in the strike and five others were wounded.
The news came after an insurgent bomb claimed the life of reporter Michelle Lang on December 30. The 34-year-old journalist, from the Calgary Herald, died alongside four Canadian troops when their vehicle was struck by a device near Kandahar.
Educated at Gresham’s School in Norfolk, Mr Hamer began his career at the Eastern Daily Press, where he qualified as a reporter.
The 39-year-old, who was married with three children, went on to study politics at Leeds University before taking up his trade once again on the Sunday Mirror.
There he had reported on conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Paying tribute to Mr Hamer, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said news of the journalist’s death showed the risks faced by media professionals reporting on the front line.
Mr Ainsworth added: “We worked closely with Rupert on a Christmas edition of the Sunday Mirror, containing messages for deployed personnel from their loved ones.
“The paper was very well received by troops and its success is testament both to Rupert’s hard work and his understanding of Service personnel.”
Mr Ainsworth concluded that his “deepest sympathies” were with the families of Mr Hamer and Mr Coburn.
Cavorting canine
A GLOBETROTTING dog that has scaled Mount Everest and visited the plains of the Maasai Mara is setting its sights on a cross-ocean challenge in aid of the St Dunstan’s charity.
Dunstan the Dog hopes to raise money to enable the group to continue to provide support to visually impaired and blind ex-Servicemen and women.
As part of “Dunstan’s Global Tour”, Army units are being asked to adopt one of 20 toy Dunstan dogs to accompany them wherever they go and to capture them on camera.
Des Knight, who served with 25 Field Regiment RA in Hong Kong as well as the 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, has already taken up the challenge by taking Dunstan on an awe-inspiring trip.
“My daughter Gemma challenged me to climb Mount Kilimanjaro so, with my wife Ann-Marie, we went to the Maasai Mara with Dunstan the Dog,” he said.
“It’s a privilege to do our bit to help blind ex-Servicemen and women rediscover their independence after the onset of visual impairment.”
Dunstan is also joining forces with a tri-Service team on Exercise Transglobe, a sailing expedition running until July 2010.
Speaking on behalf of Ex Transglobe, SSgt Clive Cooper said: “The Army crew is delighted to adopt a Dunstan and we have named him Oakley in honour of his distinctive shades.”
To apply for a dog, go to www.st-dunstans.org.uk/dunstandog or email colin.williams@st-dunstans.org.uk
Op Herrick 12 line-up announced
TROOPS serving with 4th Mechanized Brigade will be heading to Helmand province in April for the next Op Herrick tour, the Defence Secretary has confirmed.
In a statement, Bob Ainsworth said the formation would replace 11 Light Brigade and troop numbers would be maintained at 9,500. He also revealed that Headquarters 6 (UK) Division would remain in theatre as HQ Regional Command (South).
The Defence Secretary said 16 Air Assault Brigade – which spearheaded the first Op Herrick mission four years ago – would return to Afghanistan in the autumn.
It is likely that troops from 4 Mech Bde will face a demanding tour over the summer months. But the formation is made up from a host of experienced units including 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment; 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment; 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles; 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland; and 1st Battalion, Scots Guards.
The Royal Dragoon Guards; The Queen’s Royal Lancers; 21 Engineer Regiment; 4th Regiment Royal Artillery; and 1 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, are also poised to play key roles during the tour.
As the announcement was made, senior officers confirmed that troops in Helmand would be better equipped to deal with the roadside bomb threat.
A Counter-IED Task Force including enhanced Royal Engineers and Royal Logistic Corps specialists, intelligence experts and military dogs is being created this year.
The move comes after MoD figures revealed that three quarters of all British casualties were as a result of IEDs.
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