Inside this issue: 29 AES - Featuring „Where‟s the 2ICs hat?‟ 3 37 AES - More from the Troops and be- cause of popular de- mand G4 „It just hap- pens‟ 11 44 HQ & SP SQN - Featuring the DEW 24 77 Talisman Sqn - Meet Charlie the Cheetah and Dave‟s Angels 28 11 Field Sqn - includ- ing „The Great wall of Wahid‟ 34 More from The BAG BOYS 40 First note from BRF NEW! 42 More laughter from the Toe-Jam Times 48 The posers NEW! 46 Issue 6 20 October 2011 Page 1 Commanding Officer‟s Foreword Another fortnight has swiftly passed over here in Helmand Province. I write this introduction having just return from visiting 11 Field Sqn in Nad-e Ali. The area in which they are operating was the scene of huge battles against the insur- gents last year. In the winter of 2010/11 1 Royal Irish fought hard to seize ter- rain from the insurgent, to push them away and allow the seeds of governance, justice and development to take hold. Now, the inevitable 'die hard' insurgents remain a real threat, especially in some areas that the Squadron is operating - but it is a far cry from 12 months ago. Driving around in my CO‟s Tactical Headquarters I am always struck by the small pockets of population who farm their land and trade their crops whilst wishing for a safe and secure future for their children. The isolated farmsteads and villages are quickly becoming more populated as the insurgent is pushed further and further away. Peace seems to be a reality and not an aspiration as it was when I was last in Helmand in the summer of 2008. 11 Squadron are supporting 3 SCOTS Battle Group. I met Lieutenant Chris Judge (in which I had the honour of promoting him to Captain – he celebrated by buying a crate of Pepsi!) and the lads of 3 Troop, who are doing a great job building an important base. 1 Troop are supporting the Estonians and every- one seemed in really good spirits. I also visited Lieutenant Connor Allen along with his man mountain of a Troop Staff Sergeant (Ben Hodgson). Together with 2 Troop they are doing well in one of the main bases preparing it for the onslaught of winter. Lastly, Lieutenant Lawrence Ward with Staff Sergeant Mick „the VW Van master‟ Ennis are preparing for a number of key tasks that will hopefully expand secu- rity in their particular area. All of them are in comfort- able locations, but they have hard days ahead, with many preparing for operations that will see them busy right up until Christmas. It is the first time I‟ve had the opportunity to see them since meeting the Squadron on a cold rainy day in Ballykinler back in early 2011. They are a strong team with a real sense of purpose and pride in everything they do; im- pressive stuff.
Transcript
Inside this issue:
29 AES - Featuring „Where‟s the 2ICs hat?‟
3
37 AES - More from the Troops and be-cause of popular de-mand G4 „It just hap-pens‟
11
44 HQ & SP SQN - Featuring the DEW
24
77 Talisman Sqn -
Meet Charlie the
Cheetah and Dave‟s
Angels
28
11 Field Sqn - includ-
ing „The Great wall of
Wahid‟
34
More from The BAG
BOYS
40
First note from BRF
NEW!
42
More laughter from the Toe-Jam Times
48
The posers NEW! 46
Issue 6
20 October 2011
Page 1
Commanding Officer‟s Foreword
Another fortnight has swiftly passed over here in Helmand Province. I write this introduction having just return from visiting 11 Field Sqn in Nad-e Ali. The area in which they are operating was the scene of huge battles against the insur-gents last year. In the winter of 2010/11 1 Royal Irish fought hard to seize ter-rain from the insurgent, to push them away and allow the seeds of governance, justice and development to take hold. Now, the inevitable 'die hard' insurgents remain a real threat, especially in some areas that the Squadron is operating - but it is a far cry from 12 months ago. Driving around in my CO‟s Tactical Headquarters I am always struck by the small pockets of population who farm their land and trade their crops whilst wishing for a safe and secure future for their children. The isolated farmsteads and villages are quickly becoming more populated as the insurgent is pushed further and further away. Peace seems to be a reality and not an aspiration as it was when I was last in Helmand in the summer of 2008.
11 Squadron are supporting 3 SCOTS Battle Group. I met Lieutenant Chris Judge (in which I had the honour of promoting him to Captain – he celebrated by buying a crate of Pepsi!) and the lads of 3 Troop, who are doing a great job building an important base. 1 Troop are supporting the Estonians and every-one seemed in really good spirits. I also visited Lieutenant Connor Allen along with his man mountain of a Troop Staff Sergeant (Ben Hodgson). Together with 2 Troop they are doing well in one of the main bases preparing it for the onslaught of winter. Lastly, Lieutenant Lawrence Ward with Staff Sergeant Mick „the VW Van master‟ Ennis are preparing for a number of key tasks that will hopefully expand secu-rity in their particular area. All of them are in comfort-able locations, but they have hard days ahead, with many preparing for operations that will see them busy right up until Christmas. It is the first time I‟ve had the opportunity to see them since meeting the Squadron on a cold rainy day in Ballykinler back in early 2011. They are a strong team with a real sense of purpose and pride in everything they do; im-pressive stuff.
20th Armoured Brigade has now assumed responsibility for the operation in Helmand, having taken over from 3 Commando Brigade on Sunday 9 October. As the first Unit to arrive in Afghanistan (6 weeks be-fore the Brigade Headquarters), we already feel like „old sweats‟. That said, you can never understand this place – each day brings a mixture of excitement, frustration, surprise and reflection. We are now well into the tour and are hopefully making a lasting difference. If the resourcefulness, tempo and spirit of what I saw in 11 Squadron over the last few days is anything to go by, then we will indeed leave an enduring legacy in Helmand Province and pave the way for our successors in March 2012.
This is the 6th Edition of T2 (Trojan Times) and I hope it continues to provide an insight into our deploy-ment. Alongside our Regimental Facebook Site, we are actively engaging with the wider family; the friends and relatives of our soldiers who are from all corners of the globe. I sense from the positive and supporting comments on Facebook that our efforts are welcome. It‟s nice to see so many relatives of those in the Regiment following us (943 at last count). It would be great to break the 1000 mark by Christ-mas. Conversely, I know we in Afghanistan draw great comfort from the efforts of the Rear Ops Group. It is not an enviable task – to manage the welfare and needs of the families both in Germany and Northern Ireland. The team has been tested by some demanding incidents and they have delivered the appropriate and timely support to those families who have had their lives irretrievably changed forever. I salute their patience, tenacity and moral courage. Staff Sergeant Davies is our representative in UK. He is the liaison with those parents and loved ones of our injured. A humbling experience, he‟s making sure the injured and their families are cared for 24/7. Suffice to say, he is doing an excellent job.
Please enjoy this edition of T2, and thanks to those who have contributed.
Hello again from Afghanistan! With over a month gone the whole of 29 is doing fantastically well building ammunition bunkers, sangar positions, protective walls to upgrade bases and demolishing compound walls (for a reason!). All around us is busy changing, with our two infantry units beginning to rotate; famil-iar faces from Paderborn and Sennelager are popping up everyday. Being a month ahead is a true morale boost too!
The Squadron continues to work hard, the articles in this edition are testament to that and the work never stops. Helmand had its first rains today and that can only mean one thing – more work for the engineers! We are ready for it but stand by for photos containing mud not sand. Staff Sergeant Jim Snell is doing his best to get as many suitable photos to the press officer for Facebook as quick as possible after tasks to make sure you can all see what we are doing. Which is a lot now we have a seven day working week!
The Squadron main focus has now turned to the Commanding Officer‟s Challenge. You would expect that to be physical but in reality it is a competition to see which Troop in the Regiment can create the most luxurious accommodation area! 5 Troop are seeking to impress with a homemade corner sofa, whilst 6 Troop have built a hammock! With the Commanding Officer visiting all the Troop bases in the next two weeks I suspect this is going to get very competitive. Anything you can send to increase “normality and style” will be greatly appreciated.
Following the serious injury I reported in the previous edition I am pleased to be able to say that Spr Wil-son is now with his family in Birmingham and stable. We have established a link through the Rear Opera-tions Group and are able to update the guys out here on a regular basis.
I‟m off out again now to visit 5 Troop whilst the Squadron Sergeant Major goes to see both 4 Troop and 6 Troop. Rest assured that a Facebook update and photos will follow soon.
Take care back home. We all look forward to the pictures and stories from the next Sunday lunch and any family trips, especially after the success of Hollywood Safari.
Si Carvel
Page 3
Bangs in SHAPARAK
Spr Michael Franklin – 5 Tp
The five day task at CP Shaparak(SHP) was to clear a tree line and two compound walls to the south of the CP. This clearance would improve the freedom of movement and fields of view for the sangars. With-out us (5 Troop, 29 Armd Engr Sqn, Royal Engineers) completing this task, there would be an increased threat from small arms fire (SAF) and the insurgents planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
Day 1
It was an early start as we had to be ready at the HLS with all our personal equipment, plus all of the engi-neering equipment, which we would need to complete the task. Once on board the Chinook it was a short flight from Patrol Base (PB) 2 to Check Point (CP) Shaparak. As soon as we arrived, we dropped our per-sonal kit and immediately started preparing the chainsaws. This would enable us to use them as soon as the BRIMSTONE search team cleared the surrounding area of any IEDs. Their job was as important as anyone‟s, because the area which we were about to work in was seen as a Vulnerable Area (VA) where the insurgents could place IEDs.
Unfortunately, to clear a VA takes a lot of time so by the time the search team had finished, we had al-ready lost half of the day. We were quick to get out of the CP because every minute was needed before the sun went down. Within 3 hours we had cut down half of the tree line which ran north to south, which we had predicted would take a full day, so were feeling fairly pleased with ourselves. The last tree of the day would prove to be the biggest challenge, it was larger than the rest and would need some extra work before felling. When that tree finally came down it put a smile on everyone‟s face, especially Sapper Rosie as he spent the best part of 30 minutes trying to cut it down. Work then ceased for the day as the sun be-gan to set. We headed back to CP Shaparak, conducted a quick prep of the chainsaws and refuelled ready for the second day.
Day 2
Day 2 continued in the same way as Day 1, we waited for the search team to clear the area and then cracked on felling trees along the edge of an irrigation ditch. Once we had completed on one side of the irrigation ditch we had to head back to CP Shaparak to conduct some maintenance on the chainsaws which allowed the search team to get ahead. As soon as they were repaired we were back on the case of cutting more trees, this time we had to cross the irrigation ditch and cut the trees on the opposite side. After a full day on task we were all absolutely knackered, soaked in sweat and covered in sawdust with a few thorns in places you would rather not have them. We headed back to CP Shaparak to prepare for day 3. C Company, 1 Rifles, were great hosts. Whilst we prepared explosives and repaired the chainsaws, they cooked the evening meal for us as well as themselves. They didn‟t have to do it so it was very much appreciated.
Page 4
Day 3
This was going to be the more interesting part of the task because every Sapper likes to blow things up and in this case it was 40m of compound wall. We left CP Sharapak following the search team and with an infantry multiple who were to act as our cordon for the task. Once at the compound we quickly started placing charges into wall. This was tiring, cutting boreholes for the explosive charges. Once the charges were placed and ready to be fired, we reeled out the firing cable and retired to the safe area where we could fire the Demolition. We then waited for clearance to fire from SSgt Harris. Once the order was given, Spr Mathieson initiated the charges which was followed by a huge explosion causing a massive dust cloud, unsur-prisingly, as we used over 35kg of ex-plosives. We made our way back to the wall to have a quick photo before retiring back to CP Sharapak.
Day 4
We had saved the best day until last with lots more big bangs. We headed out again with the search team leading and the infantry in support. Once on site we began to set the charges on another compound wall. This was hot and sweaty work, which wasn‟t helped by the thick corn crop and the locals flooding the fields just before our arrival. These two walls had over 70kg of explosives placed in them. Whilst setting out the firing cable we heard gun fire near by. This was followed quickly by machine gun fire from one of the sangars in CP Sharapak and 30 seconds later by mortars landing on the enemy position. We quickly fired the charges which shook the CP and completely destroyed the wall. Now the CP could see into an area which provided cover for the insurgents. We went back into the CP Sharapak to prepare the final task; explosive tree felling which went to plan and took only an hour to complete.
Returning to CP Sharapak, we packed our equipment ready to extract back to PB 2 the following morning. Another early start and a short helicopter flight saw us back in PB 2 ready for our next task in just two days time.
Page 5
Demolition complete!
Getting the charges ready to remove another compound
Life in 29’s Motor Transport World
LCpl Craig Singleton – Ech
The Motor transport (MT) section of the Squadron is a very busy department. It is our responsibility to maintain the vehicle fleet, upkeep documentation and comply with theatre specific legislation. The new fleet now consists of Husky, Wolfhound, Mastiff, Self Loading Dump Truck (SLDT), Protected Plant and Armored Support Vehicles, not forgetting the quad bikes which appear to be every ones favorite - I don‟t know why?.
Since I have been in theatre, it has been my responsibility as the Motor Transport representative to ensure that all documents are up to date and ensure they are road worthy and maintain the fleet on Camp Bas-tion. This has been a thoroughly challenging role that has broadened my knowledge of my trade. Working with the Technical Quarter Master Sergeant (TQMS) Sgt Jimmy „The Estonian Uncle Fester‟ Bellis and Cpl Phil „Lurch‟ Collins has been a joy. Each day presents us with a new challenge although our biggest task so far has been plugging the holes in our porta-cabin during the recent rain. Turns out it had more holes than a shower head! The other evening we were spectators of a spectacular lightning storm. The remainder of the night saw us taking shelter as the heavens opened. You can guess what we were about to be greeted with when we went to the office the following morning. The office was soaked. We ended up having to place buckets around to catch the drops followed by a re-arrangement of the furniture for the third time!
The day to day running has been steady, with demands coming in from the Troops to have spares sent forward to them. This can range from small items like mirrors to large items such as a vehicle. This usually means having to demand the parts and then to arrange for them to go forward to the PBs. This is achieved either by air move or by road.
Page 6
Just a few of the vehicles MT look after
Our other responsibility is looking after the Plant (diggers). Sgt Bellis takes great pride in this as the Squadron Plant Sgt. I think he has OCD, he goes berko (crazy) when a plant vehicle is not in line with the others. So Cpl Phil Collins and I realign the fleet but we normally do this task at night just to make it a little more interesting in the morn-ing. At the end of the day, you hear the cry from Jimmy “Right lads, it‟s time for scoff, Lights out and let‟s go!” By this stage he has already walked half the way to the can-teen when you here him shout “My day glow belt!” A fluo-rescent belt which you have to wear at night in Camp Bas-tion. As soon as we get changed into sports kit and relax you can guarantee the call will come and we will be re-quired back up the yard. Here we go again....
Page 7
Sorry...............you want to take a picture of me?
Do I look as cool as the guy on the quad
bike?
BRIMSTONE 42
29 Armd Engr Sqn - HERRICK SEARCH TEAM (HST)
The original date of deployment on Op Herrick 15 was 20 Sep, so it came to be a bit of a shock when I was told I would be flying back to UK on 24 Aug and Afghanistan 25 Aug, especially as I was still in Tur-key on holiday with my family. Not all bad however because we did manage to miss the big final exercise with the infantry.
We arrived in Bastion to see some very happy faces, as those on HERRICK 14 were finally coming leav-ing. We completed the 5 Days of RSOI that you have already heard about then started our Role Specific Training (RST) for another 5 days. I was shadowed by Lt Wyatt who was coming to the end of his tour as we pro-gressed through 1 day of briefings and then completed 4 search tasks to prove that we as a team were safe and confident in our own skills. Cpl Sam Petit, a search team comd, (his dad was my old SSM in 4AES a few years ago) passed on some top tips to the searchers. Once that was completed and QMSI Mark Gotsell was happy with every-thing we had one day of battle procedure be-fore deploying to PB 5 NES(S) with K Coy (Black Knights) 42 Commando Royal Ma-rines.
That night we went for a Pizza Hut as we knew it might be quite a while until we came back to Bastion. The helicopter was leaving at 0830 the following morning so we were up at 6am packed ready to go to the flight line. We must have looked like tramps with the amount of search equipment and personal kit we had, so it took longer to load and unload our kit from the heli-copter than the actual flight time. We even had time to shake hands with our very own Ops Officer, Capt Gleave who was off to Lashkar Gag that morning on a different flight. Arriving in PB 5, we were met by a Colour Ser-geant from the marines who booked us in and gave us a brief about camp life. Duties included, sentry duty, clean-ing up and combat engineering tasks around the PB to help out within the camp.
Arriving on Thu 8 Sep we quickly settled into camp rou-tine and met the Company Headquarters. The first task quickly arrived…was it a search job? no, can we build the ANA a small gym. After a quick brief, I handed the job over to Cpl Steve „secretly keen‟ Natali and, with the team raring to go, a heave and dip bars were built. The ANA helped out and were keen to show how strong they were, although they then took a liking to Spr Jim „he is ready‟ Wilson. He later admitted that he would never go down
Page 8
Unfortunately the only thing missing is the no tax free
Surprise visitor for the grand opening of
the new Gym
Our first proper job occurred on a „normal‟ day when one of the patrols found a command wire not far from PB 5. We were driven down to the area and after asking the soldiers on the ground some questions it was time to find out if our training was effective. After a brief from Sgt „Flash‟ Gordon the team commander told Spr „Scouse‟ Norton he would be lead man on the task. After arriving back into the incident control point he then said that he was alright before lighting yet another cigarette. Looking at him he was shaking even more than he had before the task. The rest of the team found this very amusing and which lightened the mood although I did have to tell Spr Jim „he is ready‟ Wilson to relax once he got out of the Mastiff. He instantly took a knee and was providing over watch of the rear vehicle even though we had a soldier on top cover and a check point about 200m away. Capt Torbett our operator had made safe the device so we moved back as the light was fading fast and we needed to find out the football scores.
The next day we had to complete a high assur-ance search of a local school. Leaving at first light and arriving at the school we were greeted by some local children. One of the lads gave them some sweets and the kids then spent all day wait-ing for some more. My search second in com-mand LCpl (Ash) Godfrey also decided to give one of the local children a pen. The local boy later wanted to swap colours so thinking he would be kind he offers the other colour but the boy snatches the second pen out of his hand and runs away laughing. Lesson learned from task 1 - don‟t give them anything of your own! We arrived back in camp for a well deserved shower and some food. Our hosts K Company have greeted us with open arms but they do have some strange say-ings, everything is hoofing, we drink wets, cook in the galley and we don‟t even want to know what going ashore is, it all takes a bit of getting used to.
Sgt Flash Gordon
Herrick Search Advisor
Page 9
Peek - a - Boo
Where’s the 2IC’s Hat?
Dear readers,
The Squadron 2IC (Capt Cameron) owns an army style base ball cap complete with Piper and Engineer Flashes. This cap did not fancy staying within the confines of JOB BSN and wanted to spread its wings to go where no other cap has gone before and visit the troops on the ground. The 2IC is anxious to know its whereabouts so if you have seen this cap on its travels, send your answers in on a postcard to SSgt Snell and a reward may be coming your way!
Page 10
The cap is traumatised by the defeat of the Scots by
the English
The cap is having a good time with these
gnomes.
37 Armoured Engineer
Squadron
Officer Commanding’s Foreword
We've had a really busy and successful couple of weeks since the last Trojan Times and almost every one
of our trades has been tested over the period. With the arrival of the final one of us, the Squadron is now
complete (thanks for coming Cpl Crease!). Time is flying by and by the time you read this the start of the
R&R period will soon be upon us.
I was delighted by the success of our first armoured engineer operation in support of the Danish forces.
You can read all about it below, but it has been good times for the armoured engineer legends. In the
north, work has continued at high tempo to deliver new camps and upgrade old ones in some challenging
circumstances and the initiative, hard work and mettle being shown there is humbling to see. Elsewhere
across the whole of our area, the story is similar, combat engineer heroes and plant gods delivering roads,
buildings and sangars in over 10 locations. The Squadron is pulling together well and it is a privilege to be
here as a part of it.
I wanted to focus this week's foreword on the Bastion based team. An almost thankless task the team
based here are responsible for coordinating all the resources, vehicles and equipment support across our
area - some 300 square kilometres. Led ably by the Squadron QM - Capt Joe 'Apple Mac' Monaghan it is
a strong team that have now begun to really master their role and provide some excellent support forward
- you will see how life is for them in the anonymous article below. I am hugely grateful for their exceptional
hard work.
And of course the ops room team who have done sterling work rebuilding the whole radio communications
plan so we can now talk to all our sites using radios, rather than relying on the unreliable network of com-
puters all the time; good work tac troop. Capt Dominic 'Card Games for One' Riley maintains a steady
hand on the Squadron and holds the whole operation together (I'll get them to do an article for the next
newsletter).
I hope this edition of the 'Times' finds you all well at home and time is going by quickly for you also. I trust
you will have seen the short blogs that are now going on the Facebook site as well as the photos. For the
wives and partners please do not hesitate to get in touch with Sgt Sean Killen on the rear operations
group if you have any issues you need assistance with, and as ever please do let me know if there is any-
thing we can do from here. Take care of yourselves.
Guy Boxall
Page 11
Page 12
Armoured Engineers on Tour
LCpl Smith and Spr Ashby, 7 Tp, 37 Armd Engr Sqn
Upon arrival in Camp Bastion 37 Armd Engr Sqn received the handover of two TROJANs from 26 Armd
Engr Sqn. The two crews of Cpl “Ginge” Dodson, LCpl “Smudge” Smith, Spr Ashby and Cpl “Otter” Rob-
erts, Spr "Thomo" Thompson and Spr ”Muscles” Atkinson took control of the Armoured Support Group.
The tanks were a little worse for wear. Gruelling “track bashing” sessions then followed; complete with
tops off which allowed the all important bronzing to begin!
After a couple of weeks maintenance we were told
that we would be deploying in support of the Danish
infantry to carry out route clearance. The move for
the op proved challenging logistically and due to the
vast amount of stores that the tanks require, not to
mention that the navigational skills of Cpl Roberts
were pushed to the limits which resulted in him ask-
ing for directions (to the front gate of Camp BAS-
TION!!!). Upon arrival to MOB PRICE a special rela-
tionship was formed between Spr “Muscles” Atkinson
and Cfn Pullon, forming team “Mullon” (like Jedward
only better) complete with daily team high fives.
Some would say that this has brought the REME and
RE closer together in more ways than one!
Boys being boys!
A local Afghan boy watches 7 Tp hard at work
Page 13
Then received orders for our op. This involved both crews moving forward to the area of a large local vil-
lage with two Danish Infantry Companies. Our job was to support the Danish infantry by ploughing safe
lanes and providing route clearance between compounds and the green zone for operations to com-
mence. During the op Cpl “Otter” Roberts‟ crew safely ploughed a lane allowing the Danish Leopard
tanks to move onto the high ground with no incidents. The op went smoothly apart from minor damage to
the mine plough on Cpl “Ginge” Dodson‟s tank, which was rectified by a quick pit stop at PB CLIFTON.
Following this we then moved back to MOB PRICE, through the desert, under the leadership of our Troop
Commander Lt Antony “the Coleface” Cole.
Once back, just as the post op maintenance was about to begin on the tanks, Cpl “Otter” Roberts got so
excited that he had Wifi again that he managed to set off both of his internal engine bay fire extinguishers,
resulting in a broken tank and a few days of work for REME. Cpl Roberts has since been replaced by Cpl
“Turk” Stevens as there was a sudden need for his fire fighting capabilities elsewhere. We are now look-
ing forward to our next Op and the competition to decide who the most superior member of team “Mullon”
is.
Thumbs up for a job
well done!
Page 14
‘Panzers vorwarts’
SSgt 'Nighthawk' Scott, 37th
Panzers
Operation TUFAN SHAH 3 saw the deployment of the Armoured Support Group (ASG) roll out the gate in
its medium configuration in support of the
Danish Infantry Battalion (DANBAT) for a
week in the desert to give the Danish
some heavy British Tank support... oh,
and freedom of movement.
After Lt Cole RE gave us the duty „heads
up‟ and notice to move, we were soon on
our way across the desert (awesome
tank country!). Troopy decided to split
the ASG in half so we could still support
both rifle Companies (Coys) with some
„Sapper Steel‟. One of those halves
commanded by SSgt (The Nighthawk)
Scott moved forward a few days before
the mission began to support C Coy.
After we arrived in Patrol Base CLIFTON
(yes the tanks were still working!) we had
orders from C Coy and it was great to
see a bit of „Inter-operability‟ with the
Danish using British standard operating procedures (SOPs)…. i.e. have twenty O Groups, roll out the gate
in a hurry then sit around for five hours
wondering why nothing is happening!
The TROJAN (Cpl A-J Roberts com-
manding) had a cracking task to get
his teeth into; namely plough through
an Enemy minefield, down a hillside
worse than Breacon, through a corn-
field up to a canal, with trees either
side, drop two fascines into the canal
and bust down a wall on the far bank.
There is always time for
a brew!
The brew finished, back to work it
is!
Page 15
Company orders gave us three hours to complete this mission; we surprised the Danish (and Troop
Staffy) by getting the crossing open… in under an hour!
The only drama we had was the fact the TROJAN had a mine-plough attached to the front, and we
needed a dozer blade to bust the wall down on the far bank….instead of taking an hour to swap front end
equipment on the tank, Nighthawk's cunning plan was to „promote in the field‟ the REME CRAAV to Trojan
AVRE status for the duration of the task (ok I cheated, but so did Rommel).
Needless to say, the crossing flew in. The Danish tracked vehicles crossed our „bridge‟ and roared off into
the village to support their dismounted troops. It was awesome to see, that no matter where the insurgents
hide, the ASG can bridge any stretch of water to let our infantry comrades approach from any angle.
The other half of the troop with Troopy Cole leading; only 500m away so we could support each other (in
case of any unexpected breakdowns!); was also doing a spot of ploughing. Cpl Dodson's AVRE was
making safe lanes for Danish Infantry fighting vehicles in the high ground to provide over watch, they also
put the TROJAN's „Fist‟ (Excavator) to good use gaining „safe entry to a compound‟ where the infantry
would bed down for the night.
During the mission, we ploughed up four IEDs. We left the Danish call signs to go back to their PBs with
the shouts of „WELL DONE STEEL‟ ringing in our ears.
Scratch one to ASG.
A young local boy is very confused by Sponge Bob square
pants - Maybe Sponge Bob has not made it to Afghanistan
yet.
Danish Base Upgrade
Spr Pascoe, 8 Tp, 37 Armd Engr Sqn
23 Section set off from PB RAHIM in two HUSKYs full of all our tools and kit for the task ahead at PB
BRIDZAR. We arrived at the Danish camp of PB CLIFTON where we would be staying for the duration of
the tasks. Once all the tents and power were set up, we made the most of our free time playing Mario
Kart.
On the first day the civilian plant arrived, which was a small version of a medium wheeled tractor and
about 20 years old! It wasn‟t the best but we made the most of it on our first task, which was to strip out
an elevated sangar and rebuild it, as the ground was falling away from underneath it. This was the hard-
est day of the task and everyone felt it, shovelling with body armour and helmet on all day. By the end of
the day all we had left to do was take down the framework, this meant the most challenging bit was defi-
nitely done.
We stripped out the rest of the
framework and levelled the
ground ready to rebuild the ele-
vated sangar. The toughest
thing about it was trying to com-
municate with the civilian plant
which ended up being a lot of
waving around and pointing!
The Commanding Officer of 35
Engineer Regiment visited
BRIDZAR just to make sure we
weren‟t working too hard! Our
OC Major Boxall was with him
and was puzzled to why we
were rebuilding the Sangar
when there were Sangar‟s on
either side of it. After speaking
to the Danes and Troopy he
found out it was just a 'stand to'
position, meaning that it wasn‟t
very important, so he told us we didn‟t have to rebuild it. That was definitely the most popular he has ever
been as no one was looking forward to carrying 10000 sand bags by hand to fill the Sangar back up again!
So we built a HESCO wall and packed away the elevated sangar ready for its next task.
Page 16
Rambo?!?!?! Is that you?
The next big task was to build a road through PB BRIDZAR. We laid TERRAM and GEO grid which was
almost ripped out by a Danish tank but we managed to stop it just in time! It was then down to the
'planties' to cover it up with the 22 wagon loads of stone that were delivered. While half the section got on
with the road there were other small jobs such as repairing HESCO and shoring up some of the mud huts
that were still standing on the camp.
The last task was to „tidy up‟ the
burns pit which was just outside the
back of camp. We smashed it all
down and started again with level
stoned ground and fresh HESCO
around the edges, covered in corru-
gated iron to protect it from the
flames. It looked good when we
had finished as did all the jobs, just
another days work for 8 Troop 37
AES. The final job will be fitting the
front entrance with gates which are
still getting made; so it looks like a
days rest and onto our next task.
I can confirm reports that our Troop Commander Lt Abbott is seriously missing his hair dryer but it's ok as
PB 385 construction undertaken by 22 Section, 8 Troop including myself, quickly became known as “PB
Cooper”, after a hard days messing up a simple task with the destruction-derby dumpers; supplied by local
contractors, which all turned up at once, and make Friday on the M25 look like a walk in the park; we fi-
nally got the task underway!
The first sangar was constructed by the end of the second day, and was more exciting than we anticipated
as an ANP sentry felt the need to express his happiness by firing a round over our heads, in reaction to
which we bravely hid behind the nearest semi-filled HESCO, demonstrating heroic commando rolls in the
process.
As if communication wasn‟t difficult enough at times in English, I had to use my 6-year old equivalent
Pashto skills to liaise with the civilian contractors, although I usually made myself clear, talking slowly and
loudly. Pointing a lot seemed to pay off for everyone else in the Troop, especially on the frequent occa-
sion of a certain light-wheeled tractor operator happily doing his own thing. This earned him the not so fa-
voured nickname “Cheggars”, which he seemed to take in his stride.
The native language worked better with more complex points that you can‟t make by pointing and shout-
ing, and also stacking commands so that we didn‟t have to constantly tell each operator where to go and
when. But more commonly when approached by a contractor who wanted something, whether it was the
food we were eating or the kit we were wearing. As time went by they wanted more and more, and myste-
riously knew English when they didn‟t get what they wanted (to my personal dismay, having spent days
frantically translating!)
Spr Bond however seemed to
have no trouble with the language
barrier, as after being presented
with a rat in a bottle one Thursday
evening, joined the civilians in their
tent for “tea” and continued to do
so on several other occasions.
Neither Spr Bond nor I however
could attain any information on the
suspicious trio lurking just outside
camp one night, but after an op the
next morning we discovered that
the locals had merely been steal-
ing HESCO knives.
On the Whole PB 'Cooper' went
smoothly with a few learning
curves throughout the ranks, and
was a good experience personally,
in both the construction and the
Pashto aspect.
Page 18
A well deserved rest for one
member of 8 Troop
OP 288 – 23-29 September 2011 LCpl Monaghan, Section 2IC 9 Tp, 37 Armd Engr Sqn 25
“Eight men walked up a hill – they climbed down a mountain.”
Mid morning on 23rd
September at the wheel of his medium wheeled tractor, Cpl Anderson led the mem-
bers of 25 Section under the cover of American convoy out to their first task - perched on the high ground
in the desert lay the ISAF position known as OP 288, a bare skeleton that was badly in need of an up-
grade. The situation was desperate, an open triangle of HESCO walls on the verge of collapse, vehicles
having to be used as sangars and 'wag bags' were in short supply.
Immediately work began. Eight moustachioed (regulation sized we promise OC) Engineers leapt from
their vehicles and got stuck into the task, ripping out an old wall and throwing in its replacement by the end
of the first day. Working from first to last light (thanks to the ever reliable Anderson alarm clock) vast im-
provements were made each day.
Under a week later, the memories of the shabby foxhole were forgotten as 25 Section handed over a new
stronghold. OP 288 now stood proudly at the peak of the mountain created by the work of the MWT and
the baby of the section, the bobcat affectionately named as „Wall-E‟ by LCpl 'Easy' Lay. Razor wire sur-
rounded four thick HESCO walls containing accommodation, toilets and showers for the snipers on station
inside. Two sangars stood climbing into the Helmand sky accompanied by the menacing WARRIOR and
its 20mm cannon crouched in the new tank sangar.
The tired, dusty and now heavily bearded members (we had no water to shave, genup OC!) of 25 Section
left on the evening of 29th September for FOB OUELLETTE, proud of the fact that their first job had been
completed to the highest standard, and hungry for the tasks to come.
Page 19
Nice tache!
Page 20
Construction of CP BARAY
By members of 7, 8 & 9 Troop: Spr Holcombe, 9 Tp, 37 Armd Engr Sqn
At the end of September, personnel from across 37 Squadron headed out on the ground for a seven day
task to build CP BARAY, for a multiple of 2 Mercians. The main bulk was from 8 and 9 Troop, but LCpl
Harris was proudly flying the 7 Troop flag!
The task consisted of building a 70m by 65m HESCO compound with
various life support components inside and some living comforts for the
infantry multiple. Under the supervision of Cpl Vinante, an armored me-
dium wheelie along with a large number of civilian plant vehicles driven
by local Afghans were set to work.
The task started with a lot of ground works to level out the site, ready for
the compound to be built upon so the field troops could get to work lay-
ing and filling the new perimeter wall. Two sangars were put in to op-
posing corners and vehicle platforms were put in to the two other cor-
ners to give 360 degree vision and arcs of fire around the Patrol Base,
which overlooks the main road running through our area.
Internal dog legs were put in to separate tent areas and we constructed
two small roofed areas for ammunition and fuel storage. Toilets and
showers were constructed back at the FOB by „top-chippy‟ Spr Mitchell
and delivered down
to the task site ready
-made. These were
placed on a French
drain dug out by the Ghurka-led Afghan plant opera-
tors.
The task was hard work with early starts and late fin-
ishes, usually spending most of the day in full protec-
tive equipment. The entire compound, built from
scratch, was completed within a six and a half day pe-
riod, ending with the Mercian platoon sergeant happy
that they had somewhere comfortable to spend the
next 6 months.
One way to test the showers!
9 Troop definitely NOT posing for a photo
It Just Happens…Apparently!
Part Two G4
What‟s going on in the G4 world 7 weeks in? We looked at the story line of what was going to follow the
few words of our trip over here and rude introduction to the sun and moon dust and decided it could be a
bit dull. So this edition has turned into a bit of a blog of what‟s going on and who‟s doing what this week.
As the first, all-new G4 blog it‟s appropriate to introduce you to some of the multi-national, multi-cultural
and multi-lingual team of 37 Armd Engr Sqn‟s G4 Dept. We‟ll randomly introduce them over the next cou-
ple of weeks and let you know what their speciality is, or what may have gone a little wrong for them re-
cently.
The first few weeks saw the SQMS, SSgt Dickie Page and Cpl Billy Suksiri, our MT NCO (who we can
never find) drag the QM (kicking and screaming by the way) down to the Crew Training School (CTS)
where a few of the guys and girls undertook yet more driver training. We „had to‟ do a quad bike course…
what are the chances of that happening? Let me tell you it‟s about 1800:1 and we „had to‟ do it, which
was very reasonable actually. The instructor was a lad who enjoyed the riding and not so much of the
teaching part which was fine by us.
We‟ll start with Glass-Eye, who was affectionately named because he can actually talk a glass eye to
sleep; Fact. Although very careful at work, he has unfortunately caused a few injuries; a great guy who
has a lot to mumble about. I think the record for listening to his stories of the Royal Signals and transfer-
ring to The Corps, before putting the entire room to sleep is 3 min 47 seconds. We‟ve had to enforce
„seating only‟ for his stories, to prevent guys banging their heads on chairs and tables as they fall to the
floor like dominoes.
Talking of falling off chairs, the QM has had a board put under his rolling swivel chair because there his
floor is so uneven. Proud of his new board and newly ac-
quired chair, he stood up to admire the freshly gutted and
„clean-swept‟ department. The belligerent new chair freely
rolled away downhill on its new board; the QM sat down,
missed the chair and took a seat on the floor…nobody really
laughed of course. He still insists it was Glass-Eye telling
another story.
The guy looking after the vehicles and diggers is SSgt „Si‟
Anderson. He‟s affectionately nick-named Mr. Burns (from
The Simpsons) for his serious, dour and smile-free approach
to life in general. He flies around the areas checking plant
tasks and vehicles liberally spreading his experience like
confetti. He can crack a smile though and was definitely
seen smiling last Thursday afternoon.
Page 21
SSgt ‘Si’ Anderson attempting a smile -
unfortunately he just cant quite get it!
Page 22
Another one of the gang is „V‟. „V‟ because we can‟t pronounce his name; no, it‟s Vikas. He‟s recently
joined us and is learning the ropes very quickly. He also has many other talents, one of which we found
out the other day. Contractors work in many places over here and the vehicle wash down point is one of
them. Although you‟d usually sit in a queue for an hour or two, „V‟ gets in, gets the guys to wash the vehi-
cle and back out again in 15 minutes. How‟s that we asked? „V‟ speaks Hindi and has a knack for getting
laidback contractors to jump. This is a brilliant tool and one he now uses regularly.
V‟s talent didn‟t help much though as he excitedly took his first helicopter flight out to a Patrol Base to
„drop off‟ a bag of spares. He
landed and was told by the crew
that he had 5 minutes. He ran off
the heli‟ to find the person to hand
over the bag to, only to look back
in despair at the heli‟ taking off into
the night. Luckily, a very, very
long two minutes later the escort
chopper spun round dropping in to
collect an ever-so slightly flustered
„V‟.
It‟s been a bit of a tough week for
the late-night heli‟ deliveries. The
last two sadly failed. One was
cancelled due to a sand storm and
the next one Cpl Robertson got
chucked off because the Merlin
couldn‟t get off the ground. With
„Robbo‟ off, the chopper‟s crew
and passengers all went on their
merry way. Extremely unreasonable we feel.
There are a few „Rais‟, so let‟s tell you about Karma-Raj, another talented multi-linguist. He is often heard
saying „jabba jabba jabba sandbag jabba jabba‟, and actually gets a lot more than just sandbags. Quite
odd; but very clever. He‟s basically the Squadron‟s builder‟s yard and if he hasn‟t got it, he probably
knows a Ghurkha, Engineer or local who has. He‟s also the resident PTI; a Ghurkha PTI. That hurts,
trust me! He also operates the forks, although he avoids it nowadays. Last time he was driving to the fuel
point, he was asked to do „a quick job‟ for someone. An extremely kind-hearted guy, (except for PT) he
did it and whilst driving back past where he started, the forks stopped like it fell asleep. With Glass Eye
nowhere to be seen, he soon sussed that it had ran out of fuel…faulty fuel gauge of course. The QM was
doing one of his „walkabouts‟ where he probes into everything asking what seem like random questions;
the SQMS was informed and rapidly gaining more grey hair, he very cleverly diverted the QM away from
the forks. I guess he‟ll know why though…right about now.
Talking of the SQMS, sadly Dickie‟s not well at the moment, even though he‟s taken a stealthy approach
to Op-MASSIVE. I say stealthy as it was a secret until he disabled himself by putting his back out when
trying to get the lid off the Muscle MAX Powder tub! Unlucky; get well soon.
The first helicopter flight for members of the G4 team
Page 23
The Movement SNCO is SSgt Tony McDermott.
He too has a secret, although he will know about
now that it‟s not a secret. It wasn‟t really a secret
at all until his over zealous weight loss pro-
gramme took him within an inch of wasting away
to nothing, after chomping his Slim-Fast pills
faster than a chubby kid in a sweet shop.
Spr „G‟ Sealy is another one of the crew who
went out on a flying trip with the QM around
some of the PBs and FOBs. Being a guy from
the sea shores and sun blessed islands, he
thought it best to go to the trouble of having a
bag shower before the next flight and stop off.
Fresh out of the shower and kitted up again, he
went down to the helipad with the QM chuckling
by his side. Not having been picked up from a
small desert helipad by a Merlin before, he was
more than horrified to find gravel, stones and lots more chucked at him from the down-draught as the
chopper came in. Let‟s just say he and the QM were the same colour that night and he was picking sand,
stones, chickens and goats out of every orifice and pocket possible for days. We all live and learn and
this was a very reasonable lesson.
Finally, the part you have all been waiting for, the QM‟s Top Tips:
1. You can always tell when the OC‟s away for the night because the 2IC
is in his tracksuit at the phone conference call.
2. Always put a pencil under the wheels of your office chair when parked
on a slope.
3. When the gauge says empty – it is usually pretty empty and the engine
will stop!
4. When you‟re told it‟s a „tail-gate-drop-off‟, don‟t get off the helicopter; it‟s
a long walk back.
5. If you‟re new to Op MASSIVE, get someone else to open the plastic tub
of bionic powder.
Take care, we‟ll see some of you soon…until next time, remember, “24/7 - G10 for Men” (and some girls).
Members of the G4 team living the high life
The QM looking busy
44 HQ & SP SQN NEWS
Officer Commanding Foreword
We are all now well into our stride in support to the Field Squadrons and the wider Engineer Group. Some of the luckier members of the Squadron have been able to break up their working week by deploying out of Camp Bastion, be it in support to Engineer tasks or facilitating the movement of the CO around all the Engineer Group task sites in Helmand.
The Engineer Resources Node has been joined by Sgt „Simmo‟ Simpson and his band of merry men who are with us until about Christmas time, this team is made up from various Engineer units based in the UK and Northern Ireland. The team has the unenviable task of counting all the items held within the re-sources compound. They have in excess of 1,000 ISO containers (metal shipping containers) full of stores that require stocktaking. Aside from the stocktaking task the Resources Node attached from 28 Engineer Regiment continues to push stores forward at a relentless pace to ensure that the Field Squad-rons have the materiel on site to enable them to complete priority tasks on time. The Resources Node is ably led by Capt „Stu‟ Macpherson and WO2 „CSI, Gareth‟ Martin who ensure that the Resourses Node functions at maximum output whilst also maintaining the balance of downtime for their team.
The Deployable Engineer Workshop (DEW) has now had an uplift in tradesman manpower, fully sup-ported by the Field Squadrons, to ensure that tasks involving artisan skills are completed to the deadlines set by the Field Squadrons. The DEW manager is WO2 „Deggsy‟ Smith who is attached to the Regt from 75 Engineer Regt (V), 107 Field Squadron (V) based in Birkenhead. It was very therapeutic to hear that he is the oldest man in the Regt and not me…… Well done Deggsy. I will give you a rolling update the other departments within the Squadron next time.
As always, thank you all very much for your continued support and for all the letters and parcels that flood in on a nearly daily basis. I know all the guys and girls appreciate the time and effort made by their fami-lies and friends in an effort to keep in touch with their loved ones out here.
Chris Darke
Page 24
THE DEPLOYABLE ENGINEER WORKSHOP (DEW)
Article by the Q in the DEW
The Deployable Engineer Workshop ( DEW) is located in the resources yard. It is a fully equipped self contained workshop manned by military tradesmen from throughout the Regiment .
The Deployable Engineer Workshop (DEW) is relatively new to theatre, having only been set up on OP HERRICK 13, and fully up and running for the first time during OP HERRICK 14. 44 Headquarter & Sup-port Squadron have now been running the DEW for 3 weeks and are already producing essential items to support Task Force Helmand Engineer Group.
As well as tasks carried over from Op HERRICK 14, our own tasks have started coming in thick and fast. With the DEW having a vast array of trades the jobs that we get in put every tradesman‟s skills to the test. Whether it is a job for the carpenters and joiners, manufacturing weapons racks and shelving units, or tasks for the fabricators and welders, upgrading existing gates or making stands for the UK medical group, there is always a job to be getting on with.
The DEW is made up of a Carpentry Bay, Fabricator Bay, Welder‟s Bay, Fitter Machinist‟s Bay, Building and Structural Finisher‟s Bay, Electrician‟s Bay and a Utilities and Petroleum Bay with a centralised Main Working Area (MWA). For this first month or so of the tour the tasks that came in were relatively small tasks with every tradesman just cracking on with his own task in hand.
One of the down sides to working in the DEW is that the lads have been a victim of their own success. Due to the constant high standards of the work produced word is spreading far and wide, with work re-quests coming in from all four corners of Helmand and from within Camp Bastion ensuring that the lads are working long hours trying to increase the survivability of the front line and improve the lives for the whole Tri-Service community.
Page 25
The DEW team
The DEW is managed by myself WO2 Derek Smith known as “the Q in the DEW” (on the right) with Cpl ”Coops” Cooper known as “the Screw in the DEW” working as the Production SNCO.
The star of the DEW so far has been LCpl “Jedi “Jehu from 29 Squadron, who has specialises in intricate joinery and chatting up female custom-ers from various departments!
However a new arrival, who de-scribes himself as: -“a new ex-tremely hard working and may I say, the very best looking out of the lot!” LCpl Webby Webster from 44 HQ & Sp Sqn.
Page 26
The perfect handshake.
Nice tool belt!
And they call him a poser..............................................surely
not?
Hey kids
Me again and I am not happy. I woke up and found my tent had leaked dur-ing the night, yes leaked and I had to move my bed. Not easy when it is DARKE (not a spelling mistake). Believe it or not the rain came down very heavy and as much as it cooled the place off it has really played havoc with my sunbathing. You would have loved the lightening though it was amazing.
12 October 2011
For the third blog of this trip I have been down to visit members of 44 HQ & Sp Squadron in particular the Combat Support Troop. They were just getting ready to go out driving in their big and very safe vehicles. Whilst I was there I man-aged to find some other mascots.
The first person I saw, was Sgt Al Wells. Al has joined the Squadron from 32 Engineer Regt and is in charge of the Squadrons General Service Bridge build-ing team (ABLE Det). He is also an important member of the Force Protection Multiple. He has several of the guys working for him. They recently built the bridge in 45 minutes in the dark and in full body armour and helmets. Oh and it has been on the TV as it was filmed by BFBS. Al has been given several mas-cots that go on all the trips that Al takes part in. Al would like to send his love to his wife Lee-Anne and his children Erin (9), Callum (7) and Isla (7 months).
The second person that I bumped into was Cpl Si Long-Melton. Si is the senior Plant Operator within the troop and is in charge of lot of equipment that is used to repair and re-build roads, dig waterways, build the base for the bridges to be put on, as well as helping the Combat Engineers to build the fortifications that protect the soldiers inside their camps. Si is also a member of the Force Protection Multiple with the rest of the troop providing a vital role when we deliver stores and equipment to the soldiers. Si would like to send his love to his wife Gemma and his children Jack (7), Hannah (4), Alexander (3) and Emilie- Jayne (8 months).
Now if you remember my last blog, I managed to get a picture with Cheryl Cole. Well this week I have had a picture taken with our very own Cheryl Cole, Capt Jen O‟Conner. Jen is on loan from 28 Engineer Regiment in Hameln. Wel-come to the Regiment Jen.
That‟s it from me for another newsletter I am off to the pizza hut for dinner.
Remember every day they are away is a day closer to coming home.
Ellie OUT x
Page 27
77 TALISMAN SQUADRON NEWS
Officer Commanding Foreword
Friends and family of the TALISMAN Squadron,
Is that another 2 weeks that have gone by? Time continues
to fly here in Helmand Province and the Squadron remains
busy preparing for and conducting operations. As I write this
12 Tp are rolling out the gate to get in place for our eighth Tp
operation. They will be enabling essential replenishment of
remote Patrol Bases in territory that is largely unchartered by
British troops in recent months. They will return in a few days
having cleared the way and provided much needed security
to the teams conducting the resupply and having made a sig-
nificant contribution to those who live and operate from the
remote bases. The other troops will soon be out on the road
again too and are busy planning and preparing for those tasks.
In the margins of preparing for these operations we are all keeping fit through Individual, Troop and
Squadron PT. There has also been the opportunity for some sports including football and volleyball. Our
fitness is pretty important to ensure we can remain alert in our roles while out on the ground for long days,
whether in the vehicles or out searching. No doubt some are also working hard to buff themselves up for
their loved ones back home and the singlies for some R and R or Post Operational Tour Leave (POTL)
beach time. In addition to all this I have at last managed to secure a venue for our “BUFFALO BILLS –
Afghanistan” and when time allows the tradesmen are busy turning that in to a venue for legends!
There is one more thing I want to tell you about this fortnight and that is that.......
“Santa is coming to BASTION”
The QM has kindly agreed to be Santa‟s Liaison Officer and collect all the presents together for him to
give out on Christmas Day. If you would like to have a surprise present (or presents) delivered to your
loved ones via this festive means then please do the following:
Wrap your present as normal in wrapping paper and clearly write the name of the recipient of the pre-
sent in some way.
Package the wrapped present in the normal way (eg. brown paper or a shoe box) and send to:
24836905 Capt R Meakins RE (FAO SANTA)
77 TALISMAN Sqn
TFH Engr Gp
Op HERRICK
BFPO 792
I hope you are all well. We are thinking of you.
Regards,
Major Sam Hughes
Page 28
First Deliberate Op
LCpl Mike Molloy 10 Tp
Op Tor Pishaw 2 was the first deliberate Op for 10 Tp. Pre-deployment preparation began with the drivers
packing their vehicles, the searchers checking their equipment and SSgt 'Rambo' Warren prepping the
ammo, which he certainly did ordering thousands of rounds. Much to the delight of the Mastiff gunners and
LCpl 'Bill' Hill, better too much than too little.
On the morning of the 26th September the troop paraded ready to go. We made our way down the West-
ern Dasht towards PB Pimon with Sgt 'Bizzle' Betts the TSA (Talisman Search Advisor) map reading,
route selecting and no doubt drinking brews.
Sgt Betts lead the way until the going got
tough, at which point the HMEE (High Mobility
Engineers Excavator) was called forward,
LCpl Molloy then lead the way busting
through numerous obstacles with his front
bucket for the rest of the convoy to follow
safely behind. When the route was cleared
Sgt Betts retook the lead at the front of the
packet and led the rest of the way to PB Pi-
mon to collect the terp (interpreter) and onto
CP El Haam to prep for a 3 day search of
route Cornwall.
While setting up for night routine in El Haam
Bdr 'Trav' Travers was helping LCpl
'Dangerous Dave' Walker take the camp cots
off the flat bed, when a moment of madness
occurred, a camp cot slipped from the hands
of Dangerous Dave into Travs mouth! After
some bloodshed and possibly tears, Trav was
taken to PB Wahid medical center where the
Estonian Doctor who probably expected a
worse injury came out exclaiming "JUST ONE
STITCH!!" this resulted in a lot of banter.
Page 29
Looking happy - even with wet feet
On the morning of the 27th the Op began, due to the tight corner coming out of El Haam one man, one
hero Cpl 'Chucky' Gallears dismounted to guide the Talisman fleet onto the road. As we rolled out we
were told the ISTAR (surveillance) asset was down, so after a 500m move and after being watched for a
few hours it was decided it was best to go back to El Hamm, due to his earlier heroics Chuckie then had
the task of reversing us all back.
After another night in El Haam, we started the clearance of route Cornwall the next day. The isolation
team went out, trundling through cornfields, streams, open fields and compounds looking for potential fir-
ing points. Whilst making good progress the isolation found a suspicious compound and what they thought
was a command wire. Lt Stretton punched the air with joy at being the first troop to have a find of the tour
and (apparently) high fived Spr 'Werthers' Day. A further search was carried out but no device was found
the route search continued and finished in good time.
After we had searched route Cornwall we made our way back to PB Shazad for a nights rest ready to
move back to camp Bastion in the morning. During our stay some of the vehicles were parked next to the
Artillery guns which went off late at night, at which point Cpl 'Bri' Blowe screamed "IDF" (Indirect Fire) and
Spr 'Jay' Jamison jumped and rolled into the HMEE bucket for cover. In the morning confused Spr
'Werthers' Day with his bad hearing started to blame LCpl 'Mike' Molloy for the screams which resulted in
Spr Day getting the nickname Werthers, we will see if it sticks.
On return to Bastion via the Western Dasht
another convoy had taken a strike, luckily
the mighty 10 Tp was there to help guide
them back to Bastion lead again by Sgt
'Bizzle' Betts and LCpl 'Mike' Molloy in his
HMEE.
Page 30
An afternoon snooze in the sun
What all the way up there?
11 Tp Article
Spr Sam Baillie
It was a busy week leading up to the next op for 11 Tp. There was a nervous excitement in the air so we
had to be prepared. All kit was prepared, checked and double checked and we finally rolled out of the
gate early in the morning.
Our task was to clear a route for the Estonian
battle-group to conduct offensive action, so it
had the potential to be a bit hairy! Some crack-
ing route selection by our „taser‟ Sgt Eddie Ed-
wards led us to Patrol Base Wahid, a lovely
little bit of Real Estate! Spr „Sid‟ Blanchard
was chuffed to bits to find a life-like drawing of
him at the patrol base! Unfortunately, the only
people to stay there was the Tp Comd and Sgt
Edwards. The rest of us „minions‟ had to bunk
up at a rather hairy place just down the road
called El Haam, our staging point for over-
night.
As this was an Afghan National Army place,
not a lot of sleep was gained that night as se-
curity stags were essential! The next morning
couldn‟t come soon enough so we could crack
on with the task at hand.
Morning soon arrived and we started the task, as the route was very narrow and surrounded by com-
pounds, it was quite challenging and gave you a feeling of claustrophobia. When things weren‟t right, the
searchers started to earn their money on the ground by checking irrigation ditches and suspect areas. As
the shout went up that we had a potential „find‟ of an IED, a random group of Afghan National Police sud-
denly appeared from nowhere and pointed out that it was in fact a „stopper‟ in the end of an irrigation pipe!
Rather than be embarrassed, the lads took heart from their moment of „danger‟ and cracked on.
A long day later and the route was clear, ready for the Estonians to use freely. On the way back to camp,
the confidence, after completing our first deliberate Op, was sky high and all the months of training finally
made some sense!
Page 31
I cant see any similarities???
Page 32
One month done!
Cfn Wainwright
We have now completed our first month of Op Herrick 15, and to be perfectly honest the time is flying by.
It seems like two minutes ago we were still the new guys getting ushered around RSOI. But we are no
longer shadowing anybody, and we‟ve firmly grasped the reins as we continue to put 77 squadrons stamp
on Afghanistan.
The three troops have completed numerous Ops with gleaming praise so it‟s good to see that all the train-
ing we did is paying off, RE, Medics, REME and Artillery are getting the job done together. From a REME
prospective, I don‟t think there‟s a better place to be working in Afghanistan, purely because of the chance
to be part of the Ops and get our boots on the ground.
It‟s great learn to how all the cogs in this green machine work to drive in the same direction. In simple
terms, we keep the vehicles moving, talisman get the route safe, infantry go in and do the job and the
chefs give us all the fuel we need to carry on doing the job well. Although we like to wind each other up,
without any of these cogs turning in the same direction, the job just wouldn‟t get done.
We have a new member of the LAD, CFN Mellam. I finally have someone to watch football with which is
great as the rest of the team follow something called rugby, also, LCpl Walker has decided Op Tash was a
good idea but the colour is unnaturally ginger and its freaking out the kids (no wonder they throw stones at
the S.V!). Quick request can all the wives please send quirky anecdotes in the E-Bluey names E.G Scott
„my little poppet‟ Wainwright, so I can dish out some revenge. Finally, and most importantly, everyone is
safe. And as the wives so often remind us all, only 155 days to go!
Looking well after one month on HERRICK 15
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Lucky Charms
People have all sorts of lucky charms here in Afghanistan. Over the next few editions of The Trojan Times
people will be writing in to tell you about their personal lucky charms. The first one is Charlie the Cheetah.
The Adventures of Charlie the Cheetah
Spr Johno Johnson 12 Tp
Charlie has been with me for about 6 months. He has braved the deserts of Jordan, endured the nightlife
of Paderborn and is now leading the way in Afghanistan. His travel to Afghanistan was very uncomfort-
able however, as he was strapped to the outside of
a bergan and had to put up with the long flight from
the comfort of the cargo hold. Not to be subdued,
he literally took the RSOI package by storm, ensur-
ing the lads were fully prepared for the long brief-
ings and hot sweaty days. Charlie is the troop mo-
rale! With his piercing blue eyes and combat equip-
ment, he is now showing the blokes how to go
about their business but a horror was to behold
Charlie. On return from his first op, he was cruelly
kidnapped and held for ransom. The evil „Pritch‟
subjected him to several days of torture, only to get
no information from him so in the end released him
back to the troop. After a quick cuppa, he is now
ready to fight again for another day!
MASCOT PTI DAVE AND DAVE’S ANGELS
Cpl ‘Bri’ Blowe
PTI Dave has been my friend for many years. He‟s very experienced, serving tours of Bosnia, Iraq and
Afghanistan. He has also completed exercises in Cyprus, Kenya, Belize and, most recently, Jordan. He‟s
been in theatre now for five weeks. He played
the key role in an 8 hour „feet on the ground‟
sketch which he does not like to talk about be-
cause “You weren‟t there man!” He has his own
fan base on social networking sites and has just
successfully filmed his mini-series „Shaz &
Dave‟ which will be aired in the near future. He
has been receiving plenty of support from back
home, like the lads, but unlike the rest of the
troops, he has the advantage of his lady friends
fitting in a shoe box! He is now accommodated
with his 3 lovely ladies of pleasure, “Dave‟s An-
gels.”
Charlie fully ‘cam’d up’ and ready to go
I think Cpl Blowe might wish he was PTI DAVE
Brigade Advisory Group
LCpl Jones
We are now approaching three weeks in PB Jahan Zeb and are still awaiting some arrivals that have not made it to the PB. Cpl Andy „I am a squaddie get me out of here‟ Henderson has been turned away from four flights! LCpl Paul „I am on course‟ Medcraft should hopefully be arriving soon. With them SGT Dom „my gums are sore‟ Cross is returning after a week out of the PB on a course. Our most recent arrival SSgt Rob „I am not doing G4‟ Hardy, joined us after a couple of days doing G4 at camp Tombstone.
In our short time at the PB with have encountered many problems with our vehicle, the Husky. One has been off the road for two weeks awaiting a part to fix an oil leak and the other one has a suspension prob-lem. This lead to LCpl Dave „I have no kit‟ Sinnott being left at Laskhar Gar for five days trying to scrounge anything he could from the QM‟s.
Our time in the PB has highlighted the problems we have to correct before the winter months arrive. A little taste of what is to come was in the form of a thunderstorm followed by two days of on and off rain. It con-firmed what we knew about the galley (cookhouse) roof, not being watertight when the puddles appeared in the morning after the thunderstorm. I refer to it as the galley as our Navy EOD member has taken on the role of chef, as he was a civilian chef, and turned it into his galley! A quick fix solution was put in place until the stores arrive. It also pointed out that some of the accommodation will need to be repositioned due to the floor not being level.
One of the main problems since our arrival has been power. This has made LCpl Watson and I very busy trying to solve the problem. We had a visit from power management based at camp Bastion who could not solve the situation either. After three alternator belts and three fan belts in seven days we have now been authorised a new generator which we await the delivery of and hopefully the days of changing belts at half eleven at night are behind us!
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The main success of the PB since our arrival is the new shower system. The genius idea came from Cap-tain Griffiths, after a lot of explaining and acquiring of parts from anywhere and everywhere we could they are now in working order. The system consists of a raised water bowser, which fills and feeds the boiler situated on the floor. The boiler is a green metal drum placed on two foot pickets, around three sides of the drum are two layers of CGI. In-between the CGI is filled with aggregate to aid in heat insulation. The side of the boiler is open so a tray can slide in and out from beneath the drum; this tray is where the fire is lit and the ashes removed when cooled. When the drum is full and the fire on, the heat rises to the top of the drum, when a shower head is turned on the pressure from the water bowser feeding the drum pushes the hot water out and replaces with cold. This process keeps going until the fire is out and the water is cool. The test run was conducted and was very successful!! The fire was lit just after 18.00 and died down by 19.15. At 20.45 the water was still warm enough to shower and it was more powerful then a trickle from a solar shower!
Overall, we are keeping very busy making improvements to the PB before the winter months arrive, and
trying to establish a good working relationship with the ANA Engineers so our advising role can take place
and have a good effect on tasks sites.
Page 41
Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) have arrived!
Capt Mike Gledhill
The arrival of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF), on Op Herrick 15, last week has come as a relief
to the men of Recce Troop. Separated from their parent unit of 35 Engineer Regiment, the past nine
months has seen the team of 6 being put through their paces. Now in Afghanistan they are keen to get
stuck and feel well prepared for the next six months.
Based out of the BRF Camp with in Camp Bastion, the Team is led by Captain Mike „Gledders‟ Gledhill, a
colonial from South Africa and
avid supporter of the Springbok
Rugby team, much to the dis-
gust of the predominately
Welsh BRF. He is backed up by
the likes of Sgt „Chalkie‟ White,
Sgt „Razor‟ Ruddock and finally,
the man on loan from 77 Sqn,
Sgt „Cal‟ Stewart. Together they
provide the specialist Engineer
Reconnaissance capability that
the BRF require to carry out
their job. The rest of the team is
made up of LCpl „Chris‟ Carr,
whose quirky humour has lifted
morale on many a dark time,
and finally, a late comer to the
BRF, Spr Denton. Together,
they are two invaluable mem-
bers that complete the team,
providing their own engineer
knowledge and expertise.
As with all new arrivals in Afghanistan, the BRF engineers were amazed by the small city that is Camp
Bastion. Much has changed in Camp Bastion over the past few years, and those that were here before
really noticed how different it has all become. From the large queues at Pizza Hut, predominately filled by
the US Marine Corps ‟HUA‟, to the cold Frappuccinos in the coffee shop. It is all quite civilised. A far cry
from those serving in the many Check points and Patrol Bases scattered around the Afghanistan.
The 1st week started out with a seven day training package in order to allow us to get back into the swing
of things and refresh everyone‟s mind after a much deserved leave. It also allowed for acclimatisation to
the heat and dust before heading out of the camp on operations. Early mornings and late evenings have
given the team a taste of the pace of things to come. Now that the training package has finished, it‟s time
to take over from the current BRF of 3 Commando Brigade. Everyone has moved into their respective ac-
commodation tents, unpacked bags and is now thinking of what the job that lies ahead.
Next week will see the boys conducting more BRF specific training involving all the things that the Engi-neers could face in the coming six months. Once complete, they will be ready to roll out of Camp Bastion.
Page 41
The lads of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force
PADRE'S PROGRESS
13 October
My family have always teased me about my complete lack of interest in theme park rides and now I have had it proved that there was a sound reason for my reluctance. 25 minutes of tactical flying in a Chinook with a pilot who thought he was at the controls of a computer game has shown me that my stomach is more capable of moving than I thought possible. And why would I want to do that?! It's much better off be-ing where it should be...for all concerned. However a few subsequent rides on other types of helicopters have convinced me that all are not as bad as that first experience. Indeed the Merlin is quite smooth...providing you can mange to stagger up the steep ramp clutching day sacks and mail bags whilst being blown backwards and downwards at the same time. Now I know why the body armour is so heavy. It prevents you being swept off your feet...just!
In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity (sadly) to be with two different search teams as they come to terms with an incident with which they have been involved. The strength, courage and ability of these teams to reflect and cope with their situations have impressed and amazed me. Their practical skills in saving lives are a testament to their training, commitment and dedication. Those long months of train-ing, often at cost to family time, is evident in their responses when needed.
In these past few weeks I have learnt or rather, re-learnt, some of those fundamental truths of life...those ones that are often seen on posters with a 'cheesy' background photograph. Ones such as "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" or "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday". I am reminded of one of those stories of Asterix the Gaul...those wonderful comic strip stories that my brothers and I used to fight over to be the first to read each Christmas when we got new books to add to the collection. In particu-lar, his chief, Vital Statistix, who is described as majestic, commanding respect, feared by his ene-mies...sounds how we would like to be? However he himself had one fear 'that the sky would fall on his head tomorrow', but he comforted himself with the fact that tomorrow never comes. And it doesn't, be-cause when tomorrow comes it is no longer tomorrow but today.
We need to live our lives in manageable chunks...in the here and now...restore our sanity with fresh begin-nings. Otherwise we live with regret for yesterday, fear of tomorrow, both of which rob us of the grace needed for today. It's not that we forget or deny the events, happenings and hurts of each day but that each day we can make a fresh start and bring a fresh perspective. For this is the way we experience to the full all that God has created for us. Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself”.
I must remember that next time I get called to the helicopter flight line.
God keep you all
PADRE CLARE CALLANAN
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Photo Competition
Each photo has a number in the top right hand corner. Select you favourite photo and put it on a
bluey to Capt Peake, TFH Engr Gp, BFPO 792. Please add the words PHOTO COMPETITION
to the senders address.
1
2
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35 Engineer Regiment
Baby Hector’s Page
Have a great Half Term
and
Happy Halloween
WORMS IN SNOT CUBES
Ingredients:
Yellow and Green jelly
Gummy Worms
Directions:
Mix up jelly according to packet in-structions.
Pour into flexible ice cube trays.
Add a gummy worm to each cube.
Happy Trick orTreating!
Boys and Girls
Make sure when you go out you have an adult with you
Most importantly Have Fun!!
Hector’s Halloween
Page 46
The Posers of 35 Engineer Regiment Group
There are a few posers in 35 Engineer Regiment Group, here are just a few who we man-
aged to capture this fortnight.
Page 47
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After last issue‟s revelations what more uncomfortable truths would another two weeks of investigative journalism uncover? Toe-jam Times‟ latest reporting recruits; Titus Ayaakshaman and Jatucles Maximus Romanus found out….
HACKED! SSgt Finn caught Red (phone) Handed at centre of phone hacking scandal
For about a week now the phones across Camp Bastion have been problematic, with calls dropping out and phone lines going dead. This disruption was caused after a joint effort from RMP and Royal Signals specialist teams trying to track down the phantom Bastion phone hacker.
The possibility of a phone hacker, or „phacker‟ as they are known in the trade, working in Bastion was first realised about 2 weeks ago. Confidential medical information about a certain high profile individual with certain psychological issues had suddenly found its way into the press after said individual, who shall for legal reasons remain nameless, had made a phone call to discuss his condition with his psychiatrist. The unnamed individual (who may or may not have placed a gagging order on this publication) claimed that there was no other way that this information could have got out, other than through hacking of his phone, due the Regt‟s much improved record on medical in confidence discretion under his tenure in his poten-tially senior role that he may or may not hold in the Regt.
An elite team from RMP and Signals; known as the Phacking Police were called in to investigate. Cpl Lee Sarde of the Royal Signals was able to trace the source of the hacker to 44 HQ & Sp Squadron. Cpl Mo Ankey of the RMP then took over the investigation and cordoned off 44‟s Ops room as a crime scene and collected forensic evidence which was used to identify SSgt Finn as a phacker.
In the RMP report which has been leaked to Toejam, SSgt Finn admits to having been on “every phacking Sigs course going” and that he is a “phacking Sigs expert”. The report goes on to say that when he was allegedly approached by a possible media source possibly offering money for sensitive information he may have chosen the wrong individual to phack with. Cpl Sarde mentions that “on this occasion he went too big too early and ended up phacking with the wrong guy – there are some people you just don‟t phack with”.
Ultimately it seems that SSgt Finn should have minded his phone hacking business.
In a bizarre twist of irony, SSgt Finn was unable to call his lawyer due to Op Minimise being enforced af-ter he was taken ill with severe burns to his face, after an unfortunate ironing accident. RMP are currently looking for a Morphy Richards Pro Steam 1000.
T.A.
Page 49
Mission success in Afghanistan!
TFH Engr Gp is proud to announce that they have achieved its number one priority. There are several key issues facing the Royal Engineers in theatre as they bravely cut about the AO with a dire mismatch of sleeves rolled up just above the wrist and shirts tucked in at the back but not at the front, and this reporter is proud to report that their lives are about to improve significantly. It's an issue that has dominated a sub-stantial amount of the staff work at TFH Engr Gp HQ, not to mention being a heavy burden for the Regi-mental Sergeant Major, who had this to say;
In my two decades serving this Corps I cannot remember such an acute sense of relief and achievement. My therapist says this could really help me put that ironing obsession behind me.
The Commanding Officer, Lt Col Kevin Copsey, was similarly enthused.
It's something that no previous TFH Engr Gp has managed. I know [Lt Col] Leigh Tingey [Commanding Officer 24 Commando Engineer Regiment] regretted never achieving this. Frazer [Lt Col Frazer Ross, Commanding Officer 23 Engineer Regiment Air Assault] is green with envy - he feels it should have been him.
I write, of course, about the new Hector Stickers which have finally been introduced into theatre.
What's important, said Lt Col Copsey, is that they're slightly bigger than those 29 AES Piper stickers. I mean, the idea for stickers was mine originally and 29 AES beat us to production - and fair play to them, they had a bold stab at the title - but everyone I've spoken to - literally everyone in TFH HQ - has agreed that the Hector ones are much, much better. Loads better, in fact. I can't wait to show the Brigade Com-mander - he said he wanted some to put on his staff car windows.
The next step, clearly, is the velcro patch. Quite where these will be sewn onto the classy, comfortable and practical new uniform that the British Army is ecstatic to be wearing correctly at last, is unclear but Lt Col Copsey, naturally, has ideas on the subject;
I mean, what's more important; the Union Flag or the Hector? Everyone knows the Trojans were British soldiers stationed in Germany - it should be quite clear from a Hector badge that we're from the British Army. Do I have to think of everything?
Jatucles Maximus Romanus
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Glossary
Afghanistan specific terms
Op - Operation, mission, task (not surgery)
PB - Patrol Base
CP - Check Point
SANGAR - A watch tower which is manned 24 hours a day to provide protection to a base
Stag - standing in the sangar keeping watch and providing protection
JOB - Joint Operating Base
FOB - Forward Operating Base
NES (S) - Nahr-e Saraj South
NES (N) - Nahr-e Saraj North
NDA - Nad-e Ali
TFH - Task Force Helmand
ISAF - International Security Assistance Force
ANSF - Afghanistan National Security Force
ANA - Afghan National Army
ANP - Afghan National Police
IED - Improvised Explosive Device
SAF - Small Arms Fire
SOP - Standard Operating procedure
Sub Units
Tp - Troop
Armd Engr Sqn - Armoured Engineer Squadron
Fd Engr Sqn - Field Engineer Squadron
Hq & Sp Sqn - Headquarters and Support
Squadron
Ranks
Spr - Sapper
LCpl - Lance Corporal
Cpl - Corporal
Sgt - Sergeant
SSgt - Staff Sergeant
WO2 - Warrant Officer Second Class
WO1 - Warrant Officer First Class
Capt - Captain
Maj - Major
Lt Col - Lieutenant Colonel
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HESCO - Large flat packed containers made of thick strong wire containing a large sandbag.
The sandbag is filled with sand to produce a large protective brick. The individual HESCO blocks
are then used like giant bricks to produce a protective wall for our bases.
HLS - Helicopter Landing Site
Barma - Our drill used to find Improvised Explosive Devices with a hand held metal detector.
Equipment
MASTIFF - Large armoured truck with a with a heavy machine gun for protection.
TALISMAN - A series of vehicles used to clear a route of improvised explosive devices.
HUSKY - Another type of large armoured vehicle.
MWT - Medium wheeled tractor (dump truck).
SLDT(P) - Self Loading Dump Truck (Protected) - A small dump truck.
Apache - Ugly looking attack helicopter.
Chinook - Large helicopter featured in the film Big Friendly Giant.
Sea-king - Royal Navy helicopter used as search and rescue in the UK.
Merlin - Medium to large Royal Air Force and Navy helicopter used to move Troops around from
base to base.
Messages from the Editor
If you hear any news about anything that might have happened in Afghanistan, which gives you cause for concern in any way, please get in touch with the Welfare Office on +495251101213. We will ensure that the team holds the most up to date and accurate information so that they will be able to advise you appro-priately or deal with the issue. In the event of any casualties they will be able to clarify the situation, in ac-cordance with the wishes of the individual or family. Many thanks
