4 SCOTS

The Blue Hackle

Commanding Officers Foreword

I want to pay tribute in this forward to the excellent work being done by the Rear Operations Group. Major MacGregor, Captain Franklin, Captain Steel and Captain Mclaren are working exceptionally hard to keep the show on the road back in Fallingbostel. Their efforts have been extraordinary whether it be welcoming home soldiers or deploying them. They approach each event with a professionalism and sense of purpose which reduces our workload in Afghanistan. They cope with the fastballs and short notice requests very well and still have time to plan a challenging and exciting programme for those soldiers and the families remaining in Germany. For all their hard work, I thank them and know you do to. The weather played its joker in Central Helmand over the last month and there was an unexpected return to the arctic conditions we experienced over Christmas, but this time with the first snow for a good number of years. However, it was not all bad as the pictures from the excellent and much talked about SUPERSTARS event show. As we crossed the half-way point in this long tour many took their RnR this month and so have returned refreshed and ready for the final months. Elsewhere, Assaye Company deployed to Jordan, we wish them well and look forward to their report from this fascinating part of the world in up-coming editions. So, enjoy the latest Blue Hackle and keep dry and warm in these final months of winter. Commanding Officer 4 SCOTS: Lt Col J C Roddis MBE

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Manoeuvre Battlegroup Superstars

The 4 SCOTS team Spartan put in an excellent performance; narrowly missing out on victory. This month saw Captain Euan Philbin and RSM Scott McQuillan organise a Superstars style fitness competition. Officers and soldiers from 4 nations took part in what turned out to be an extremely gruelling test of strength and determination to see which nation really is the fittest. 120 officers and soldiers from Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia and Afghanistan formed 30 teams to compete in the Superstars style competition in Camp Bastion. Male and female teams completed 8 gruelling exercises against the clock

Rambo was the Afghan representation in the RCBS team. 2

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in an attempt to be crowned the Superstars of Helmand. The Superstars competition required teams to perform a series of physical tests; challenging their strength and cardiovascular fitness, against the clock. Each male team had to complete a 2000m row, 160 x 50kg bench press, 40 x 80kg deadlifts, 40 x 40m farmers walk, 40 x tyre flips, 200 x box jumps, 200 x squat thrusts and 4 x 400m run. The events organiser and male competition runner-up, Captain Euan Philbin said Maintaining a good level of physical fitness while deployed on operations is important and I wanted Superstars to be a fun and competitive event that everyone could train for in a team environment, adding Hopefully the mixture of moving heavy weights and the high intensity cardio-vascular exercises will appeal to everyone; both those on Op Massive and the racing snakes. The Danish female team seemed to attract the largest crowds of the day. team The Little Mermaids who took the top spot, narrowly beating the Spartans from 4 SCOTS. Captain Rune Kayser, the Danish team Captain, said It was an excellent competition that was very well organised and fun to be a part of. We have been training for some time now and it was good to see the benefits today, adding We work with the jocks on a daily basis in the Manoeuvre Battlegroup, but it is good to be able to beat them every now and again. The female competition was also well represented, but this time the results were reversed and saw the Danish team narrowly miss out on victory; a title claimed by the British female officers of team Nice Apps. 3 The COs team still managed to smile 40 minutes later at the finish line. Despite fierce competition, it was the Danish

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Farewell to Danish Team 16
This month saw the departure of Danish Team 16 from Afghanistan. They have been an integral part of the 4 SCOTS team for the past year; initially joining us on a cold spring morning in Sennelager to begin Mission Specific Training (MST). They have worked as part of the Manoeuvre Battlegroup since that day, but having completed 4 months in Afghanistan it was time for them to pass the baton onto Danish Team 17.

The Danish relaxed in their famous YMCA, while the Liaison Officer found time for one last meeting. To mark the occasion, bidding farewell to Team 16 and welcoming Team 17, an afternoon of competitive sports and a BBQ at Camp Viking was arranged. With the weather at the end of January seeing clear blue skies and daytime temperature in excess of 20 degrees, it was set to be an excellent event. However, over the course of 36 hours, the weather changed so dramatically that we were left standing in temperatures as low as minus 6 and two inches of snow. The meteorologists confirmed that this sudden change in weather, and significant W hat a difference a day makes snowfall, is something not witnessed in Helmand in the past 12 years. It also ruins plans for a Volleyball match! 4

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With the Volleyball tournament cancelled, the farewell/welcome celebrations cut straight to the BBQ. And yes, you can have a BBQ in sub-zero temperatures. Under the watchful eye of Sgt Milne, the KBR chefs produced a fine spread for the event and it was a great opportunity for members of the Battlegroup, from all nations, to come together in a social environment; if only for an hour or so.

Despite the cold, the BBQ was a great social occasion.

With Team 16 now safely back at home in Denmark, Team 17 are firmly in The Hot-seat and we look forward to working with them for the remainder of Herrick 19.

Sgt Milne cashes in on another free meal.

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Assaye Company

The Highlanders Nordic Biathlon Ski Team. After returning from Camp Bastion in mid-November, A Company merged with B Company to form Assaye Company. Each platoon has taken the name of one of the Battalions antecedent regiments; Dargai, Kandahar, Waterloo, Gordons, Camerons and Seaforths. The Jocks have enjoyed a well-earned Christmas leave period and will now switch their focus in the New Year to prepare for Ex OLIVE GROVE, an overseas exercise in Jordan. The company will deploy in mid-February for a month to take part in a joint exercise with the Jordanian Army. There will also be time to visit some of the country's famous landmarks such as Petra and the Wadi Rum as well as taking time to make the most of the excellent Adventurous Training opportunities available. Aside from continuing to develop the Jocks soldiering abilities, Assaye Company has also provided the majority of the 4 SCOTS Nordic and Alpine skiing teams. During the first two weeks of December, Lt Buchan took a team of seven Jocks to Sjusjoen in Norway to take part in a two week Nordic Skiing training camp. The Jocks were in for a bit of a shock to the system after assuming that 'skiing' mostly involved going downhill and drinking into the early hours. They couldn't have been farther from the reality. A minimum of 4 hours of skiing every day, mostly going uphill soon abolished any hope of an easy few weeks. But as with most who practice the sport, the Jocks soon developed a perverse enjoyment for beasting themselves every day of the 6

Hldr Wishart finishing strong for 11th place in the 10km Biathlon Sprint.

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week. Having spent the summer training with the National Development Squad, Hldr Wishart proved invaluable in teaching the rest of the team the minute details of waxing skis and wearing Lycra suits in their tightest fashion. Hldr's Matthews and Townsend spent any time not on skis getting their heads down, whilst Hldr Bremner ate the local supermarket's supply of Weetabix. After a well-earned Christmas leave period, the team successfully qualified from the Divisional Competition in Les Contamines, France to attend the British National, Inter Service and Army Championships in Ruhpolding, Germany.

On the Alpine Skiing front Lt McCauley has been in Val DIsere since November with a 6 man squad. This exercise has consisted of a mixture of training and competitions as well as a small amount of aprs-ski activities in one of the most popular Ski resorts in the Alps. So far Hldr Blair, 6 SCOTS, has claimed third place in the junior category and the B team managed to come third overall in the competition. The team has since switched their focus to the Divisional competition before then progressing onto further training in preparation for a planned expedition in April.

Hldr Bremner finishing the 7.5km Biathlon in Norway.

Everyone seems to like their retro Adidas Lycra. On top of all this the Company has continued to support operations in Afghanistan, deploying 50 further soldiers to theatre during the Battalions mid-tour rotation. This has included support to A Companys Kandahar Force Protection P latoon and Bastion Force Protection Platoon and B Companys RCBS element in Camp Leatherneck. 7

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B Company
Following a small amount of respite over the Christmas period, January has seen the RCBS Advisor Team back into the full swing of things. The Battle School has been effectively stood up, with ANA instructors teaching every course and the Advisor Team has changed its emphasis from conducting the training to an oversight role. There was a hope that the weather had turned and that we would be sunbathing again before long. But a cold wind from the North brought some Russian weather to Helmand, and we were once again wearing all of our warm kit in the classrooms. The conditions provide an extra element of complexity to the mission; the ANA having little in the way of heating, and easily combustible items can mysteriously disappear in the night. While the Advisors have to work harder to motivate students in these conditions, the ANA continue to make significant progress in their ability to plan and execute the training themselves as long as the generators are working. CSM Ingram has finally decided to dust off his boots and join the company, replacing RSM Payne as the RCBS Sergeant Major. We wish the RSM all the best for his next job in the US and suggest that everyone sell their shares in NAAFI before he leaves theatre. We have also been joined by Captain Will Carter and his D30 training team, who will spend the next four months training an ANA Artillery Training Platoon. Captain Gordon Law has finally left for his R&R after five-and-a-half months, and both the average age and the level of grumpiness in the office have reduced significantly. In addition, with the wet weather turning the desert into sludge, Major Kelmanson has taken a very strong position on car washing, ensuring that the Tata vehicles used by the team are spotless for at least 10 minutes a week. Once the ANA instructors graduated, the RCBS once again took on new recruits for Phase 2 training. There are now record numbers of A proud ANA Warrior. students undergoing courses, who will all complete their training in time to join their units and provide security for the upcoming elections. With less than 3 months left to go, everyone is putting a huge amount of effort into this final big training event, and beginning the preparation to hand over to the QDG in April. Company scribe: Captain Marcus Pemberton 8 It is the first time that ANA Warriors have returned for refresher training.

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Patrol Base Lashkar Gah Durai
This month has been a busy one for the Mortar Platoon in Lashkar Gah Durai. Shortly after New Year an influx of new personnel arrived into theatre and flew to Durai to join their peers. Following a few days hand over, and last minute sunbathing for those going home, a number of the jocks flew back to their loved ones in Germany for some wellearned post-tour leave. Shortly after their departure, the weather responded accordingly and temperatures plummeted, rain fell and those who had the forethought to keep their wellies were permanently living in them. A few entertaining hours were spent trying to ensure that the accommodation tents were actually waterproof, as well as trying to bail the ever rising water out of the It was blazing sunshine and 21 degree 36 hours ago. operations room. We also had Major Tait, the Patrol Base Line-BRACer, arrive in Patrol Base Lashkar Gah Durai to oversee how the preparations for the Base Redeployment And Closure (BRAC) were progressing. Upon providing a few choice words to the occupants of the base, BRACtivity has since taken off in earnest. The accommodation is being stripped to its bare-bones and the camp has the feel of a building site; with anything that is left unattended for more than a few minutes migrating to the burns pit. As the snow began to fall and settle, CSgt Jardine (BRAC SNCO) has been ensuring that the burns pit is the only place to remain warm and dry, burning everything in his sight to earn himself a jolly good BRAC on the back . Those based in Durai are looking forward to returning to the relative comforts of Bastion in the future and are hoping that the weather improves soon. In the meantime, everyone in Durai is continuing to BRAC to the future.

At least I managed to hang my washing out to dry before the bad weather arrived.

Officer Commanding Mortars Platoon: Captain Pete Brownjohn 9

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Recce Platoon CP STERGA 2
Time continues to fly by, as we have already reached the second month of 2014. It is business as usual at Sterga 2, but with the additional preparations to take on greater responsibility during the drawdown from Central Helmand. Sterga 2 has had a changing of the guard this month, consisting of soldiers who have completed 4 months and are replaced by comrades from Fallingbostel. All the new arrivals have been quick to get into the swing of duties. With the end of January being one of the hottest on record, a week of snow in February was the last thing we expected! The warm jackets came back out and the volleyball court neglected. Fortunately, we were able to complete the Sterga 2 Volleyball Championships prior to the snows arrival; where the resident engineers were crowned champions after some hard fought matches.

Practice makes perfect.

Commander RC(SW) visited the base this month and showed particular interest in the force protection of Sterga 2. Everyone maintained the usual high standards and he seemed to be most impressed by the drills in place. Captain Anderson proved himself to be the hostess with the mostest during the visit due to Captain Challis being back in Bastion on important business. As the bad weather closed in, the competitive edge was not lost. LCpl Holroyd organised at Table Football competition, which saw some more nail biting fixtures. After many a hard fought match, a 4 SCOTS dominated final was had in both the singles and doubles competitions. The eventual winners being Hldr Magee (Singles and doubles) and Hldr Penn.

Recognition and congratulations must also be paid to Colour Sergeant Campbell this month, who has been selected for promotion to WO2. I know the thought of not having longer in the CQMS role will devastate him , but I am confident he will soldier on. Officer Commanding Sterga 2: Captain Edward Challis

A daily sight in the Patrol Base to keep everything clean and properly maintained.

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Delta Company, The Clan
The Company returned from Christmas leave and went straight back into training in preparation for our imminent deployment. The main events of the month have been a range week in Sennelager,

Hldr Wilson and McCaig on sangar duty during Company training in Sennelager, while Hldr MacEachern guards the gate of EPB Dundee on Exercise PASHTUN PANTHER. primarily to qualify people on secondary weapon systems; and Exercise PASHTUN PANTHER in Norfolk, a re-run of the excellent Afghanistan specific exercise that we conducted in July. Concurrently we have had a constant flow of individuals travelling out to Afghanistan for 10 day periods to conduct Reception Staging and Onward Integration (RSOI) and MASTIFF Training. The Exercise was a great opportunity for the Company to shake out and re-confirm the skills required for Afghanistan. Platoons were put through numerous scenarios which we may face over the next four months in theatre. It was a hard, but worthwhile and rewarding week. The CSM is deployed to quell the locals as the Coy prepare to extract from EPB Dundee on Ex PASHTUN PANTHER.

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LCpl Richardson and Hldr Doran treat Hldr Barron during Company Training in Sennelager.

The first wave of 24 people from Delta Company reported to Brize Norton just a few hours after the end of Ex PASHTUN PANTHER, with just about enough time to get the dhobi done in Gateway House! Over the next few weeks the remainder of the Company will follow. Finally, after 14 months of training, The Clan will be deployed on Op HERRICK 19! On a more personal note, congratulations are due to Sgt Robertson who became a Granddad on 26th January. Hldr Singh demonstrates Delta Companys contingency plan for no MASTIFF. Officer Commanding Delta Company: Major Will Colquhoun

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Rear Operations Group (ROG)
With the Christmas leave period now a distant memory, the traditional ice cold German winter has hit Fallingbostel. Although the Battalion has now been deployed for over 4 months the pace of life remains fast and furious for all those supporting the many moving parts of 4 SCOTS. This includes the deployed elements, those due to deploy (D Coy), those deploying to Jordan for a month long exercise (Ex OLIVE GROVE), the constant rotation of soldiers and the 4 SCOTS families that remain in Fallingbostel. A quiet reminder that life must go on is the fact that the Battalions departments are still subjected to audits throughout the period of deployment. During a recent Equipment Care Inspection (ECI) in January the Battalion were awarded a green; the best result possible. This is an enormous feat for a small but hard working QMs department under Captain Angus Steele, the QM(T). Further praise must be given to our significantly undermanned and committed AGC department lead by Captain June Franklin for narrowly missing out on a green pass during a recent SPS Health Check. This was particularly hard to prepare for due to the constant churn of soldiers in and out of Afghanistan and the huge administrative support that it requires. Both results are significant for the Battalion as a whole and provide reassurance that our reputation within the Brigade remains high. The Battalion Cross Country team has also been maintaining its reputation within the BF(G) Cross Country league, comfortably sitting in third place behind 5 Rifles and 1 PWRR it must be highlighted that both these Units that are not committed to HERRICK 19. For the last month the Battalion team has turned its focus to the Army Cross Country Championships at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 5th Feb. This will not only be a chance to compete against some of the fittest people in the Army at one of the greatest military institutions in the world, but also a great experience and surroundings that will be new to some of our soldiers. On 24th January we said a sad farewell and heart felt thank you to WO2 Martin MacDonald who was departing as the ROG CSM. He has now moved on to the Piping School of Music in Edinburgh as the RSM. However, it was with open arms that the ROG welcome d WO2 Smudge Smith as the new ROG CSM a job that he is growing to love! On 29th January the 7th Armoured Brigade Commander, whilst on R&R, took some time to visit 4 SCOTS and talk to the families of our soldiers and some of the soldiers that have been working hard in the ROG and FE@R. This is only one of many high profile visits to 4 SCOTS and its families that are expected over the coming months. Officer Commanding ROG: Major Nigel MacGregor

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HECTORS
Now that Christmas and New Year have passed, we are focusing on a year of activities and events for everyone to enjoy.

The Wives Brief from the Brigade Commander was well attended. The Wives Brief held on 8 Jan had a great turnout with the focus on the move next year to Catterick. Teeny Tots is still continuing to grow in strength and special thanks goes to Helen Roddis and Jennifer Bailey for all their hard work in making this event a major success. It is also pleasing to see that the wives coffee mornings are still well attended; with each Companys wives group taking it in turns to feed all that come with delicious cakes and biscuits. The Welfare team also invite outside agencies such as Homestart, the HIVE and the RMP to give regular updates on activities, provide information on safety, volunteer helpers and answer any questions people may have about the recent burglaries. SSgt Bain receives his Brigade Commanders Coin We also had Mrs Agnew from Forces from Brigadier Woodham. Financial discussing the new initiative about a safety wristband that is ideal for children or adults who like to train outdoors alone. Keys events in Jan also included a teenagers trip to the Snow dome on Sun 26 Jan. With Sergeant Ginge McKay at the helm of the Battle Bus, off we went. The event was greatly appreciated by those attending and proved a great success. All the teenagers that attended seemed to go home knackered, having had SSgt Robbie Bain and his wife Kirsty 14

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put them all through their paces. For an award for their hard work they were all treated to a McDonalds; this is where the next trip was planned for some time next month. Hectors hosted the Brigade Commander s familys forum visit before he headed back to theatre. After the grilling that he took, it was said by a wife I bet he would rather face the Taliban than face us again. The questions that were asked were thought through and gave the Commander some food for thought. Unit Welfare Officer: Captain Billy McLaren

A trip to the Snow Dome proved to be a great success with the Teenagers.

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4 SCOTS in the Media
The Superstars competition that was held in Camp Bastion on 14 January received widespread coverage on social media, with the Royal Regiment of Scotlands Facebook page being just one of the outlets through which it can be viewed.

Helmand Superstars on Facebook

The first week of February saw an unprecedented change in the weather; seeing 21 degrees and sunny change to sub-zero temperatures and snow in just 36hrs. See members of B Company comment of the change in climate as part of a BFBS Report

Snow in Camp Bastion

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the snow, members of the 4 SCOTS skiing teams have been participating in Exercise Pipedown, the Divisional Championship held in Les Contamines, France. One of the successful participants is Hldr Wishart, who comments on how his Nordic skiing experience began.

Highlander Wishart talks to BFBS about Nordic Skiing.

The success of the RCBS and the ANAs abilities to train their future warriors also continues this month. For the first time in the Afghan Security Forces history, warriors from the Army and Police have returned to the school in order to receive Refresher Training.

RCBS Refresher training on BFBS

Finally, the successes of the Manoeuvre Battlegroups support to the Northern Retrograde and B Companys support to the RCBS has been picked up in the National press, with cuts of the double page spread being displayed on the following pages.

To keep fully up to date with all thats happening in theatre follow us on Hectors Welfare Facebook page, The Royal Regiment of Scotland Facebook page and the 4 SCOTS JustGiving site.

All links must be accessed through open source internet. They will not work on Dii, RLI or MS.

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Other Photographs This Month

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