Colour Sergeant Mike Saunders, 2 MERCIAN, blogs from Helmand - Part 9

Greetings friends and readers at the Marwood, Worcester!
Before I start this week’s Blog I would like to invite you to a party! For those of you who are able to get to Worcester my good friends at my favourite pub the Marwood are having a BBQ and drinks starting at 1500hrs on Sunday the 24th May (for those who have Sat Nav the post code is WR1 1JL).

As well as a chance to meet some of my loyal readers and promoters you can take part in a raffle in aid of the troops who are serving here in Afghanistan and enjoy one of the finest eating experiences in Worcester at the same time. Any money raised will be used to make the lives of those troops right on the front line a little more comfortable. This is a cause that I believe in and one that I will be putting my hand in my pocket for. In addition if you are a business that has any items that may improve someone’s life far away from home however big or small, please give generously as those who are serving here have given, as I have heard said “all gave some, some gave all”.

In last weeks blog we talked about Al who I am glad to say I have spoken to and is recovering well, he still has a fair way to go and has had more operations to fix his arm, our thoughts remain with him and his family. It is a mark of the man that he would not discuss himself, but rather asked after the welfare of his troop’s who are well at present and I am sure wish him a speedy recovery.

In a land of great natural contrasts it is perhaps unsurprising that the insurgents who fight here are at times like chameleons, blending in and out of the background seemingly at will. The Helmand province itself is bisected by the Helmand River which in itself is a miracle if man shaping the landscape with the aid of nature. Generations have used and diverted the river too irrigate crops and bring life to the scorched desert. In doing so, they have inadvertently made one of the fiercest combat areas known to any soldier today.

The “Green Zone” aptly named for the tall crops that spring from the freshly irrigated flood planes are a labyrinth of hidden tracks and paths that act as conduits by which the insurgent forces survive, hide and communicate. You will not find these tracks plotted on any map, they are difficult to place even from the air and they provide some small sanctuary for the forces we have come to oppose.

In the films soldiers see the enemy far in the distance, line up their shots and take out the bad guys. Even here sometimes that is possible but very rarely. Often the insurgents are only visible for long enough to start an engagement and will then melt away only to re-appear and fire from another location. In the green zone the two apposing forces have literally walked into each other and have had fierce battles at ranges less than ten meters.

When you engage an enemy from distance in a way you can become partially detached from the combat as if it were somewhat less real. From those who have spoken to me before, who have had to make split second life or death decisions and fought a combatant from very close, this is not a luxury they have been afforded. To be close enough to smell and see every detail of a person you are engaging in a life or death confrontation must be terrifying and require both bravery and training. As an Infantry unit we have young men from where you live, who will experience this sternest of tests of determination and aggression and you will probably never hear about it from them.

The insurgents are well aware of the aggression and determination of your soldiers and I am sure that it does not sit comfortably with them as they try and work out ways to engage us. To do this more often than not, they will choose to plant an explosive device or set an ambush; anything to try and bridge the gap between our fighting skill and technology. That is not to say the insurgents are without courage or ability. At times they show sound tactical appreciation and are able to orchestrate complicated attacks with several firing points and several types of weapon system, from the ubiquitous AK47 to heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.

The main weapon in the insurgent armoury is knowledge of the land and knowledge of the people, as has been said before “to truly know a people you must live among them” and by this I believe our inevitable need for security will always hamper our true perception and interaction with the people of this land.

It could be said that the tactics of the insurgents has given him unforeseen results, by using improvised explosive devices he has forced us to protect ourselves with Armour and by doing so we have inadvertently placed another layer between ourselves and the Afghan people.

I forget where it was but I once heard a debate on which sound could be considered the noise of the 21st century. The noise of planes, trains, music and many others were offered, but one of the front runners was the sound of armour be it tanks or smaller armoured vehicles. I took time to reflect on this and tried as you might, to put myself into the shoes of a person, who going about my normal daily business is confronted with the smell, sound and power that such vehicles filled with grim faced soldiers can muster. It is not a pleasant thought and definitely not one that brings to mind “a force for good”.

It is fair in return to this argument to point out that this was never our intention and that we are only using these methods as a platform to enable us to give the Afghans what they so desperately need. Those grim faced men are not here to conquer the people of Afghanistan, but rather they are a part of the way by which the Afghans may find peace. It is a great truth that in the search for peace one must be willing to go into battle and equally in the pursuit of freedom we must be willing to impose order.

The insurgent force capitalises on our use of force in an attempt to portray us as a force of occupation, hell bent on imposing our Western values and practices on an ancient and peaceful society. They would have people believe that we have come to Afghanistan not to offer peace and freedom but to repress and squash the Afghan tribal identity.

The answers to these allegations are self evident; any force willing to use its own people as human shields is morally bankrupt. Any organisation that routinely physically represses and coerces its own community is worthy only of destruction and failure. Ultimately if you do not represent the people and the vast majority of the population do not recognise your claim to their allegiance, your motivations must be founded on something else. In this case the insurgent pursuit of power is based on the desire to rule by fear, for if you can keep a population in fear you can force them to bend to your will, the cornerstone of any dictatorship. The insurgents do not wish the Afghan people to have the choice in what they do as to keep them in primitive conditions and fear they are easier to control.

Elections later this year will give the clearest indication of how far we have moved forward in Afghanistan. If people vote in numbers there can be no argument as to the direction the Country should go and a vote is the ultimate expression of self determination.

Politics is not my strong point, but as a soldier here I would like to see the Afghan people force forward their own agenda. In doing so, they would say with the clearest voice to the insurgents that the days of violence and intimidation are numbered only by how long they can survive and hide for.

In the next issue I would like to talk more about the types of combat we experience here sometimes on a daily basis. But until then readers as always stay safe and be good to one another.

Lt Tom Parry, 8 Platoon, 2 RIFLES, FOB Inkerman, Helmand

I could not write about the past week without mentioning the tragic death of Rifleman Adrian Sheldon. Shelly was a much loved member of the Fire Support Platoon here at FOB Inkerman and his loss has been extremely hard to come to terms with. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shelly’s family at this time.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Rifleman Sheldon was held on Friday evening. As well as prayers, the Fijian community sang with the Fire Support Group (FSG), and the Buglers gave Shelly a good send off. Rfn Michael Letts, Ricardo Arnold and Tommy Smith Sounded the Advance capturing the offensive spirit of B Company.

8 Platoon, or the FSG as they are known are cracking on with their three main roles within the FOB. Day and night the boys don their Osprey body armour and helmets to man the sangar overlooking the green zone. They have become subject matter experts on the daily pattern of life of the locals living and working in the lush wheat and poppy fields next to the FOB. The guys also secure the Helicopter Landing Site on the few occasions when the Chinooks drop in to resupply us. It is always great receiving all your post and parcels, and it is amazing to see how morale rockets over some biscuits and magazines.

The primary role of the FSG are patrols into both the green zone and into the desert. Patrols vary in length and size. The guys perform extremely well despite their heavy loads in the heat of the day. We often leave the FOB under cover of darkness to make the most of the cooler temperature, as well as to move unnoticed through the waist high irrigation ditches and amongst the hard baked mud compounds which litter the green zone.

Vehicle patrols give us the chance to explore the open desert. We pass through deep wadis and huge flat expanses, stopping occasionally to chat to village elders. Most are friendly, but the children just want the pens we keep on us, as well as the wind up radios.

We have spent the odd night out under the stars before popping up to set up a defensive position on a hilltop or piece of high ground. It is always fun to spend time away from the FOB exploring a new area or somewhere off the limited mapping we possess.

When back in the camp we meet every night as a Platoon to discuss the day’s events throughout Helmand and we vote on who gets to carry ‘Rusty’ inside the FOB for the next 24 hrs. Rusty is an old Heavy Machine Gun left over from the Royal Marines. A kangaroo court normally ensues, with lots of laughing and outrageous accusations before the culprit is chosen and is introduced to the old .50 cal.

The three sections within the FSG have all created their own chill out areas by their accommodation. It has got a bit competitive as each try to outdo the latest adaptation. The only thing missing now is a rock pool water feature!

The guys have adapted extremely well to their new living conditions and have proved very resourceful. Washing is no longer laboured over in buckets, they have ‘liberated’ some concrete mixers from somewhere in which goes their post patrol kit, some suds and a couple of rocks. Job done! Spirits are high again and the men of the FSG will ‘bash on regardless’.

2Lt Tom Parry
OC 8 Pl

Lt Col Simon Banton, 2 MERCIAN, reports from Helmand (Part 2)

Welcome to my second blog as the Commanding Officer of the OMLT BG, I have now been in Command of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Battle Group for just over a fortnight. All of the mentor teams are deployed onto the ground and the RSM and I have visited the first of the Patrol Bases (PBs) in Musa Qaleh and Sangin. We have also had our first troops in contact with the enemy and our first combat casualty which thankfully was not life threatening.

Our teams are patrolling daily with their Afghan counterparts, spread throughout much of Helmand province. A true testament to how we are operating is that from our furthest base south to our base furthest in the north is well in excess of 100 miles. Our soldiers are operating with other Battle Groups and in certain places alongside other soldiers from our NATO allies.

At both Musa Qaleh and then Sangin, the RSM and I saw first hand how they are living, working and fighting next to the ANA Warriors (what the ANA call their soldiers). In Musa Qaleh the Patrol Bases are closely located, enabling their defences to overlap in many places and allowing them fields of view and fire out into enemy territory.

They are literally on the border between the Afghan government controlled areas and those areas out of reach, where the Taliban still has influence. Each joint patrol between our teams and the ANA assures the population and fosters greater self-belief for the ANA commanders on the ground. Our commanders already have a good working rapport with their ANA counterparts and are nurturing relationships with the populace.

In Sangin, for some, it is familiar territory, as it is where A (Grenadier) and elements of D Company were based on the last tour, less than 17 months ago, how quickly it comes round again! Here they are located in a city which is a beacon of government control in an area that was mostly Taliban controlled. Here our joint patrols are again furthering the legitimacy of the Afghan government and promoting the ANA in the eyes of the local populace.

Our troops have been working with the ANA Warriors for nearly 3 weeks now, helping them dominate the ground and fighting the Taliban with them. We have had several battles with insurgents and taken the fight to them each time, with several new soldiers straight out of training distinguishing themselves.

It was during one of these battles that our first casualty was sustained in the area of Garmsir. Sgt Dennis was injured taking cover from a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)that exploded close by. He was quickly evacuated from the area, ahead of the timescale that casualty evacuation requires and was swiftly treated for his injuries. He has now returned to the UK and his family despite his enthusiasm to stay. I wish him and his family the best of luck in his recovery and look forward to him returning to duty.

Our soldiers are working really hard and are enjoying their role and I am truly proud of what they do and what they sacrifice. We are now well into our first month and morale remains high. I still plan to visit the rest of our PBs and will keep you informed of these visits, I also hope to get photos of where the men live and work so you can get a feel of their locations.

For those families and friends of the Battalion at home we pass on our best and hope that you are well.

Colour Sergeant Mike Saunders, 2 MERCIAN, blogs from Helmand - Part 8

Drop into the Marwood for a BBQ!

If you happen to be near the Marwood in Worcester on the 24th at 3pm, they will be having a bbq, raffle and live music (and at the same time Mike is arranging a BBQ in Afghanistan) to raise money to send the troops a few home comforts.

Greetings friends and readers at the Marwood, Worcester!

I hope you are well and in my mind you are sinking a good cold pint while you read this. Perhaps you are wondering what it’s like to be in Afghanistan and I hope my blogs so far have given you a little window in to the world as a soldier serving far away from home.

Today I would like to relay some of the realities of combat here and in doing so I would like to highlight an individual, who in my humble opinion deserves great respect for his dedication, drive and leadership under pressure.

In the comfort of home many might quite rightly question the need for so many soldiers to be so far from home in places that have names that mean little to most. To a great number of people there is little or nothing worth fighting for let alone dying for and in answer to this I would like to quote if I may John Stuart Mill, English philosopher:

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself”.

Although it must be clear we are not at war here we are still engaged militarily with a determined and organised insurgency. This is in addition to all of the good work that we are doing with great results, with the Afghans, for the Afghans and with the majority of Afghan consent. The men and women of your Armed services do this because it is the right thing to do and on a personal level it is what they have trained many years to be tested in doing.

The many battles that your soldiers find themselves in are not the subject of mainstream news, yet for those who are the line in the sand, they are very real and equally deadly. Daily these men rise in the knowledge that conflict is almost a certainty and that injury or worse fatalities are not a distant concept but a close reality.

One such individual and a good friend of mine is Alan Dennis who you may have seen in the news after he escaped near fatal consequences for the second time and has been injured as a result of insurgent action on this and the previous tour.

Al from first impressions does not strike you as a man of courage and strong leadership that said I couldn’t tell you what a person with those qualities would look like, although the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment has several. A Senior Sergeant of good standing Al has proved himself under fire on a number of occasions including the incident I would like to relay to you in this blog. A modest family man, quiet and unassuming Al is known to most and liked by all.

On our tour of the Helmand province in 2007 Al was badly injured in an incident that left a good friend and member of the Battalion dead. His recovery and determination to get back to work with his mates was nothing short of exceptional. Having spoken to Al about that incident it is amazing to me that he would fight so hard and for so long to put himself back to a deployable level of fitness, a lesser man would perhaps attempt to avoid the current deployment and in this case would not be blamed for doing so.

But Al is not that person, to my knowledge he never entertained the thought that others would go in his stead and this is typical of his type in that he would never have another soldier do something he would not do himself and he would hate his Platoon to deploy without him into danger of any kind.

On the morning of his latest incident Al was again in charge of a patrol in to territory hotly contested by the insurgents of that area. Such areas are a mixture of open sand covered expanses that are broken up by high walled compounds designed to keep herds and harvested crops in and intruders out.

The walls of these compounds are made from age hardened mud and are virtually impenetrable. It is very easy to become disorientated in these areas as pretty much everything looks similar. There are few tracks that even resemble roads in these areas and movement is often restricted to moving on foot. This presents its own security problems and calls for a high degree of control and communication.

The twisting narrow streets if they can be classed as such are pre-disposed to ambush by small, heavily armed groups of insurgents who choose the ground in advance, fire on the friendly forces and attempt to extract themselves before they can be out flanked and killed or captured. Unfortunately there is little option but to patrol these areas and in doing so the troops put themselves in danger time and time again.

While patrolling on what seemed a perfectly routine day the troops very suddenly found themselves caught in a wave of enemy fire as they had walked into the insurgent ambush killing area. In an ambush every instinct and fibre in your body tells you to go back but it is often the case that this is the most dangerous thing to do.

Any insurgent worth his salt will attempt to seal any ambush exits with deadly rifle fire so conventional wisdom is to try and fight through to break free. Sitting at my table in the light this is easy to say, however on the ground with rounds flying past your head it takes an iron will to grip the situation and lead your troops to safety.

The patrol is now firing at the insurgents in an attempt to pin them sufficiently to allow them enough movement to escape the ambush. Conventionally this means you have to fire more rounds at your enemy than he can at you, thereby forcing him into taking cover. This however must be balanced by the urgent need to conserve precious ammunition as there is no time limit on an engagement with the insurgent forces.

It does not take Al and his troops long to earn a brief lull in battle and they use this to gain entry by force into a compound. Once inside they take precious seconds to take stock of their situation which is grim. Still under fire they are now virtually cut off and the insurgents are moving around them in an effort to surround the patrol. At this time Al is given scant seconds to radio a situation report to his headquarters, tell them what is going on and what he intends to do about it. Clearly all efforts will be made to assist the patrol but this will take time and it is time they have not got.

Murphy’s Law states “that if anything can go wrong it will” and this maxim holds true even in Afghanistan. Barely has Al appraised his superiors when disaster happens. As he tries to move forward with an Afghan soldier, in an attempt to stop them being a static and therefore an easier target, a rocket propelled grenade strikes the ground only meters ahead of Al. When the smoke and dust clears he finds himself partially buried and having felt a sharp pain and heard a loud snap believes he has shattered his arm.

Now almost fully pinned down by a force of insurgents determined to overrun the patrol Al has seconds to decide his and his troop’s next actions, while he has been on the floor injured his troops have been frantically trying to find another way to exit the compound that initially seemed like a refuge but is quickly becoming a trap. Eventually one of his troops finds and kicks through a door leading to a track that may facilitate extraction.

Still fully in command and still engaging the insurgents as they appear with one arm, Al and his troops fight desperately out of the compound and continue to fight until the insurgents eventually give up and allow them to break clean.

After this engagement the troops fought all the way back to their patrol base from which Al would eventually be flown out injured but glad that he was able to escape the clutches of the determined insurgent force with the lives of all of his men. Many others distinguished themselves that day and it was the aggression of the Infantry soldier, his determination and his refusal to be beaten that won the day.

Al is now back in the UK recuperating with family and friends and has the best wishes of all of the Regiment, he has as with others epitomised the motto of the Regiment as they “Stand Firm and Strike Hard”.

Next episode we will look deeper in to the realities of fighting an insurgent enemy that can at times strike with great force and determination and equally can melt back into the surrounding country like they were never there.

Until then thank-you for taking time to read the blog, take care and be safe.

Colour Sergeant Mike Saunders, 2 MERCIAN, blogs from Helmand - Part 7

A WORCESTER soldier fighting in Afghanistan is proving to be a big hit with punters after he started sending blogs from the frontline back to his local pub.

Helmandblog first reported on the story on the 19 April and many readers asked where they could find the blog. After his sister Tracey posted a comment on Helmandblog I asked if she would let me have the updates - and she said yes. So as they come in I will keep you up to date.

Greetings friends and readers at the Marwood, Worcester!

So far you have heard much of the travel and strife it takes just to get to this country, we have covered the general history of the conflict and how we got to be here. What we have not covered is the other darker part and perhaps the only major part that we cannot control and that is our enemy.

Dismiss from your head the brave Mujahedeen or “holy warriors”, riding bravely in to battle on horseback, if they ever did exist they have been replaced by a ruthless cunning enemy more than capable and willing to use torture, intimidation and terror tactics and that is just on their own people.

In the main the higher levels or “full time enemy” have been raised and converted to an ideal that is as fanatical as it is dangerous. These high level operators are often the means by which the disaffected or poor are converted or paid to carry out attacks against our forces. It is sadly often the case that those who are on the front line are those who have little other recourse in life and even more sadly for some death may be the only escape from a life spent serving a pitiless master.

That said on there is no shortage of home grown enemies more than willing to test the resolve of the “foreign invaders” these individuals will exploit any perceived weakness or opportunity and will attack with impunity regardless of any risk of collateral damage.

Fundamentally opposed to any influence from the western world the insurgent force use guerrilla attack strategies to inflict as many casualties on the coalition forces as possible and will use the innocent local populace to do this. Often the enemy will initiate an attack and before they can be pinned down and dealt with they will drop any weapons and melt back into the crowd thus evading justice for their actions.

In our own dealings with the enemy in most cases we are the very opposite, we plan our deliberate operations with the greatest concern for innocent human life and our use of force is proportionate to the situation faced.

The way in which we engage with our enemy is of no surprise, history has shown us that a numerically superior force with overwhelming advantage of technology and sheer firepower will always force an enemy to ground and make him use guerrilla tactics. In a matter of minutes an individual insurgent can find himself under bombardment from an array of weapons hitherto unseen on any field of conflict.

Often I struggle to understand how we cannot find the cure for basic illnesses yet a man can sit in a different country “flying” an unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle passing real time information to other machines that will engage the target in real time!

The fact that the enemy is outgunned does not dissuade the insurgents from attacking us, quite the opposite in fact. The end result is the enemy attacks us is two different ways, Firstly is the traditional force on force engagement where he will set up an ambush of sorts, waiting until a friendly forces patrol turns up and then attack very briefly but with all the force he can muster.

Secondly and more devastating he will employ various improvised explosive devices (IED’s) to attack us often without the need to be present and thus not risk death or capture. Improvised explosive devices are now a constant reality of life here and for the enemy they potentially fulfil a number of criteria.

Firstly when executed correctly the result as painfully evident from the news is fatal but the effects go beyond this. The proliferation of IED’s creates unavoidable fear for both friendly forces and the local populace and they can have the effect of restricting movement.

The use of IED’s is a classic guerrilla tactic, it is relatively cheap and easy to deploy and is much less manpower intensive. In addition the indigenous Afghan is a master of invention and improvisation as can be witnessed if you ever see an Afghan repairing anything from a sewing machine to a car.

For our part we are able to combat the majority of this threat, in the main through good training and preparation and as a response we use the traditional type of engagement to test the enemies resolve in open combat. In summary we have an enemy that has been forced into a corner by sheer combat power and the application of military discipline and who has had to resort to other methods to try and stem the flow of his losses.

Another unavoidable truth of battle is that despite all the technology, the bombs, missiles and aircraft, it is the Infantryman with the sharp point of his bayonet that is the only true way to capture and hold ground. This is why we, your soldiers of the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment have deployed and that is why many of my colleagues find themselves exposed to the realities of conflict up close and personal on a daily basis.

For myself I live in relative comfort only miles from those for whom the words sacrifice, combat and true courage are not abstract concepts but rather the only way to survive in what sometimes can be a harsh, unforgiving land. Despite being here so close to those of whom I speak my thoughts go out to those who sit in the dark looking out across disputed territory knowing that somewhere close men are plotting their demise.

In the next instalment I will begin to relate some of the realities of combat here and will use examples from this tour and our previous tour to show you the sacrifices YOUR soldiers are making on your behalf.

Until the stay safe and be good to one another.

FCO - Stabilisation Advisor - James Donally - Gunfire at dawn

Thus did our incoming Battle Group announce itself in Musa Qala. But don’t be alarmed, it was just the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers’ way of marking St George’s Day, and the "gunfire" was actually supplied by a drummer.

Quite nice, though, to be woken up with cup of tea laced with rum (I’m all for tradition). Interestingly, this is the first lot of soldiers I’ve worked with here that are predominantly English, the previous two groups being Scottish and Nepalese. Then, in the evening we marked that other fine English tradition of having a curry, cooked for us by our Punjabi MoD police mentor.

Up the hill, the District Governor is back from his epic tour of Afghanistan and India and is keeping us busy with his demands. Having been mixing with the high-fliers in Kabul and Mumbai I think he might be finding the business of local government in Musa Qala a bit dull.

But we’re receiving more and more Afghan governmental visitors here who are coming to deliver their services (and spend their money) under improved security conditions, so that should help focus the Governor’s mind. In particular, a visit by a commission spent a week here assessing whether we are in a fit state to receive the Afghan Social Outreach Programme.

This programme will establish a community council that will bring different community representatives together to discuss and agree actions on security, justice and development. It means we’ll have a genuinely local and representative council in Musa Qala with some real powers and some real money to spend.

And I have just waved off the Deputy Provincial Governor plus some senior Afghan security officials, accompanied by the Deputy Head of the Civil-Military Mission to Helmand. The Deputy Governor expressed his satisfaction and appreciation of a far better security situation in Musa Qala than he’d expected.

This was a much needed visit that reinforced the Afghan government’s commitment to this district. It also provided a reason for the Governor to serve up some top-notch Afghan food, including fresh rations, and giving us 24 hours off the dreaded spam.

Lt Col RJ Thomson, 2 RIFLES BG - blogs from Helmand, part 1

Dear All,

I write for the first time from Sangin and the Battle Group is now well established in its temporary home. Afghanistan is the most fascinatingly diverse and striking country. The inhospitable mountains rise, seemingly out of nowhere, at the edge of the desert, which rolls, in places, all the way down to the River Helmand. The river is currently in spate and, up at Kajaki Dam, the water thunders off the spill-way with a vehemence to rival the River Zambesi in Zimbabwe. We need our canoes.

The Green Zone is like England in spring - the most brilliant green. The wheat is growing fast but, for now, the locals are focused on bringing in the poppy harvest. And it involves everyone, right down to the smallest child. The roads… well the roads are like driving across hardened sand dunes.

Life is very hard - most people here are subsistence farmers who work the land and sell anything which is left over. Sangin itself is a very linear town - one high street but you can buy pretty well anything. I was being offered an engraved head-board for my bed on my last visit! Not convinced about the butcher's shop but the bread (khobs) is delicious.

We have five major Forward Operating Bases where we mostly live and a handful of Patrol Bases, where we live alongside the Afghan National Army. The RSM and I have made it round almost all the FOBs and most of the PBs. You will be glad to hear that we are not living in discomfort but it certainly isn't The Marriott Hotel. The food is amazing and the chefs are doing stirling work.

For those of us who like bacon grill (a sort of bacon-y spam), we are in seventh heaven because it is on the menu every morning. The bathrooms are 'al fresco' but there is no better way to start the day with a wash and shave in the sun (temperatures are Mediterranean at the moment but will rise another 14-16 degrees - help!). The showers have fancy, zip-up curtains and there are no real decisions to make about the temperature as they are all cold, but in an encouragingly refreshing way.

We are a huge Battle Group - there are over 1000 soldiers working in the team with over 18 different cap-badges. There is a tremendous sense of purpose and you can almost see the determination of the Riflemen to make a difference - both for the government of Afghanistan and, (in a way) more importantly, the Afghan people.

The Riflemen have made a cracking start - everyone has got to grips with the job in hand very quickly - and we are working closely with Afghan soldiers and Policemen. We have established a good understanding of the ground on which we operate and have been struck by the friendly reaction from most people. The Afghans desperately want security so that they can go about their daily business without fear and intimidation. The Taleban Insurgent influence though is never far below the surface.

We know that you are supporting us and we are hugely grateful; it makes a big difference. I have had some great letters wishing us well and I know that we are in the thoughts and prayers of many back at home. And there have been some huge parcels - keep them coming. I know that the separation is not easy but hope that the news, blogs and photos on the website can bring us a little closer. We miss you all and think of you often. And it is great to hear that there is much happening back in Ballykinler. We will certainly returned bronzed heroes and probably a good deal leaner. For some of us, that is no bad thing. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we do our important work out here.

Bugle Major, Sound the Advance

Lt Col RJ THOMSON

CO 2 RIFLES BG/BG(N)

Maj Iain Moodie, OC B Company, 2 RIFLES BG - blogs from Helmand, part 1

I am writing this piece from a dusty hillock on the edge of the Helmand River surrounded by fields of white and red flowering poppies and sweeping desert, which eventually reaches the mountains to the east. Forward Operating Base (FOB) INKERMAN is a basic, yet tranquil spot at this time of year, with flocks of tropical birds swooping over the lush vegetation of the ‘Green Zone’ while nomads herd their goats in the wilderness.

Occasionally the peace is spoilt by a low-flying fighter aircraft circling overhead or a helicopter arriving to drop of mail, people and all manner of supplies and spares that keep us going and our morale high. Life is good in INKERMAN and everyone is definitely pleased to be out of the sprawling tented maze that is Camp BASTION.

B Coy is almost complete, having received a very comprehensive handover from a very sun tanned Yankee Company of the Royal Marines. The main issue has been getting our heads round the Marines’ terminology, for example try and decipher: ‘I’m off to get some ogin to make a mega hoofing wet to go with my scran in the galley before I use the heads’. It's a completely different language and the next hurdle is learning Pashto. Snowy, Mick Brandon and Lusio Tanoa have brains spinning enough with all the serial numbers and complicated army abbreviations they have had to deal with taking over endless signals kit and stores of stores without having to deal with ‘Jack Speak’ and ‘Pusser’s Gen Dits’.

On the intelligence and influence front Cpl ‘Jona’ Jones has certainly been making an impression with the local farmers by hosting a number of Shuras (meetings), he has already received a number of gifts including; bread, a knife and even a pet cockerel, which the Interpreters promptly cooked up and ate.

The majority of the company have now been on patrol into the local villages and through the local ditches, the latter being a refreshing escape from the mid-day sun. The locals are generally friendly, greeting us with a wave and a few words of Pashtu that we are yet to understand. The children are always curious, especially if there are pens and sweets involved.

Most people that surround the FOB are extremely poor, living in very basic mud-walled compounds with their animals and the extended families. The only piece of modern technology being the ‘wind-up’ radios that are handed out by the patrols and on which they can listen to DJ Pete Manley's INKERMAN FM aka Radio-in-a-Box - a combination of wailing noises (Afghanis’ version of Top of the Pops) and educational programmes for the young ‘The Rabbit and the Cat’ being a particular favourite (I won’t spoil it for you but it is bad news for the rabbit).

The next week will be busy as B Coy settle into our new home, building shelves out of ammunition tins, learning how to do our own washing and thinking up imaginative ways of digesting the diet of noodles and dried scrambled egg that is served up to the troops every day.

They say that a six month deployment feels like twelve months, and for B Company that may almost be true. Our pre-deployment training started in October 2008 and we have been flat out ever since.

The training delivered by the Company, Battalion and Operational Training and Advisory Group has been thorough, focused and demanding. The exercises have been realistic, challenging and, dare I say it, fun. The resources that we have had have enabled us to do realistic and relevant training although we could have always done with a bit more time with a metal detector, more time on the specialist weapons, or half-decent weather to actually see an Apache helicopter. Despite this, the Company is well-honed and up for the challenge that awaits us in Forward Operating Base (FOB) Inkerman.

FOB Inkerman will be our home for the next six months. It is an impressively large FOB made out of Afghan compounds and purpose built shelters that will deliver all our infrastructure requirements. It is well placed to launch us on our patrols to provide security for the local Afghans, support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and assist the Afghanistan National Security Forces, both Police and Army, whilst we are there.

It will prove to be a challenging tour, with everyone being tested to the limits. That said, it will also provide us with the best opportunities that soldiering can offer. I have no doubt that everyone in the Company Group will deliver. We are ready for this.

Our equipment has been issued, and although we have received everything that we could have wanted, it still has not stopped certain members of the Company spending small fortunes to get their ‘rig’ just right. The importance of this is paramount, and although many of you will be wondering where on earth all the money has gone, it is critical that in the heat and terrain, we have it just right.

The test will be when we return and you see what has not been used. We are hugely grateful to B Company, 2 PARA and Y Company, 45 Cdo Royal Marines for helping us to get ready. Their advice, patience, expertise and willingness to impart information to us has been invaluable. From Toms’ and Marines’ Top Tips to the top of the shop – all has been greatly appreciated, so thank you.

Our FOB will be one of the most austere locations we will have ever served in. We will be on 10-man rations mostly and one day of fresh food a month if we are lucky. The communications home are not great although there are plans to improve this. There are already six internet terminals in the FOB but they are slow and we have 200 people trying to get on them. We are hoping to get an E-Bluey machine into the FOB to improve mail times, giving us our mail 24hrs after it is sent. Parcels are a different story because of the tortuous supply chain and can take anything up to five weeks to arrive. Please bear with this as it is out of everyone’s control and we will do what we can to speed things up. Bearing this in mind, please pack your parcels accordingly: we would hate to hand the enemy an easy victory because of an over-ripe camembert!

We will all get R&R and will look forward to seeing you at some stage during the tour. The opportunity to spend time with loved ones, getting some decent ‘scoff’, sleeping in a comfortable bed, having a washing machine doing our ‘dhobi’ and having flushing toilets will be a great punctuation mark and we all anticipate it eagerly.

Finally, thank you for reading this and for your support. We have had the privilege of it in the past and will be reliant on it over the course of the next six months.

Please know that it is never taken for granted and that everything is hugely appreciated. Please keep those letters, parcels; blueys etc coming because news and treats from loved ones at home is what will keep us going. Thanks again and more news next month.

Maj Iain Moodie, OC B Company

2 Rifles Battle Group introduction - Upper Sangin Valley - Helmand - Afghanistan

2 Rifles is part of 19 Light Brigade, which took over responsibility for Helmand Province for six months on 10 April. 2 Rifles is a battalion of approximately 600 soldiers in strength, but while in Afghanistan is receiving support from troops in all three services making up what is known as a Battle Group, of more than 1100 troops.

This is the first time 2 Rifles has been to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick. Its last six month deployment was to Iraq in 2007

Lt Col Simon Banton, 2 MERCIAN, reports from Helmand (Part 1)

Lieutenant Colonel Simon James Banton from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (2 MERCIAN) deployed to Afghanistan at the end of March 2009. He is writing blogs about his experiences in Helmand which will be published here from now on, starting with his first blog on his arrival in Helmand in April.

06 April 2009

Part 1:

Troops from 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment began to deploy to Afghanistan on --- March.

For the majority, the move to Afghanistan was a charter flight from the UK to Dubai followed by a military flight by C17 to Camp Bastion (BSN) in the middle of the Helmand desert. Immediately on landing, no matter what time of day it was, there were mandatory briefs to listen to, after which everyone could get their heads down for the night - before the Reception, Staging and Onward Integration (RSOI) commenced in earnest. The RSOI package for the OMLT Battle Group (BG) is slightly different to the rest in southern Afghanistan. After one long day of Powerpoint presentations in Bastion we moved direct to Camp Tombstone for an OMLT specific four-day training package.

The first day incorporated an overview of the ANA and the whole spectrum of operations. The second covered basic personal skills specific to theatre involving key reports that would need to be filled out whilst on operations, theatre hygiene and most importantly specific medical training that would be useful to us over the next six months. The third day covered, what was for most, the most interesting subject - weapons training. Here the Heavy Machine Gun, Grenade Machine Gun, General Purpose Machine Gun, Sig Sauer pistol and the traditional SA80A2 personal rifle were fired by every individual. The highlight (although some would disagree) being the live firing section attack, carrying radios and a casualty on the withdrawal - not something we expected to do in the first few days of arriving in Afghanistan - but something that could become very real over the next six months. The fourth day was split in half: one half completing Signals and vehicle equipment care demonstrations, while the other covered counter measures for dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices at day and night (a salient issue at the present time and a sobering piece of training for most).

Each night there were several lectures for all ranks to attend to ensure the plethora of information was fully taken in. These covered an array of subjects, including how the OMLT fitted into the NATO role and how individuals were expected to interact with the ANA - a lot to absorb, in such a short time, but highly relevant to what we were about to take on.

Everyone agreed that this was one of the best RSOI packages that they have taken part in and congratulations go to the 1 RIFLES Battle Group for delivering such a worthwhile package. The lessons we have learnt will stand us in excellent stead for the tour and there is no doubt that we will hit the ground running.

The regiment is now complete in Camp Tombstone, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Located next to Camp Shorabak the home of 3 Brigade of 205 'Hero Corps' of the Afghanistan National Army (ANA), we are in a prime location to be the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) Battle Group (BG) for the ANA.

From Tombstone the Battle Group has deployed to over 20 different locations spread over hundreds of miles to start their handover and takeovers. As of the 27th March, this was completed and I took command of the OMLT BG; the Battalion's soldiers are in place and even now patrolling with their ANA counterparts.

Over the next six months I look forward to working with our ANA allies, fostering our links with them and furthering their abilities. They are the future for this country and it is our job to support them and mentor them until they are ready to take the helm.

For all of you at home, we hope that you are well and as always I pass on my best. Morale here is high and the men are itching to crack on with their task. This promises to be a memorable tour and one that will allow us to make a real difference to the ANA.

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Banton
Commanding Officer
2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment