Task Force Helmand Engineer Group News LetterEdition 6 30 May 2011 Commanding Officer‘s Foreword „Salaamu alaikum‟ As we approach the mid point of HERRICK 14 the pace of engineer activity and Afghan temperatures continue to rise; the Engineer Group is running hot, both metaphorically and physically! Reassuringly, but not unexpectedly, we are still delivering all that is being asked of us. Inside this issue: Regimental Headquarters 2 54 Commando HQ 3 & Support Squadron REME LAD 5 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron 6 26, 39 and 59 Squadrons continue to provide the full spectrum of engineer support to the Ground Holding Battlegroups; rapidly switching from assault breaching into compounds, to building roads and bridges, to constructing tactical bases as the situation demands. They have all been magnificent. 31 (TALISMAN) Squadron are in the vanguard of the C-IED battle; continuously supporting Combat Logistic Patrols and Battlegroup deliberate route clearance operations, they are in the thick of it every day and are making a real difference. 3 (BAM) Squadron have made a hugely impressive start. Their infrastructure tasks are vital to the Task Force Helmand long term plans for handing over to the Afghan National Security Forces and I have no doubt that they will meet the exceptionally challenging deadlines they have been set. 54 Squadron and all its key components continue to ably support everything the Engineer Group does; their task is unrelenting, and often out of the public eye, but is crucial to our continued success and never underestimated. The Afghan Engineer Tolay Training & Advisory Team continues to partner our Afghan colleagues. Very much the main effort, for it is our Afghan colleagues who will keep the peace long after we have gone; they have been excellent. Last, but by no means least, a word on Recce Troop; integral and trusted members of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, all of them have taken the fight directly to the enemy. They have already made some outstanding IED finds and highly significant insurgent detentions; hugely impressive in every respect. 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron 59 Commando Squadron 8 Improving Freedom of Movement 59 building a Medium Girder Bridge in Nad-e Ali 10 14 17 Support Commando 24 Sappers in Afghanistan—Wrist Bands You will therefore not be surprised to hear that the sheer professionalism, courage, determination, selflessness and cheerfulness of everyone I meet in the Engineer Group impresses me and humbles me in equal measure on a daily basis. You should be extremely proud of every Edition 5 Page 2 Commanding Officer‘s Foreword—(continued) single one of them. In my view the Engineer Group is in really good shape. However, I don‘t underestimate the sacrifices that you and your families have already made to get to this point; both during pre-deployment training and during the first 3 months of our deployment. I would like to thank you all for your commitment and exceptional support. As I said before we deployed, HERRICK 14 is a team effort with 3 key elements; those that deploy, the Rear Operations Groups that provide the much needed Firm Base and all the families and friends, whose support is so vital to everything we do out here in Afghanistan. Only by working together will we achieve mission success; I remain utterly confident that we will continue to work together and we will achieve mission success. United We Conquer! Protecting the Force 26 clearing IEDs in Nahr-e Saraj „De khuday pa amaan‟ CO SSM 54 HQ & Sp Sqn Foreword It‘s finally upon us, R&R! The first 2 batches have been sent on their way home, full of smiles I might add. The whole R&R piece is quite an evolution getting the guys home. For some it begins with trying to get them back from forward locations to Camp Bastion, this is reliant on the availability of helicopters, so some return days early to guarantee flights. Once in Bastion there are R&R briefs, handing in ammunition and then the obligatory waiting about until flight loading. RAF travel is certainly no express luxury check in service! Then there‘s the epic journey home; for some this involves a bounce about various other countries before finally getting home. The guys can be on the go travelling home for a good 23 hours, so they may be a tad tired when they walk through your door. With R&R comes the added strain of reduced manpower around the Group. The work does not stop or let up so those who are left have to work that bit harder to maintain momentum. The OC Major Parfitt is out on R&R so we have the 2IC Capt. Hardwick stepping into his shoes, within minutes he‘d commandeered the OC‘s office. Yet confusingly redirected the phone to the Ops Room! The rest of the HQ & Sp Sqn remains busy; the tasks continue to come in thick and fast. Morale remains high, especially now that R&R has kicked in. It‘s all a step closer to getting back to loved ones, family & friends. Our ‗Chuff Charts‘ are hitting the halfway point and the time really does seem to be cruising by at a speed, which is always a blessing. The focus for us is to get the job done and then return home proud of all we have achieved. The support received from you all at home has been fantastic, it won‘t be long before your son, husband or partner is home on R&R to thank you in person. - WO2 (SSM) Elliott Page 3 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron 5 4 Support Troop‘s Crane Task Who said a job in the Royal Engineers wasn‘t varied?! Just last week I found myself getting ready to leave Camp Bastion to go and help the another unit in distress, not, unfortunately, on a Gucci strike op but in fact a crane job! The water source in one of their camps had packed in, and so armed with the Regiment‘s 32 Tonne mobile crane Sgt Harris and I headed out to help. After one false start, where the Quick Reaction Force that was assigned to escort us left without us (!!), we were on our way and were quickly on the task site looking at the job in hand. Me and Sgt Harris, who was the AP (appointed person), quickly assessed the task. Well that‘s what he called it, but I thought he was just walking around looking important! The task was to pull out around 200 metres of piping from within a borehole as the pump wasn‘t providing any water and it was needed by up to 900 people. We had a small team of local civilians who helped out with attaching the piping to the hook to help speed the task up. As we finally pulled the pump out, the locals started to get pretty excited and a few pictures were taken. What seemed like a small thing to me obviously mattered a lot to them, although I did my very best to stay out of the photos! The first part of the task was done, I then had to pack up and make my way back to MOB BASTION for our own operation with the Escort Multiple. A few days past and I was back at the FOB ready to start the second part of the job. The civilians were expecting some problems whilst lowering the new bore hole pump back underground, but as the task unfolded we didn‘t encounter any problems whatsoever, the whole event ran really smoothly in the end, which is always a good thing! We then made a move back to BASTION as we had completed the task… for now at least!! By Spr Lee Spr Don Edition 5 Page 4 Resources Troop—TFH Resources Gears Up For R‘n‘R and LSI The human Medium Girder Bridge Hello and a big Bula vinaka to all our faithful readers, loved ones and families of the TFH Resources Troop and welcome to another fortnightly edition of our newsletter. This week saw the first lot of R‘n‘R ―go‘ers‖ leaving their posts for a little time off ―chillaxation‖ back home amongst them, our very own troop reps Spr ‗Dangerous‘ Dave Oxford and LCpl ‗Sammy‘ Schofield… lucky for some, chin up boys your time will come. The rest of the troop carried on the usual hectic routine… grizzin‘ it out in scorching temperatures of 43+ degrees…definitely ‗no joke‘ boys!! The yard was however, bolstered by extra man power thanks to the lads from Op BAM, getting a little first hand experience into the life of an Engineer Logistic Specialist. From palletising over 1000 50kg cement bags to stripping out some 60 ISO‘s that have come back from the ground… on that note anyone want to re-trade to Engr Log Spec?? Seriously it‘s no joke!! Also this week saw the return of the fitter, Spr ‗Obi Wan‘ Obino having been away the past week working at the Bulk Fuel Installation (BFI), welcome back mate…crack on!! Last weekend saw the troop celebrating the second anniversary of TOA which was extended to RSG TOA to cater for our neighbouring troops, the DEW and the QM/ SQMS for an inter troop Games night hosted by Troopy McCloud resulting in a tie between the QM/SQMS and us. Furthermore, over the last couple of days the RSG has been closed in order to select stores for the upgrade of a number of future Operations on the ground, headed by SSgt ‗Wilko‘ Wilkinson. A thorough stocktake of the fast movers (popular stock) on the yard - not any easy task when you only have 4 ―yardies‖ working but I am proud to say that we are almost there and ready to open again for business and the crew are all geared up and ready to handle whatever the week ahead has to throw at us…Bring it on!! Spr ‗Hightower‘ Nayacatabu Jenga Resources Tp style Page 5 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group REME—Day in the life of the ESLO In the last few weeks our numbers have been increased with the arrival of 3 more tradesmen. Cpl Paul Saunders, LCpl Brandon Corken and LCpl ‗One Ab‘ Shepherd have joined us to work with the Engineers task to upgrade and winterise various locations. On a much happier note the 1st batch of the LAD went on R & R this week, albeit 24 hours late. Thankfully for all of us still here this included Cpl ‗Horsehead‘ Gilligan, as we get a 2 week break from listening to his boring dit‘s and blatant lies about how much he has done in the gym! Let‘s hope that this is the first and last time the R & R flights are delayed. The highlight of the week for SSgt ‗The ESLO‘ Goldsmith was the arrival of his new wheels. SSgt Goldsmith has been finding all the walking about he has to do quite exhausting (and sweaty!) so he set about getting the LAD some transport. We had all hoped for an air-conditioned pick up. ‘No chance‘ where the words from the MT rep and we have ended up with possibly the oldest and most knackered flatbed truck on camp! SSgt Goldsmith and his “ride” As well as fixing anything that comes his way, Sgt John ‗Willie‘ Nelson has a new project to occupy his time. He has decided to do a bit of horticulture and is growing a tomato plant. Although still very much in its infancy, 2 cm tall to be exact, he is very proud of his efforts and looks at it with great pride every morning when he waters it. This week we see the arrival of 24 Cdo Engr Wkp‘s ASM, WO1 Gilbert who will replace the AQMS WO2 Mick ‗Love-eggs‘ Lovell. Mick will be sadly missed but at least he can enjoy the summer in sunny Devon and we don‘t have to listen to him go on about his non-existent biceps and the denial of his ever reducing hairline! - SSgt Goldsmith Sgt Nelson‟s tomato plant Page 6 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron OC‘s Foreword This second newsletter comes to you with the Squadron now almost fully committed and deployed to the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). We are busy on all levels, from the Sappers on the ground , through our logistics element trying to get the equipment to them (everything from several hundred tonnes of aggregate to a pair of flip-flops), to the Command and Ops team (all 3 of us!) already planning for the handover of our current tasks and aiming off for future tasks. This is all tying together quite nicely and starting to run like a well-oiled machine. The only complaint I get is from the lads left with us in Camp Bastion for too long who either want to get out and go to work with the other sections or just want to get away from Sergeant Major Hamilton – I think the truth is a bit of both! As ever the guys are doing a sterling job and working like only a Royal Engineer can. Hard! - Maj Matt Davies Hit the Ground Running ―We must hit the ground running!‖ These were the motivating words from Squadron Headquarters prior to deploying on Op Bam in support to Op Herrick 14. The Section Commanders all had inspired their respective lads, and had dictated the unit and work ethos. All the Sections of the Squadron were keen to get the job done; Sappers and Junior NCOs chomping at the bit. Unfortunately, the only ground we could run on to was blocked by a wall of un-breachable red tape. 1 Troop‘s initial main task on this tour is to upgrade one of the Patrol Bases (PB) into a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for an Infantry Company-size unit. This is extremely important work, vital to the British Forces‘ overall longterm plan and the move towards handover to Afghan Forces, and the British withdrawal. The purchase of the land Sgt Amey‟s Sock! on which the FOB will extend to, however, is caught up in a somewhat extended battle of rights and agreements with local authorities and landowners. This land must also be made secure and safe before the Troop can build on it. The majority of the Troop therefore, have been thus far redundant to task. Only a handful of mixed-traded lads were deployed in order to establish the Troop‘s first foot on the ground. Corporal Si Avis has started some ground-works with his plant machinery; Lance Corporals Lee Smith and ‗Ray‘ Mears are overseeing arrival of aggregates and stores. 2 Troop have had a better deal. With no red tape to contend with they were able to deploy to their task of the drawing-down of a Battle Group HQ into a Company FOB. The only spanner in the works for them was their helicopter flights out. Despite the High Priority of task, one flight was cancelled, and another delayed. All of 2 Troop are now however, happily ‗doozering‘ away. The remainder of 1 Troop on the other hand, are somewhat deflated. The local Labour Exchange had found much work for us in the form of a whole years worth of Resources Park work, sorting ISO Container contents and bridges for Engineer Group. In the words of Corporal Jay Rochester: ―It‘s Op Spam!‖ Realising this work is not focussed towards our own Squadron mission, the lads‘ morale is, for the moment, understandably low. Section Commanders are quick to battle this with re-directing efforts on useful continuation training, and lulling the breaks with rugby on the Resources Yard! Such is the versatility and resilience of the Great British soldier, and the Sapper in particular, to pick himself up and find the best in the face of adversity! We will get out there soon, and when we do we will indeed hit the ground running. We‘ll need to: the deadline is still in place, so the more time not on task, is less time to complete it when we do finally get to it. To me personally, this is the challenge I like to embrace. For me, it makes the time fly by and before we know it, that‘ll be the first half of the tour done. I think that that is the key for all us ‗pads‘, wives and families: keep busy, busy, busy, and we‘ll be home soon. By Corporal Hoggy Hogben Page 7 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group Patrol Base NAHIDULLAH upgrade. The first weeks. Keep the mail coming The upgrade of Patrol Base Nahidullah is a big project. Within 2 months the existing Patrol Base (PB) will double in size and will be fitted with the most high tech facilities available in theatre The primary task was to procure the land on which the PB would be extended onto. This was the first big hurdle; whilst the land was owned by the Afghan Government and could be purchased, the local population had used the area to grow crops and were reluctant to let it go. Once a deal was made and the local farmers were happy, the area was searched for any IEDs or legacy mines. The ploughing could now begin. With the temperature soaring we soon learnt that the best times to work were before 7am and after 5pm. The crane was not a big fan of the Afghan climate, often shutting itself down at 11am for the rest of the day. Quite frequently the crane had to be left with the arm still fully extended rising majestically above the Hesco Perimeter by 20 metres. With the area cleared of all crops, the ground works was the next big hurdle. The land was uneven and boggy, posing many challenges to the plant operators, and a few opportunities to practice their drifting – something even the Stig would be nervous to do. The plant vehicles worked morning, noon and night to flatten the ground and relocate several irrigation ditches that could flood the site. It was suggested these ditches could be rebuilt into a moat around the new PB, however a drawbridge would have taken too long to manufacture. With the aid of civilian contractors and a few crash courses in Pashtu (apparently the British Diggers method of shouting louder and repeating yourself really does work), the ground was ready for the new perimeter‘s Hesco Wall. The Northern wall would consist of Mil 7 Hesco RAID. RAID is a very new invention and is an innovative method of building Hesco. It saves on manpower and more critically, time! Instead of using men to drag out and place the Hesco baskets prior to being filled, RAID simply uses a truck to drag a large container of Hesco: as the lorry moves forward the Hesco falls out the back straight into position ready to be filled with sand. At least, that is what is supposed to happen. This was the first time RAID had ever been used in an operational environment, so we were graced with the attention of an eager audience consisting of troop management, local children – even the camp security cameras had rotated to watch the Engineers. Unfortunately, the RAID was too innovative for its own good as no one had any experience of working with it. For once the ‗mature‘ Staff Sergeant had as much of a clue as the young Troop Commander. After two hours of teething problems the local children became more interested in a funny shaped rock and left; the camp security cameras swivelled away and resumed watching out for any enemy threat; the Troop Commander left for his orders group. However, as day turned to night the Mil 7 RAID was successfully deployed – a total of 200 metres covered in less than 2 minutes. With the wall being filled with aggregate the project pushes on with 6 weeks to go until our next tasking. Edition 5 Page 8 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron OC‘s Foreword As the R&R finally gets starts, the Squadron has also regrouped into some new locations with all of 1 Troop moving to complete a large Forward Operating Base building task in a place called Lashkar Gah Durai – Durai being the Pashtun word for ‗junction‘ as it is located on the main Highway by the turning for the city of Lashkar Gah. 2 Troop remain split between Rahim and the ‗Patrol Base Line‘, which is a series of bases owned by Afghan and Danish soldiers. 3 Troop remain partly in Khar-Nikah and partly in a new location near the city of Gereshk, where they are building a new camp for soldiers from the 9/12 Lancers. All are in good spirits despite the long working hours and the now unbearable heat (up to 46ºC so far) and busy planning how best to spend their Leave. Maj Webster OC 26 AES OC & SSM at the Patrol Base Line RSOI Training for Armoured Engineers A Electrical Upgrade for the Afghan National Police by Corporal ‗H‘ Hammond Spr Hinnes driving the Husky On 23 May 11, the self named ‗Fighting Cobra‘ Section of 3 Troop deployed to Gereshk district centre to assist the Afghan National Police with a solution to their ongoing electrical problems. The Patrol Base (PB) houses a group of Afghan National Police (ANP) responsible for providing security to the district centre of Gereshk, as well as Gurkha‘s from 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles who are responsible for the mentoring of the ANP. Once set up, Sapper‘s Clements and Hicks started to construct a sun shade for the Danish generator which was struggling to work in the intense heat. In the meantime, Sapper Allison, the Electrician attached from 2 Troop, Afghan National Police in Gereshk went to work on reconnecting power to the accommodation. It was pretty clear straight away that Stevie Wonder must have wired in the electrics as it was completely wrong and bordering on dangerous. This in turn was causing the generator to trip out and stop working. After a morning re-routing wires to and from the living and working areas, Sapper Allison declared the task complete and up to standard. Another example of how a mornings work by an Engineer Section can have a deep impact on the working and living conditions of Afghan and ISAF Troops. The Section returned to the Main Operating Base (MOB) Price leaving behind a very grateful group of ANP and Gurkha‘s. by Corporal ‗H‘ Hammond Page 9 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group Don‘t mess with the ZOHAL On 20 Apr 11, 2 Section, 3 Troop were tasked with the upgrade of Check Point (CP) Zohal. The job itself was reasonably straight forward, even though it was in a pretty bad state. We had the mighty 2 section, the Afghan National Army (ANA) and some cowboy well drillers. It was quite a cosmopolitan site. CP Zohal is 800m to the east of PB Hazrat, which has been the sections home for the last 2 ½ months and is manned by 10-12 ANA soldiers, who when not brushing their hair on sentry duty were all crammed into a flea infested hole that resembled a Blackpool hotel. The CP had no real protection, therefore it was our job to provide HESCO walls and a HESCO sangar for the ANA to live in and operate from. The task went without problem and was completed in four days. The ANA were more than happy to cast their ‗builders eye‘ and assess our workmanship and were particularly vocal with their expert opinion, obviously this was only when not staring longingly at the newly slim and bronzed Sapper Hicks. The ANA seemed to be very fond of Sapper Hicks and were more than happy to offer their assistance whenever he was on the scene. Sapper Hicks also flaunted himself in order to get bread, it was rather shameful, but at least the section didn‘t go hungry. It‘s quite surprising how much banter can be shared between two groups of people who don‘t speak the same language, the most useful phrases being ‗very good‘ and ‗no good‘. All in all, an enjoyable task in the soaring heat. It was a job well done, with a cracking bunch of ANA soldiers and some light humour thrown in for good measure! By LCpl Beveridge Trojan ploughing through Page 10 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) OC‘s 2IC‘s Foreword. The past couple of weeks have been both busy and productive for 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron. With the onset of R&R, there has been a significant amount of personnel movement between troops to ensure each troop is fully manned for ops. Support to the Combat Logistics Patrols has been ongoing, with the Commanding Officer of the Commando Logistics Regiment singing the praises of the Squadron for all their hard work and support. There has also been a good exchange of ideas with the American Route Proving and Clearance unit when they visited us in BASTION 3. Captain Hastings continues to work hard in Kabul, training the Afghan Route Clearance Company in preparation for their move down here next month when we will have increased interaction with them as we take on more responsibility for their mentoring and training. Amongst the ongoing ops and planning for future ops, there has still been a bit of time for Squadron cohesion to take place. 1 Troop organised and ran a very successful intertroop games night; although SHQ felt the choice of activities chosen were purely to hinder our efforts at winning anything! Finally, from everyone in 31 AES out here, congratulations to Sammie and Tommy Ambery on the birth of their third daughter, Bella. 31 AES Games Night – May 2011 The mighty 1 Troop were given the task of organizing a night of entertainment for no reason other than the whole Squadron was in Camp at the same time for a few days. It was decided that a games night would be a good idea as 1 Troop's Staffy (SSgt Lee Wild) fancied himself as a bit of a pub games expert. The night consisted of a tournament of 6 different team games with a prize for the overall winner. The games played were as varied as the teams that played them, from a pub quiz to a mini Call of Duty tournament, as well as other games such as Darts, Table tennis, Jenga and Euchre. Each Troop was represented by four players in each event, this however proved to be a problem for SHQ who had to resort to recruiting players from the C-IED Task Force. This only hindered their efforts in the games and as a result SHQ were placed last in the overall standings with an impressive zero points overall!! Each of the events brought with it varying degrees of difficulty, most of which were due to the calibre of your opponent as there was some serious sharks in the Sqn alongside some guys who struggle to get themselves dressed in the morning. Some were taking it far more seriously than others (Troopy Phipp's took it far too serious as you can see by his insane grin on the table tennis picture) which only added to the frustration of the competitive dads in the teams. The quiz was the exception to this rule which was made more difficult by the subjects chosen by the quiz master Bombardier Darker. He seemed to assume that the teams would be made up of regular quiz goers and Ultimate Fight Club followers, for the 1 Troop team however, this wasn‘t the case. One of the Lt Phipps cheesy gein! team members Spr ‗potatoes‘ Smith was apparently sworn to silence during the quiz as he offered no input what so ever and seemed to stare blankly at the quiz master for the whole time. Clearly the questions were not designed for him. 1 Troop did however fair better in other events. We were crowned champions in Darts, Table Tennis and Euchre. Admittedly the Table Tennis win could possibly have been down to Lt Phipps‘s unique playing style in which the rules are created as the game was played. Overall the night was a hit with the squadron and every one had a good time participating in the games. The teams also had a chance to create new and ingenious ways of distracting the other teams in an attempt to help their own team to victory. Luckily this did not get out of hand and no nudity was seen to be used!!! With the evening drawing to a close 1 Troop was awarded first place for their efforts. It was a position that had been earned by our hard work and skill and nothing what so every to do with us being the event organizers. Honest guv. Page 11 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group The American Visit to Talisman Squadron 3 Troop 31 Armd Engr Sqn took part in a ―show and tell‖ for the American route clearance team on 18 May 2011. This was intended to give them an insight in to our Talisman vehicles and equipment as we do similar jobs and use similar equipment. We started off in the morning at 0800 by setting up the various Talisman vehicles and equipment in preparation, by this time it was already getting close to 40 degrees and rising. While Spr Andrews (Paddy) and Spr Lowe (J Lowe) moved the Buffalos, Spr Mercer (Nobby) moved the Mastiff, Spr Conolley (Billy) moved the HMEE and LCpl Kerr (Rob) manoeuvred the Panama vehicle into position. The search equipment was set up by our resident experts LCpl Lucas (Ash), Spr Crowther (Joe), Spr Parker (Lewis), Spr Evans (Wobble) and Spr Bruce (Boy Band) and they were then on hand to answer any questions on our search techniques. Cpl Peglar (Pegs) was also there to give his Team Commander slant on any of the issues or questions raised. The Rock Star that is Lt Irving (Luke), SSgt Heal (Dave) and Sgt Bracey (Andy) were there to ensure things ran smoothly and answer any questions that the previously mentioned guys could not answer. By 0900hrs we were all ready by our nominated equipments and tucked into any shade we could find while we waited for the visit team to descend upon us. Before long they arrived being escorted by OC Maj Struthridge, Capt Medcalf (Crazy Eyes) and WO2 (SSM) Bourne (Spennie) and we spent at least the next 30 mins showing off all our Talisman capabilities with which the Americans seemed to be very impressed. Unfortunately Billy, Rob and Paddy had to step down from talking about the equipments because the Americans could not understand the Scottish and Irish accents and we had no translators on hand. To be fair we normally can not understand what they are saying either so it was no great shock. By 1030hrs the American vehicles rolled into our compound and took up formation. They were surprisingly different to ours, like little baby versions, even though they did the same job (ish). We were all very eager to get involved and learn about them, for professional reasons only clearly and nothing to do with ―boys and their toys‖ We all were very surprised to see how much room there was in most of their vehicles which made us quite envious as we are generally packed into our vehicles like sardines in a tin. We were happy to see that not everything was as spacious when we were introduced to the Husky. It was a one man vehicle with enough room to barely sit in it and they told us sometimes they could be out for over 3 weeks at a time! No matter how big or small all the vehicles were they all had ample supply of Beef Jerky and Powereade drinks. Spr Parker answers the Americans questions While I ―Sapper Crowther‖ was being shown around the American equivalent to our Buffalo I took advantage of some of the rations that they had left in the various compartments. I favored the beef jerky and took every advantage to accept their hospitality which soon began to run dry as I finished a few bags. A good conversation on Top Gear and English accents finished off a good ‗show and tell‘ from both sides of the ‗pond‘. With a quick round of hand shakes and best wishes for a safe tour the Americans departed and hopefully we will get the chance to visit them at their camp in the near future. Spr Crowther—3 Troop Talisman Sqn. Page 12 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group Combat Logistic Patrol—TALISMAN Perspective 1 and 2 Troop have just finished a very busy Combat Logistic Patrol (CLP) for those of you who are not familiar with the term CLP it is the name given to the giant convoys that resupply all the Patrol Bases in Southern Helmand. They provide all the vital stores and equipment that the Patrol Bases require to operate. The convoy has approximately 70 vehicles including the Talisman fleet of 9, stretching up to 3km in length. Our job as the Talisman Squadron is to prove and clear if necessary all the routes, ensuring all the vehicles and personnel arrive safely at the Patrol Bases. At the front leading this armoured conga through the desert is Sgt Mark Josee for 1 Tp and Sgt Steve ―the stig‖ Smith for 2 Tp. Having the ability to pick and choose their own route with help of a tractor (HMEE) operated by the Sqn's elite mud muppets, this enables safe passage for all. Making sure the rest of the convoy keep up and looking after the rear of TALISMAN is SSgt Lee Wild and SSgt Felix Binns from 1 and 2 Troop respectively, which is easier said than done. Managing and controlling this major operation and also ensuring the Troop Commanders are making realistic and sensible decisions are by far the hardest and busiest job within the Talisman Orbat. They can often be heard saying that they would love an easier job, something like the Talisman Search Adviser that lead the convoy but this would mean that they have to blow the dust off their maps!!!! A typical CLP lasts between 1 or 2 days which does not sound too bad however these days are not normal days, they are the longest days you can ever imagine. If all goes to plan you can be sat in your vehicle for up to 16 hours with no toilet facilities apart from empty water bottles and plastic bags, not even a designated smoking area inside for all the smokers which can lead to some TALISMAN making their own way through for CLSR Formed up ready to move tempers becoming slightly frayed as the nicotine cravings start to kick in. During the patrols there is a lot of time spent waiting for the Combat Support Logistic Regiment (CSLR) unload their vehicle which you may think is pretty straight forward, but due to unforeseen issues the unloads can take one or two more hours more than is often thought. This gives the vehicle crews plenty of time to think of new and interesting ways to keep themselves from dying of boredom. During our last two patrols Bombardier Darker and SSgt Wild decided to quiz each other on their knowledge of football, this kept them entertained for a few hours. Once the CLSR have finished their drop offs it's a straight forward trip back to base. Once back in base we are able to unwind and stretch our legs which is defiantly needed after 16 hours in the back of a Mastiff. Spr Crowther – 3 Troop Talisman Sqn Home Safe Page 13 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (continued..) Route Clearance Company Mentoring The first search The Afgan National Army (ANA) Route Clearance Company (RCC) of 3 Brigade 215 Corps is beginning to take shape. Over the last month they have taken delivery of most of their vehicles and equipment and some of it is actually still working. This may seem negative but when you understand that many of the soldiers have never driven before and hardly come from a technical background then it makes more sense. It is reassuring to see the way they are progressing, not only in the quality of their equipment but also in their general attitude and the way they go about their day to day business. Sgt Barr (59 Commando Sqn) and I (Capt Hastings of 31 Armd Engr Sqn) have been kept busy with the constant fight that is the ANA administration system. Problems such as fixing minor faults on vehicles and collecting mine detectors (these are kind of vital for the RCC) that in the British Army would take a Sgt Barr enjoying lunch few minutes to fix, seem to run for weeks with the ANA. The ANA chain of command believe that the RCC can operate on one set of D cell batteries a Month (you can always switch off the detectors to save power!) and 8 litres of fuel per week per vehicle (remember that they drive HMMWV‘s and not a fleet of Toyota Prius‘s). The RCC has undertaken some valuable training including live demolition ranges, first aid and communications. Over the last week the RCC has begun to operate as a formed unit and is now beginning to fine tune the mechanics of basic route clearance under the ever watchful eyes of their mentors. The end result will hopefully be the whole RCC passing the validation phase and then moving down to Helmand to begin the process to make them a fully operational Unit. By Capt Hastings Ops Officer 31 Armd Engr Sqn. Page 14 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron Local children helping construct a culvert OC‘s Foreword Sahaar pa khair! Tsunga ye? All remains well in both Nahr-e-Sarraj (South) and Lashkar Gar as we continue to deliver the best close support any Battle Group could wish for. We have two major operations on the horizon which we are now focusing our efforts on, one of which will see our first partnering with the Afghan National Army‘s Engineer Tolay. The Squadron is once again at the forefront of activity within both Areas of Operation and I am consistently impressed by the sheer determination and dynamism displayed at all levels – despite the extremely uncomfortable working conditions and increased levels of insurgent interference. 1 Sect, 8 Tp on Route Canterbury The lads from 1 Sect, 8 Tp have been constructing Route Canterbury for the past 2 weeks. The road connects Trident to CP SARHAD in K Coy (PB 5) AO. The route was originally designed to traffic Husky but this later changed to Mastiff. The road dissects farmland with numerous irrigation ditches flowing through it. The principle design was to upgrade the water damaged areas that link the passable route. We had to keep the resource budget down so the route could be constructed immediately, otherwise there would be a significant lead time, we had to gather all road stores left over from previous tasks around NES (S) AO. Everything seemed simple enough in planning!!! Locals supervising the work The task started by placing down a desert fill foundation, in order to build up from the boggy areas. Whilst doing this the local farmers decided to flood the road-BACK TO SQUARE ONE!! After great discussion between Military Stabilization & Support Team (MSST) and the Locals, an agreement was reached on the control of the irrigation. We attempted to employ locals to assist with the construction, it worked out there are better wages available in Poppy Harvesting, no wonder the British Legion is loaded!! There were 8 concrete barrel culverts to be constructed along the route. The first four were horrendous and due to the poor quality of the concrete barrels, two of them collapsed on emplacement. Page 15 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron - continued. This was later resolved by resourcing better quality pipes. The media decided to visit during the task, Cpl ―the colonel‖ Walton and Spr ―Grottler‖ Ostler were interviewed. The journalist stated that Cpl Walton was a natural in front of the camera, he thought he was an A-list celebrity after that (what he didn‘t know was that we instructed the media to say that to him, knowing that he would take it seriously). During the filming of the children assisting the lads on site, you could hear in the background ―it‘s boiling out here‖!!! Maybe Cpl Walton wasn‘t a natural after all. After all of the previous difficulties, the task started to find its feet and progress was good, the employment of the civy excavator, roller and tipper was a bonus as this eased the burden on the plant ops. Spr‘s ―Guss‖ Boddy and ―Sponce‖ Walding smashed out some excellent work. The lads dug out blind under arduous conditions in order to achieve an excellent route construction. Short term it will benefit ISAF logistically, but long term the locals will gain, especially when the road become blacked topped in the near future. ANA Warrior Pioneer Training After numerous CP constructions across the AO, the Tp interacted with the localson nu4 Afghan National Army soldiers sat on a bench they built merous occasions, this was all fine apart from there should be an Afghan face on the projects. SSgt Jones suggested to KATT (Kandak Advisory & Training Team) the options of training 4 ANA warriors to become pioneers in order to assist future ANA CP builds. It would also benefit the Kandak‘s as their own personnel could maintain their bases. A four week training programme was designed and approved, training commenced about 3 weeks after the idea was proposed. The training was based upon what materials and equipment they could procure. I was tasked with training basic combat engineering to a small team of ANA soldiers. Subjects included force protection (sandbagging, wire obstacles, basic Hesco installation), artisan training (carpentry, concreting, electrical safety trg) and sanitation and drainage. The principle of the training is to enable the ANA the capability of building their own compound CP‘s and maintain established bases without the assistance of ISAF. During the third week they would be given an upgrade project at an ANA compound and the fourth week they would go on a partnered operation with one of our sections and an the ANA Engr Tolay, finishing with a mini parade to award their certificates. After the initial teething problems of getting the four ANA warriors together, we settled into the 4 week Even though we made this “we can steal it” training package on 7 May 2011. The group contained a Sergeant and three warriors. We commenced the training with introductions and a cup of chai. With the use of an interpreter we have since introduced them to the tools and materials we use. We have just achieved our first training objective, the construction of a table and benches using different joints and fixing methods. These items of furniture will be used on the HQ conference area. I have been surprised by how enthusiastic they are and how well the training is going. All of the training is practical and they seem to be enjoying themselves, whether or not they‘ll enjoy sand bagging remains to be seen. Overall the project is a different and enjoyable challenge for me and if it goes well, hopefully other Warrior Pioneers will be trained in the future. Page 16 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 2 Months of OP HERRICK with 8 Troop. The first two months of Op Herrick for has seen 8 Troop conducting just about the full spectrum of engineer effects across the whole of the Nahr-e-Sarraj (South) (NES(S) AO). Based from PB2 (Patrol Base) we were initially surprised to learn that we would be working with the Paras for nearly a third of our tour. Having said that, the 2 PARA Battle Group were well versed in their drills and extremely professional in their conduct. Getting to grips with NES(S) and the freedom of movement offered along the PB line by route TRIDENT is something that needed to come very fast. As a troop the tasks came on thick and fast. Within days of the Helo landing Spr Carter and LCpl Martin were on patrol with X Coy making best use of half barmines. Also within days we quickly turned PB3 into CP3 and handed it over to the local ANA commander. Our first big task as a troop sent us up to the Aboshak Wadi to construct two ANP checkpoints. The first CP involved the construction of an Expeditionary Elevated Sangar along the banks of the NEB canal. The threat was largely unknown but expected to be high as this was the furthest ISAF had probed into the Bowri desert. It was here that we received our first contact which was swiftly dealt with. The construction of the Sangar went up quickly and it was here that the Paras showed their willingness to assist in the filling of sandbags and HESCO. The second a half of the task consisted of a CP in a green field site right on the Wadi crossing. A task made tough by the level of traffic transiting along NEPTUNE. A quick chat with the ANP quickly resolved that problem. A simple row of stones across the road kept our site clear. The following weeks saw the troop involved mostly in PB upgrades constructing mortar pits, LAD bays, doors, gates, roofs, shelters, toilets, urinals, female toilets and a rather impressive memorial in all five of the Company‘s main bases in NES(S). As Engineers we quickly made a name for ourselves in the PB and have now become the go to people when something needs doing. A new CP in the village of Char Coucha became the next frustration for the troop. The original site that had to be discounted and the second site was subsequently flooded by the locals who wanted to show their displeasure. A final compromise was eventually found that required a good level of improvisation to the original design. A find of a legacy device halted works for a while but it was reported and device destroyed. A visit to Op Sturga to construct a HLS was conducted in a swift few days by Cpl Walton section whilst Cpl Shaw and Hagelburg‘s sections concurrently established CPs SEKA and SARHAD. Access to CP SARHAD quickly degraded when farmers started to irrigate their ditches which involved a lengthy overnight recovery. The further initiation of an IED on the route that hit a local farmer in his tractor quickly changed the requirement for an upgraded route with IED protection required along the whole route. Route Canterbury was born and 8 Troops first real introduction into the tedious process of road building. A few other PB upgrades mostly concerning water production and drainage has kept everyone else busy. From a management point of view the challenges of juggling skills, trades, B1s—experiences combat engineers, Plant Opertors, Commanders, Drivers, gunners, as well as maintaining a fleet of nine vehicles has been a continuous test. Working with local national contractors and engaging with village locals has also thrown up its frustrations and have halted many a plan. The Afghan ability to change their mind on the acceptable location of a CP or timing still shocks. Recce has also been a big part of the task and an extremely important requirement of any task conducted. Largely conducted by Sgt McGee and myself the realities of Helmand are in some respects very different from the classrooms of Battlefield Engineering Wing. Unfortunately not every recce can look at the whole route, due to the IED threat, gain entry into a compound or in some cases get too close for risk of giving the game away. Recces have been diverse and have required patrolling through poppy fields to remote villages outside of the immediate influence of ISAF or ANSF or carefully planned vehicle moves. Of course dealing with the infantry officer commanding and giving him a realistic outcome is a skill in itself. The future also sees a level of partnering, although this time with the recently graduated Engineer Tolay. The prospects look very good and will no doubt involve a healthy level of competition. With the summer now in full swing, 8 Troop are now busier than ever, with a list of tasks and priorities that grows longer with every phone call or recce. The addition of 7 Troop to the AO will help to share the burden, and maybe they too will gain some of the glory. Page 17 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 59 Commando Squadron RE OC‘s Foreword Yet another busy period in the Nad-e-Ali Area of Operations (AOs) for all 3 Troops and SHQ/Ech. The Squadron remains fully committed in support of both 42 and 45 Cdos RM and every man continues to work extremely hard. Of significance is that we have also been joined by the men of 3 Armd Engr Sqn who are currently completing some significant construction tasks in our area in support of Task Force Helmand. This is going a long way to alleviating some of the burden from ourselves and rightly allowing us to maintain the focus on our Battle Groups. On a lighter note we have finally arrived at the significant milestone that is ‗RnR‘. Men have started to filter into Camp Bastion ahead of their flights to the UK; full of enthusiasm and intentions for how they will spend their two weeks. As I write we are yet to have anyone return to Afghanistan; this is clearly because their time in the UK is not yet over rather than they are enjoying themselves too much. As you would expect, plans for RnR are extremely varied; from seeing the birth of children, to relaxing at home, to going on trips to Barcelona. I certainly wish Sgt Wayte best wishes; he has arranged the latter trip for his wedding anniversary only to find that a group of the lads happen to be going at the same time. Still, I am sure that paths won‘t cross; Barcelona is a large place and I have no doubt that those places frequented by Spr Mowbray et al will be very different to those of Sgt Wayte and Michelle. Finally, I would just like to mention that whilst morale remains high; in some areas it has taken a temporary dip. The QM has received a shoulder injury, most likely from keeping up with the youngsters in the gym. Some, most notably the BGEs, Capt Siemienuich and Pearce, have already found to their cost he is most definitely a man who becomes easily frustrated without being able to exercise. Hopefully, by the time of the next article he will have recovered and morale will have returned to its normal high levels. Life in SHQ We are still busy as ever in the 59 Cdo Sqn Ops Room in Camp BASTION. I think most of us are counting down the days ‗til R & R so we can have a well deserved break. I intend to drink my own body weight in wine – and that‘s just for starters! I hope that you have all enjoyed the spate of good weather that you had back in the UK – I am sure that by the time I get home in June to enjoy the BBQ season it will be raining again. We have recently had a few birthdays here in Bastion. Maj (OC) Williams, SSgt ‗Dinger‘ Bell and SSgt ‗Bully‘ Bull now qualify for free accommodation – who said getting old doesn‘t have its perks? I also celebrated my 31st birthday. It wasn‘t Recruiting Afghan style quite what I hoped it would be, definitely lacking in cake and alcohol. My only consolation was that poor Capt (2IC) Burton had an even worse day than me - when he didn‘t quite make it to the toilet and had to spend the rest of the day in the D & V tent nursing his poorly tummy. A few of the lads from the FOBs and PBs have been coming back to Bastion for various reasons sporting horrendous ‗porn star‘ moustaches and dodgy tans, but it is always nice to see them. Spr Ross seems to have recovered from his dog bite. We are still trying to work out if he has rabies or not as he can often be seen foaming at the mouth. Page 18 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 59 Commando Squadron RE Spr ‗Bepe Di Marco‘ Leak returned to the Ops Room after his stint with 1 Troop looking very trim, however, his sweet tooth also returned with him. He is very partial to other people‘s sweets as I found out. We have had to send him back out to the CP as his chins were creeping back on. The biggest ‗guns‘ competition is in full swing with the men taking it very seriously. I am still only an inch or so away from catching Cpl ‗Taff‘ Harrison up. It‘s probable that most of my 11 inches is from my bingo wings, not muscle, but it still counts! I think I am the only member of the Sqn that hasn‘t resorted to drinking protein/muscle shakes (also known as fart powder). The smells that the blokes in the Ops Room are expelling are pretty disgusting so it obviously doesn‘t do much for their insides. I may have to put in a claim for Unpleasant Working Allowance. Sgt ‗Matty‘ Needham has found solace in his PS3 console now that his partner in crime Spr Leak has gone. These commando warriors could often be found chasing each other around the Ops Room with fly swats and elastic bands, giggling like a pair of kids. That‘s all from me in Bastion. We are almost half way now so it won‘t be long before we are looking towards the finish line. If you are sending mail to the troops, please remember to use BFPO 792 only and do not write any locations or op names on the parcel. Many thanks, Sgt Toni Scoins, Chief Clerk 59 Cdo Sqn The Fighting First- A Farewell and Hello Much has happened for the Fighting First since the last news letter, I apologise now as I do not have the same wit as the Troop cockney wide boy, LCpl Tony Wilsher!! Firstly we say a goodbye to Capt Oliver Crowther who has now completed his tour of duty as the 1 Troop Commander, we thank you for your hard work and support you showed to the troop. You will be missed…. For about 5 minutes! We look forward to a beer on our safe return. The hello goes to Lt Tom Exelby the new 1 Troop Commander, he has received a warm welcome and he will be surely looked after, honest! Since the last newsletter we have deployed to CP Tallanda where the troop replaced Sanger‘s and perimeter walls, yet again the plant boys Spr Mutts Mutter, Spr Dan Day and Spr Noodles Jarmen were playing around Man love Thursday in their big toys under the control of the 3 section commanders Cpl Tilak Pun Cpl Robbo Robinson and Cpl Tomo Thompson. The boys from the troop worked hard in what was proving to be testing conditions due to the ever increasing temperatures. Spr Les Leslie built a set of wooden stairs for the sanger position which I can only describe as probably the best stairs in Afghanistan. The quote of the tour comes from Ash (Spr Nicholls); after a hard day and nights graft, to be honest the lad was totally knackered, he came through the gap in the compound wall, stopped in front of a group of about 10 of the 1 troopers looking glum and said and I quote, ―IF THERE WAS A JACK WAGON OUT THERE I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY GOT ON IT‖ - the troop couldn‘t stop laughing, what a great morale boost. The troop spent a week in total at CP Tallanda upgrading the camp. Although the work was hard and long the troop still managed to spend a hour in the gym. The ‗old man‘ 1 Troop Staff Sergeant has been taken under the wing of LCpl Dev Devenish and LCpl Tony Wilsher. LCpl Devenish is a monster, apologies to his parents, but that boy is strong. LCpl Tony Wilsher is strong however, the old man has just started to lift a little more than him, much to his annoyance. Page 19 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group The CP had a stream running through it which was morale in itself, as soon as the days work was complete the guys were straight in it cooling themselves off. I do recall one disturbing moment when Spr Casey Travanti and Spr keil Appleton were grooming each other like a pair of young gorillas. Once the task was complete it was back to PB Shazad to mount up stores and head off to CP Folad which is in the north of Nad E Ali. After a day of driving stores back and forth we settled back in to CP Folad. The first task was constructing a helicopter landing site, which is nothing new to the Fighting First. Cpl Tilak Pun and his section cracked that job out in half a day. Cpl Robbo Robinson and his section repaired the front gate which had been driven into by a mastiff vehicle (nice one Royal!). We are now conducting good training waiting for our next task. We do have a couple of lads who are enjoying a couple of days off in the diarrhoea and vomiting tent, namely Cfn Ben Antony and Spr Mutts Mutter. I am sure they will both be back to full fitness by the time you read this. All in all its been a good couple of weeks for the Troop, The troop is strong and we continue to look out for each other. A big thank you to the friends, girlfriends and families for all the mail and support you give to the lads. R and R has now started so we look forward to seeing you all in the near future. By SSgt Bell 1 Troop 1 TROOP POEM A word in the house a stroke of a pen The OC deployed his Fighting First men Bench pressing 140 and six packs supreme The Fighting First troopers wore berets of green. Pre deployment training was hard it had to be so How to blow holes with EMOE and build walls of HESCO Folad, El ham, Wahid, Quadrat, Tallanda and Shazad were impossible tasks The Fighting First were up for the ask. Their jobs so successful that the Taliban said If these 1 Troop commandos found I want these men dead We soon realised the Taliban weren‘t keen Because the Fighting First wore berets of green. On D day at Bastion they left that rule ridden place They jumped from the Chinook and jumped to the base There contempt for the Taliban was plain to be seen As their sideburns and big hair do‘s were easy to see. When its all over and fighting no more We will return and yet again be in the Engineer Corps Who went back home to there loved ones, families and friends Much bigger and tanned, all glad it‘s the end. After the 6 month tour is over they will all meet it is said To talk and toast to their old troop commander and look forward to bed Back home to Chivenor that‘s known as the den Where we fought for the right to be Fighting First men. For your freedom of movement and freedom of speech The troop commander in his O groups will always preach A word in the house a stroke of a pen HERRICK 14 will always be in the memories of those Green beret Fighting First men. Page 20 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group Condor Troop Since the last article Condor Troop has continued to help improve the HESCO share price (basically big baskets that you fill with gravel to build walls) smashing in sangars, improving check points and even building a bridge – ―Condor Crossing‖ was put in by Cpl ―Isambard Kingdom Brunel‖ Ganesh and his section in a lung busting 22 minutes by hand in full body armour and 40 degree heat, that‘s Commando spirit for you! Life in Nad-e-Ali South remains extremely busy and the Engineers continue to be a much appreciated Lcpl Ganesh at Condor Crossing team, improving the conditions for the boys out on the ground whether it is through building new showers and toilets or spreading our unique brand of Condor Troop Morale amongst the Check Points of Nad Ali South. Recently we have also been involved in the development of the Afghan Local Police (ALP), an initiative to get the locals to look after their own neighbourhood and providing a critical link to the communities as part of the transition to Afghanistan taking ownership of its own security. The BGE and Troop Commander successfully tried their hand at local politics with Capt ―Bill Clinton‖ Pearce and Lt. ―Madeline Albright‖ Robinson brokering a historic deal with the local militia to assist in the construction of their new police check point. This agreement resulted in Sgt ―Bob‖ Hosken, Spr ―the goat and the trip flare‖ Beedie and Spr ―50 rounds of GPMG link‖ Bates being dispatched Adding the finishing touches down to the deepest, darkest regions of Southern Helmand armed with the Bob Cat (mini-digger), a plant operator and some enthusiastic ALP labourers. All the blokes grafted like ten men to give the ALP a decent location to fight from (despite the enemy showing some active interest in their work!) – Strong effort Condor! Edition 5 Page 21 In other news…Dave gets out and about! This week Dave Maitland happily relinquished his usual position as the BGE‘s 3 Tp— Check Point Chiron, the build concludes signaller stuck back at FOB SHAWQAT, for a chance to get out on the ground with the lads and get stuck in to some ―proper COMBAT engineering.‖ He was delighted to be given the opportunity to test out his newly acquired driving skills on a road that held many exciting surprises for 1 ―Route Recce‖ Section of Condor Troop. Dave is usually accustomed to executing his duty as the BGE‘s signaller in a decidedly more civil environment and here he regales you with a few ―dits‖ from FOB SHAWQAT… ―The main thing that keeps us going down here in the ―Deep South‖ is the parcels we receive, with Spr‘s Ward and Finbow being the ultimate welfare cases, receiving up to 6 at any one time. I think that‘s the main reason why a few lads aren‘t receiving any parcels, because they are clogging up the system! Mrs ―BGE‖ Pierce‘s cake however, makes up for the lack of Condor Tp parcels, although we know the only reason we are allowed any cake is so the boss can come in and raid any extra scran we‘ve accrued to supplement the copious number of sweets he consumes in his office. A true Condor Legend is Sue Lemon, a kind lady from the UK who took it upon herself to send countless parcels to the lads after a thank you letter was sent back to her. Life in SHAWQAT however isn‘t too bad at all, it‘s the best place to be in Afghan by far - much better than Camp ―Disneyland‖ Bastion where the main effort appears to be picking up us Sappers for breaching dress regulations and haircuts, and it‘s unreal. That is just a short insight to life in general in FOB Shawqat. Not as interesting as life ―out on the ground‖ but highly necessary to make it all possible.‖ – From the BGE‘s signaller, Dave Maitland, proud to be attached to the mighty Condor Troop... that is all, out. Finally Spr Luke ―Yogi‖ Loton gives you his highlights from the last two weeks: The last 2 weeks have been a continuation of HESCO tastic building and as always looking after the vehicles. Harry ‗Houdini‘ Ellaway has been loving his time on tour as he gets to grease tons of nipples……..on the vehicles! 1 Section had a catwalk showdown involving Rhys ‗Sunburn‘ Dare and Ricky ‗Bobby‘ Christie dressed in underwear sent out by their relevant lady friends; all those watching now need TRIMing (a psychological evaluation following a traumatic event). Other than that everyone has been cracking on and no matter how much we may moan and question ones career choice, someone always says something stupid or makes a joke and everyone‘s smiling again. Page 22 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group 3 Tribe Roll with the ―Nutty Professor‖ CP Washiran The professor here, providing you a slice of the pie that is the lives of the men in Three Tribe In Afghanistan. Have some cake and have a biscuit. Anyway; this month we have lost our Boss Captain 'Inferno' Vernon due to other interests that comprise of cats, Old trumpets, the forbidden art of topiary and a posting out of the Tribe to Gibralter Barracks. Have a good one boss. Now we await the arrival of our new Troopy el Clarko. The Tribe have been working hard with jobs in CP Tofaan and a little place called Shiran Jan Junction. The job was to strip out a cup lock sanger and replace it with a 6/5/4 sanger, build a Hesco wall and take away scrap metal. There was a lovely evening where the Tribe gathered wood for a bonfire listening to the sounds of Tracy Chapman and other various artists. On completion the Tribe returned to PB Khaamar then back to PB Shazad, for a maintenance day. Tasty juice! The next job was Shiran Jan Junction; it was expected to take a few days. Day one had us cutting wood ready for a new front gate, Sprs Bond and Jasper constructed a patrol gate. Fos, Scotty, ‗TJ‘ , Vye and Joe ‘Wingy‘ Mcwolf, to work pulling apart a sanger position like it was old bread and constructed a ‗stand to‘ position. Day two saw the patrol gates completed, this comprised of a massive hole in the Hesco wall being made, ready to receive our wood, Hesco being bounced out and filled, to bulk up one of the compound walls. Day three saw the finishing touches being made to the gates and Hesco around the wall. Imagine the top tier of a cake being topped off with an edging of razor wire; that‘s the artistry that we are smashing out over here like a dangerous baker called Tony Robbins. Looking ahead we will be dismantling a cuplock sanger at Washiran and completing the compartmentalisation of the ANA compound. The Sheriff, SSgt Brown hands over CP Washiran So in short it‘s been a good week or two since you got our last article. Never the less we are moderately happy. Apples and pears. Can anyone remember the name of the previous Tp Commander? It seems so long that he‘s been gone! To the families of the Tribe keep sending us morale; its good stuff. In closing; ‗take it easy‘ back home, this is Harry ‗The Professor‘ Ramsden signing off. Peace Out! Page 23 Task Force Helmand Engineer Group ADD YOUR OWN CAPTION SUPPORTING COMMANDO SAPPERS IN AFGHANISTAN WRISTBANDS WHERE IS YOUR MONEY GOING? The income generated from the COMMANDO SAPPER wristbands will be split between 3 distinct areas. They are as follows: Regimental Welfare. This will allow us to support needy causes within the Regiment that cover a myriad of outlets; from injured soldiers, family activities and any venture which improves the welfare of our soldiers. 50% of all charitable income generated will go to regimental welfare. Army Benevolent Fund (ABF):The Soldier‟s Charity. ABF, The Soldier‘s Charity is designed to support soldiers, former soldiers and their families in times of need. Over the past 2 years ABF has seen a 30% rise in people seeking there help and expect this to increase with the continuing operations in Afghanistan. 25% of all charitable income generated will go to the ABF. Children‟s Hospice South West. The Children‘s Hospice South West is located in Fremington, literally on the Regiment‘s doorstep. The Hospice provides care for the children with an illness, which means they will not meet adulthood. The Hospice provides expert care, not only for the children but also for their parents and siblings, allowing them to cope with these extremely difficult circumstances. 25% of all charitable income generated will go to the Children‘s Hospice South West. To order Supporting Commando Sapper wrist bands. Please contact WO2 Ray Glass either by phone on 01271 85 7824 or by post with a SAE to WO2 Glass, ROpsP RSM, RMB Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4AZ, or just send a donation by cheque or postal order payable to Central Bank 24 Commando Engineer Regiment. Something from the Editor…. Back copies of the TFH Engr Gp Newsletters are available at TASK FORCE HELMAND ENGINEER GROUP Editor: 546151 Capt Brad Hardwick 54 Cdo HQ & Sp Sqn TFH Engr Gp BFPO 792 E-maill
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/collections/2973981/Task-Force-HelmandEngineer-Group-Newsletter Charity wrist bands. We have received repeated requests for our popular Commando Sapper wrist bands. Please refer to page 26 for details on how to get hold of this seasons must have item! Your support for the Regiment is greatly appreciated, so please give generously. Facebook Page. We now have an open Facebook presence at http:// www.facebook.com/TFHEngrGp See more photos and comments on TFH Engr Gp at Lonely Planet Dictionary of ‗Jack Speak‘ for Afghanistan Part 3 http:// www.facebo ok.com/ TFHEngrGp Essential clothing and equipment to pack OSPREY – There are 2 types of Osprey in theatre; firstly the state of the art body armour, or soldier weight loss program which makes it impossible to chase after anyone under the age of 85, reduced to 75 for insurgents with one leg. It also makes soldiers perform the distinctive Osprey running style which I can only imagine as what a chicken would look like running in treacle. Secondly, the other Osprey is an American helicopter/plane I don‘t really know what it is; it takes off like a helicopter then turns into a plane ―Amazing‖ and ―Only from America‖, just watch Star ship troopers you will understand. Tier 1 & 2 Bomb Pants – These are designed to save your undercarriage when on country strolls or road trips around Helmand. These are a must and random drop your trouser inspections are not uncommon; I don‘t always see the necessity to touch your toes. Tier 1 are essentially a pair of what could best be described as reinforced cycling shorts worn under the trousers, very snug fitting. Tiers 2 are worn in conjunction with your armoured cycling shorts and look like a camouflaged nappy worn on the outside of your trousers. All this essential protection ensures your nether regions remain at a constant temperature somewhere just below boiling point. The General – General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) a belt fed machine gun which is usually carried by the smallest man in your section or mounted on a vehicle, sometimes referred to as a gimpy but affectionately called The GENERAL, as the infantry sections best friend. HESCO – Steel baskets lined with fabric, which are then filled with material to make everything from blast protection walls to pool tables. The world‘s hot spots are covered in HESCO. It is the most simple of systems to use and was obviously so simple and straight forward they decided to add in an element of confusion. I will elaborate, HESCO comes in sizes 1 – 10 so you would think it would be quiet simple size 1 at one end of the sizing scale and size 10 being at the opposite, with the numbers going up or down in size chronologically, Oh no, 2 is smaller than 1 yet bigger than 9 and this happens throughout the HESCO sizing system. All designed ―just to keep you and the resources parks on your toes‖. More definitions in the next Newsletter.