Lieutenant-Colonel Simon Banton

The CO of 2nd Battalion (Worcesters and Foresters) the Mercian Regiment, says the first replacements for their battle group and its Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT) begin arriving next month.

 

Lieutenant-colonel Banton said: “The last couple of months have been full of activity both for the OMLT aspect of 2 Mercian as well as the two companies detached to the Light Dragoons Battle Group and our other detachments.

 

“The OMLT itself has continued to work with the Afghan National Army (ANA) throughout every area of Helmand province. Relationships we built up with the ANA Warriors over the first few months have been cemented and honed during combat whilst living and working with our Afghan brothers.

 

“With the Afghanistan presidential elections approaching a number of operations took place in Helmand. Some of these have been well publicised, such as Op Panchai Palang which at one stage involved the majority of the 2 Mercian personnel in theatre, whether part of the OMLT, the battle group or even the platoon attached to 19 Combat Service Support Regiment.

 

This operation was designed to improve security between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk and involved Afghan National Security Forces; our OMLT mentoring the ANA, both our rifle companies detached to the battle group, large proportions of the other British ground holding battle groups and US Forces.

 

“This was a truly multinational operation and brought about a vast improvement for the local people in this area.

“All your soldiers, no matter who they were attached to, did themselves and you proud. As publicised back home, casualties were sustained both during this operation and after the fighting element was completed, but you must remember we drove the insurgents out of this area and re-introduced Afghan government control to the people living there.

“This means that for the first time, these people had a chance to vote in the forthcoming elections.  Not something that they have had before and a right that they are looking forward to exercising.

“2 Mercian’s A and B Companies played an active part in Op Panchai Palang as part of the battle group; they fought hard against the insurgents and much of this was publicised due to the embedding of journalists with them throughout the operation.

“Our boys distinguished themselves highly during this period and although they sustained several casualties they reached all of the objectives they were set.

“With the end of the fighting phase they moved onto maintaining the security of these newly controlled areas. 

“Ava Platoon continue to protect the Combat Logistic Patrols (CLPs) that re-supply the patrol bases and are particularly valued by 19CSS and I have only heard favourably about them.

“Op Panchai Palang has not been the only operation that has taken place. In the south of Helmand the US have moved into what was Battle Group South’s area of operations (where our battle group used to be based) they have taken over this area and surged thousands more troops into the region in order to bring about security for the elections and foster Afghan government control. These new US troops freed up many British troops and several of our OMLT’s had the pleasure of working with the Americans when they arrived.

“I have been informed that the OMLT was ‘highly’ valued by Brigadier General Nicholson (the head of US forces) due to our knowledge of the ground and our ability to work successfully with the ANA.

“Op River Liberty as it was known was highly successful and vast swathes of southern Helmand are now under Afghan control thanks to these new US forces.

“Our OMLTs in both Sangin and Musa Qaleh have continued to fight the insurgents while these larger operations have taken place and they have done so admirably.

“Local Afghans in these areas are significantly happier and more secure due to their efforts and the ANA continue to be seen in a highly positive light by the locals.  

“Although this is the battalion’s third tour of Afghanistan, there are still numerous aspects of the Afghan culture that we are still adapting to. Drinking ‘Chai’ (tea) during informal meetings is now normal for our commanders on the ground, as is arranging impromptu Shuras after operations.

“These Shura’s are a way of life out here and much can be agreed over rice, some meat and these numerous cups of Chai.Â
“Other elements of the Afghan culture that have become apparent to us are the traditions to be followed should an ANA warrior die. While coverage of a British soldier’s repatriation ceremonies are now commonplace on television in the UK, the Muslim way is only cosmetically different and given the significantly higher levels of casualties amongst the ANA when compared to British Forces we have seen it first hand.  For example according to their religion after death they should be buried before sunset, however, in many cases this is impossible and we have to work hard to help them stick to specific timings and rituals, often evacuating their casualties back to their brigade headquarters.

“The Afghans, like us, put a remarkable amount of value on the respect to be given to a dead body and the traditions that must be upheld.

“Working with them in this way has opened our eyes to these cultural similarities and this appreciation of other religions has benefited us greatly.

“There have, however, been losses too. Recently there have been casualties and several British deaths, regrettably Pte Jason Williams died during an operation with the ANA, whilst searching for one of their dead – they too like us leave no-one behind and his sacrifice will not be forgotten by either us nor the ANA – who now think of him as a hero - further fostering our relationships with them.

“Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

“With less than eight weeks to go in the tour, we are now firmly focussed on the Afghan Presidential elections and the work and sacrifice that have gone into them. ANSF will take the prominent role in providing security with our OMLTs continuing to partner the ANA, with British forces ready to aide the Afghan government if the security situation necessitates it.

“After the elections it will not be long until the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment arrives to replace us and I look forward to writing to you again before we leave.

“As always we pass on our regards to those in the UK and hope you are well, we look forward to seeing you all upon our return in less than two months time.”

We have now been operating in Helmand for three weeks. The temperature is slowly creeping up but there have been some terrific electrical storms crashing above us. Notable occurrences this week include combat operations in Nad-i-Ali and Musa-Qaleh, and Shuras to engage with the local population. We have also been visited by the Commander 19 Brigade, the Chief of the Danish Defence Staff and an American Colonel responsible for mentoring the Afghan Corps Headquarters. We are working with our Afghan Army counterparts and I have spent a lot of time with the Afghan Brigade Commander, General Muhaiyodin.

 

Your soldiers on the ground have worked extremely well with their Afghan National Army (ANA) partners, operating in Nad-i-Ali and Musa-Qaleh.

 

In Nad-i-Ali, an operation involved fostering security, building new Patrol Bases (PBs) and reassuring the local population.  Drawing from elements of the ANA, our OMLT, soldiers from Estonia and other British units, they were successful in several clashes with the Taliban and resulted in the Afghan Security Forces being able to assert more influence in these areas. Working outside of the relative safety of their bases they deployed onto the ground for several days and fought, ate and slept in their vehicles and alongside the ANA. These joint operations will bear fruit in the future allowing more ANA troops to operate in the areas enhancing their authority in the eyes of the population.

 

In Musa-Qaleh, there has been increased interaction between ISAF and the ANA. Several Shuras have also taken place recently – what the Afghans call local meetings involving local Elders, Maliks (religious teachers who have completed the Haji to Saudi Arabia) and Mullahs (a religious preacher who has completed education at a Madras or religious school). These are where our British Company Commanders and the local Afghan Kandak (Battalion) Commanders meet with the local people and any grievances, successes and plans can be discussed. These can be initiated on the spot on a case by case basis, or planned regularly in advance. With copious amounts of green tea being consumed (an Afghan tradition during meetings) this enables reassurance and allows discussion to be fostered, furthering the ‘consent winning’ approach of our troops.

 

Next week I move to visit your soldiers in Garmsir, previously the scene of fierce fighting but now a bustling town, and I intend to tell you more of the 3 Brigade Commander General Mohaiyodin – he is a lynchpin for our work.

 

As always we pass on our regards to those in the UK.

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.  

Major Bob Moorhouse (37) was commissioned into the Army in 1995 and has served on operations in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan.  He joined 1 WFR in Afghanistan in 2007 shortly before they became 2 MERCIAN and been with the Battalion ever since.  Married to Vicky, who is also an Army Officer, he has two children one of which he is yet to meet as she was born shortly after he deployed to Afghanistan. He lives in Aubourn.

I, along with 40 other Soldiers from 2 MERCIAN, are one month in to a 6½ month tour of Afghanistan.  Ours is a somewhat different job to the majority of British Troops that are here because we are living and working amongst the Afghan National Army (ANA) as an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT).  Our role is twofold:  first and foremost we are here to assist the ANA in developing their own skills and secondly we serve as the link to the remainder of the British Forces who provide support in areas that the Afghan’s have yet to develop.

The ANA is made up of an eclectic set of individuals.  Each unit takes individuals from across Afghanistan, which may not sound unusual until you realise that they all speak different languages; apparently 32 in total!  To complicate matters even further the Army’s official language is Dari however where we operate, which is in the Province of Helmand, everybody speaks Pashtu. The unluckiest Soldier in the ANA has to be the one who’s first language is neither Dari nor Pashtu and then gets posted to Helmand.  Experience adds to the diversity with many of its senior Commanders having fought on opposing sides with the Mujahedeen and the Soviet Union; over time I am sure it will become apparent who fought for which side.

We are embedded with the 1st Kandak which is structured along the lines of 2 MERCIAN; a standard British Infantry Battalion but with slightly less manning.  Their HQ is based in the District Centre of Nad-e Ali with their Companies in small compounds (known as Patrol Bases) scattered across the District.  Equipped by the Americans they are in the process of exchanging their Soviet made AK-47s for US weapons and it will not be long before they are equipped with Humvees.

Our training for this role started back in September 2008 where we initially focused on individual skills.  My team is broken down into small groups of 6-10 Soldiers which means every man has to be a master of all trades and a jack of none, and these range from being able to use all the weapon system at our disposal to advanced medical techniques.  Having mastered these individual skills we set about learning how to mentor foreign soldiers, which involved understanding Afghan culture, Dari language training and even exercising with ex- Gurkha Soldiers to simulate the difficulties of fighting alongside Soldiers who don’t speak the same language.

The OMLT, or ‘Omelette’ in Army parlance, is split into 5 teams.  Four of the teams, all commanded by a young Officer and Sergeant, are responsible for mentoring those ANA Companies based in Patrol Bases and split their time between patrolling the countryside to prevent Insurgent harassment/attacks and training the Afghan Soldiers in new skills.  The fifth team includes myself and the Company Sergeant Maj, and is responsible for mentoring the HQ element of the Kandak and coordinating the joint operations.

Although we are a relatively small organisation we pack quite a punch and are equipped with everything from sniper rifles to hi-tech anti-tank missiles; a necessity when operating in such small groups.  This was proved during a recent operation where we helped the 1st Kandak clear a village that had been occupied by a large number of Insurgents.  Within hours of completing the clearance we found ourselves under constant attack and had to utilise many of these weapon systems to prevent the Insurgents from reoccupying the village.  We always try to use the minimum amount of force because we have to be conscious of the local population and their property however we quickly realised that the Insurgents were not going to give up without a fight.  By the end of the second day, we had used every one of our weapon systems and also been helped out by Apache Attack Helicopters and American and French Fast Jets; after that the Insurgents gave up!

Hopefully this has served as an introduction to 2 MERCIAN’s current role in Afghanistan.  Over the coming months I hope to share with you some of our experiences, both with the ANA and probably the Insurgents!  There should also be the opportunity to describe our living conditions, how we speak with our families, and the very contrasting culture of Afghanistan.

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 4-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 6 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 6 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.