TFH Engineer Group Newsletter Edition 9 150711

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group News Letter
Edition 9 17 July 2011
Commanding Officers Foreword

With the Commanding Officer having now departed theatre on his well earned R&R it very quickly dawned upon me that the introduction to this edition of the Newsletter was yet to be written. After fighting off both the RSM and the Chief of Staff who eagerly volunteered to write this guest editorial I was lucky enough to secure the honour myself from a cast of around five people who I approached.
Inside this issue:
The rapid pace of life here in Helmand continues unabated and to use a well worn military phrase which perfectly encapsulates the work of the Engineer Group, we are continuing to run hot and deliver on all fronts. For the vast majority of the soldiers within the Engineer Group this tour will not be their first time in Helmand, a fact that I know many of you are acutely aware of through personal experience. For many of us this tour is the second, third and even fourth operational tour of Helmand. It is easy to make the quick assertion that for some of our soldiers this constitutes an entire year or more spent in Helmand Province. Scratch the surface a little further and this reveals years in which a number of special occasions have been missed by absent mothers and fathers: birthdays, school holidays, Christmas holidays and anniversaries. I am sure that, at times, many of you will have asked whether this sacrifice is worth it. The reason I bring your attention to such a searching question is because today has been a milestone in the Helmand campaign as responsibility for the security of the city of Lashkar Gah has been handed over to the Afghans. Even just a year ago, the prospect of the Afghan security forces being capable of assuming responsibility for the security of Helmands capital city would have been simply unthinkable. But a lot can change in a year. During our time here we, as a force, have carefully built upon the significant gains made against the insurgency during the winter months and although the insurgents have renewed their summer offensive as expected,
Regimental Headquarters 54 Commando HQ & Support Squadron
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Tolay Trg and Adviso- 5 ry Team 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron 7 10 16
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59 Commando Squad- 30 ron Support Commando Sappers in AfghanistanWrist Bands 37
Members of the Afghan National Police on parade during the ceremony to mark the handover of security responsibility from ISAF to the Afghans
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Commanding Officers Foreword(continued)

this years response has been significantly muted and uncoordinated compared to previous years. We have definitely turned a corner and our efforts here in Helmand are beginning to provide real dividend. The transition for the security of Lashkar Gah to the Afghans is the first step in gradually handing control of Afghanistan back to the Afghan Government. As we work towards an end state in late 2014/2015 the success of events such as today is our only way of disengaging with Afghanistan and handing control back to the people of this country. Without the sacrifices of your loved ones over the past five months, indeed over the past few years, the events of today would simply remain unthinkable. One of the benefits of working within Regimental Headquarters is that I am extremely well placed to receive the near constant stream of plaudits for the work of the men and women on the ground; the work of your husbands, brothers and sons and daughters. What they are achieving out here is quite simply outstanding and you have every right to be extremely proud of the way they have conducted themselves here in Afghanistan. Enough from me. I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter. Please keep sending your emails, letters and parcels as your support is a constant source of morale for everyone out here. I will do my best to source another guest editor for the next edition. Adjutant
Brigadier Ed Davis OBE Commander 3 Commando Brigade hands over responsibility for security of Lashkar Gah to the Afghan/Security Forces during a milestone ceremony on 18 July 2011
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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group
54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron
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Support Troop - A week of new skills and tours of Afghan.
Whilst doing my best to stay low and move fast Lt Lowes caught me on one of my very infrequent (!) coffee breaks and before I knew what I was guilty of I was sat in front of a computer writing to you guys back home! My name is Sapper Barrett also know as Bazzy B Dog and I deployed out to Afghanistan as part of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment within the Task Force Helmand Engineer Group (I hope this is right, Im sure were part of about 15 sub groups these days!). Unfortunately when the Regiment deployed in early March I was unable to join them immediately but once Id completed the mandatory courses I was ready, like a snake in the grass, to get out onto Op Herrick 14. After arriving late into Not content with building a bridge, operating with the Armoured Support Group theatre I was thrown and working within Support Troop, Spr Lee sets out in search of a new career straight into the theatre specific training everyone has to go through when they arrive in Afghanistan. It was a real eye-opener and it hit home the very real fact that I was now in a conflict zone and on an operational tour of duty. On completion of the training I was immediately employed as a driver in 54 Commando Support Troop finally reunited with my long lost Commando brothers! I was tasked with the responsibility of operating one of the Troops Ridgback Protected Mobility vehicles, basically a minibus on steroids! Anyway, having taken a bit longer to get out to theatre I was now back in the Troop and set ready for operationsWell thats what I thought, but Ill get to that later on. I really was straight into the mix of Ops life which I was pleased about as some of the lads had been out a few weeks by now so I was keen to get amongst it with the boys! Soon enough we had got a tasking in which our Troop Commander, Troopy That jaw is to die for Lowes, was keen to take me out. So we all gathered around later the next evening as the boss conducted a set of orders on the Op that was going to take place. After orders everyone seemed to jump straight in to preparation of the vehicles and tweaking personal kit ready for my first move out. It was a bit daunting but the buzz of excitement kept everyone going and it all seemed to run pretty smoothly and I was just itching to get out and meet the local people! My first experience was one that will probably stay with me for the rest of my career, definitely whilst Im with 24 Cdo. Everything seemed to be going well with the pre-checks all done and everything was good (apart from the comms, but hey, thats all black magic to me!). We left Camp Bastion and straight away I could see the problems with moving out here, some of the factors that I hadnt really considered. Dust, fast moving, crazy locals, and the poorly maintained road surface all contributed to a pretty interesting drive but, all problems aside, I got on with it. I got on with it that is until... I CRASHED! Yes, you read it right, Bazzy B Dog crashed into a wall. Where it came from I do not know! Luckily it was more of a scrape than a crash, everyone was fine and the lads were quick to start giving me stick! We were out for a few days before finally coming back in after a successful Movement Op across the Province. Once in it was straight into de-kitting before a shower and some well deserved down time. My first Op was done but already I couldnt wait
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to get out again. Anyway that was my little insight into how I arrived out here. The Troop is now well into the fifth month of being here and even though we are missing the UK like mad were still enjoying the Tour. Have all the BBQs you can whilst the weather is good but just make sure you save a ton of those summer beers for our return!! You stay grizzly Engineer Group family, Bazzy B Dog (AKA Thomas Leslie) Out. J
Resources TroopThe long journey so far!

Its been an eventful two weeks since the last newsletter and in that time we have seen the return of our man mountain Spr Hightower Nayacatabu who was thrilled to be back - smashing up the yard and picking the world Dont worry Hightower only 10 weeks to push!. We have also seen the loss of the Res Node Number 1 SSgt The Hannibal Wilkinson who departed on his much deserved R&R and has abandoned Spr Mr T Humphries who is at a loss with no-one to ask a question to. Its ok Tommo, you will soon be reunited with your long lost love mate. With SSgt Wilkinsons absences its meant the man with the power Sgt Sparky Sparks has had to take hold of the reigns and head up the Res Node office - So far there hasnt been a fire and the world hasnt ended yet, so good work Sparky! Also our Q man WO2 Lloyd is about to start his takeover from Capt Troopy McCloud, who is preparing himself for his much deserved R&R with Spr Rhodes in August. As well as his handover the Q man has sacked his training program of full on KFC chicken after receiving bad reports from his missus back home and has replaced it with a flab belt. Remember Q, pain is weakness leaving the body - even if it is by electrocution. Whilst all of this has been going on we have also seen the first jack move from anyone in the Res Node when the man mountain Hightower and Spr Obi Wan Obino decide to go to a nice 4th of July BBQ with the yanks and never told anyone else in the Res Node. Cheers boys I thought we were friends! Obi Wan tried to bribe the boys back with some nice American gloves - which Im sad to say worked! Last week we saw the departure and return of Sgt office bound Boyle who went to the education centre to be even more enlightened in the knowledge of the world on his Sgt CLM (Command Leadership Management) course. LCpl Murdock Schofield had to take over the pressing job of SOR issues, which went well with only power cuts slowing him down. Lastly we had the best erection of a cam net since the start of her Majestys Armed Forces when the fitters Spr Oxford and Spr Parsons, with Cpl Rai, LCpl Schofield, Spr Makolo where tasked with the mission critical job to save the lives of our beloved irrigation pipes from the sun. This was completed in record time and with no problems - good effort lads and gal - we can rest easy once again. I would like to give a special thanks to Cpl Rai for helping me with the late nights work packing the 100 man CP into the ISO containers - it couldnt be done without your help - thank you. And a special thanks to all the loved ones who read this newsletter. LCpl Sammy Schofield
The a team bonding after the lose of Ssgt Wilkinson
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Tolay Advisory & Training TeamOperation Omid Haft (Hope Seven)
Austere dusty conditions shared which fostered a sense of comradeship and team.
On the 22nd May 2011 Lt Naqibulla and Maj Walters were summoned to attend orders for Operation Omid Haft. The Operation was set to last for two weeks and the Engineer Tolays (the Afghan equivalent of a Squadron) involvement was critical to success. The idea of the Operation was to insert Troops by Helicopter at key locations and begin to dominate the ground and drive the insurgents out. The Engineer Tolay were to move into the area in the second wave and secure a key route by building a series of vehicle check points designed to allow the Afghan National Army and the Afghan Police to control the flow of traffic and prevent any insurgents from resupplying or moving into the area. As a secondary but equally important task the Engr Tolay were ordered to deny two tunnels running under the canal with the aim of preventing movement and resupply from the North of the area. All the time the Tolay were to be supported and assisted by their ISAF advisors, the Engineer Tolay Advisor Training Team (TATT). For this Operation the team consisted of: Maj Paul Walters, SSM Phil Knowles, SSgt Kev Bett, Cpl Beef Cutler, Cpl Chris Miller, LCpl Jacko Jackson, LCpl Fletch Fletcher, LCpl Robo Robin-
son, Spr Bully Bulmer, Maj Alex Harold Medical Officer. On the whole the Operation went very well with some frustrating challenges to overcome right from the off. The Engineer TATT have a strong and supportive relationship with their Afghan counterparts and working together as a team all the challenges were eventually met and overcome. It was quickly established in Headquarters that the Engineer Tolay were extremely successful and the TATT were asked for suggestions to enable other mentoring teams to help their Afghan Tolays perform to the same standard. The answer was very simple a strong and mutually supportive relationship with the Afghan National Army which leads to a genuine feeling of comradeship on the ground. It was said on more than one occasion from both sides that neither would leave the Operational area until the other was ready and the mission completed. We would leave as we started together.
Members of the TATT and Tolay take time out to pose for a photo, as always
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Throughout the Operation living conditions were difficult and austere, but the TATT and Tolay lived side by side in dusty austere compounds and suffered the same privations. A memorable moment on the fifth day of the Operation was waking up after a severe dust storm laughing at each other covered head to toe in dust so we looked like wed all just fallen into a huge vat of brown flour, clapping each other on the back and trying (with no success) to shoo away Chinook helicopters who were making matters far worse with their twin rotors. All of the Engineer TATT were thoroughly impressed with the Afghan Engineers and their ability to get the job done and overcome challenges as they appeared. They are extremely hard working, skilled and resourceful. Although this mission was hard work and mentally draining, we will all remember the moments of humour shared with our Afghan comrades and the moments of bravery and commitment demonstrated by both the TATT and Tolay, particularly when taking care of each other.. By Maj Paul Walters.
The complete teamUK and Afghan engineers on parade together.
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3 Armoured Engineer Squadron
OCs Foreword
We are now at the first, and long anticipated, major milestone of this tour as we prepare to hand over Patrol Base Nahidullah. Inshallah, by the time you get the next newsletter Nahidullah will be fully utilised by the very appreciative 4 SCOTS. It has taken a huge amount of effort for both 1 Troop to carry out this work, and for the endlessly flexible and responsive Resources chain to get this task complete and it will be with great satisfaction, and a tinge of relief that we can look back at what is a truly impressive end result. As ever though there is no rest for the wicked, so no sooner are the lads finished at Nahidulllah than they have been shipped off to Shawqat to the welcome embrace of Sergeant Lee Amey and the Sergeant Major to start all over again on a new site! 2 Troop continue with their good work at Attal, which is getting busier by the day. All the pieces are coming together though and we are driving this task forwards toward completion. In summary, the Squadron is well, and continue to work at the same frenetic pace as ever.
PB Nahidullah: Nearly Complete!!!
1 Troopthe team
So were near the end of our task here in Nahidullah turning it from a Patrol Base to a Forward Operation Base. People are slitting their wrists to get to Bastion, like Spr Edwards who, whilst undertaking a spot of combat maintenance on his Medium Wheeled Tractor managed to sustain an injury when he tried to hit the retaining pin back into place. What is usually a routine task then turned horribly wrong when a shard of metal entered one of his main arteries on his wrist. The sight of a steady flow of blood squirting from his arm called for the quick reactions of the medic who applied a CAT Tourniquet whilst REME Kev took the pictures. Pedro the US air medical team was on route! As the Pedro made its rapid approach we witnessed the helicopter take some evasive manoeuvres in order to avoid the PGSS balloon (a huge blimp with a large camera). Once it had landed the cool calm cowboy like figure of the US medic walked over, said dont worry, well take it from here, and whisked Spr Eddy Edwards to Bastion where on arrival his wound had actually stopped bleeding and required only one stitch he has since been renamed Spr Stitch Edwards. Everyone in 1 troop is looking forward to his return. As part of 2 Section, we were tasked to construct the concrete pads for the future kitchen, REME work surface and bio-disks a gruelling weeks task. First and foremost we needed to source a mixer which ended up being a local prehistoric death trap that was last used by Fred and Barny from the town of Bedrock YABBAADABBAADOOO! Secondly we required formwork which came in the shape of 4 steel girders, each 5 metres long (nice and light). When the task commenced we worked a full 24hr shift to try and get ahead even with our best efforts we still ended up behind as the mixer did not want to play and kept
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See no, hear no, speak no. Tp SSgt, Tp Comd, Tp Recce
breaking down all night so we requested a new mixer and along came the slightly more reliable Mark 2. version. On completion of the concrete task, thanks to 2 Sect. and their attachments working extremely hard, we then heard that water does not in fact run up hill as the surveyor (who thought the site was flat) then mentioned that just finished kitchen pad was 0.8 metres too low meaning the water would have to travel up hill to drain away. One week after the Mark 2. was sent back we received Mark 3. plus a bossy Afghan operator. We had 48 hours to get the new kitchen pad in and 2 biodisks concreted in. The entire troop were split into a day and night shift the day shift run by Cpl Hoggy Hogben and Spr Marty Lasper, comprising of 2 sections, the night shift run by LCpl Smudge Smith, LCpl Ray Mears and SSgt Bri Mills, plus the 2 other sections. It was a hard 48hrs but the lads pulled together and worked extremely hard once again in order to complete the task on time.
NHD - LCpl 'Rossco' Dearden
1 Troop has 5 sections in total which have been carrying out various tasks around the camp. The plant section has been working all hours filling HESCO, landscaping, digging drainage and laying roads. Cpl Jay Rochesters Section (5 Section) and Cpl Terrance Stevensons Section (4 Section) are both class 1 EPAT (Expeditionary Protected Accommodation Technical) builders to the point where they are both thredders with them. We also have Spr Wos Warren along with his pet Spr Soj Murdoch plumbing the whole world. Then we have Spr Jonny Zanku and Spr Weaving fitting out the entire FOB with electricity. Meanwhile, 1 Section, A.K.A. Red Troop, lead by Cpl Dan Taylor ADS RE took charge for the construction of the improved security measures for the FOB. Along with LCpl Rossco Dearden and planty LCpl Dave Parker, they have pushed out the boundaries of the FOB and the amount of weight that can be benched by a mortal human being well, maybe not so much Dave! Everyone is looking forward to leaving ATR Nahidullah and moving on to our next task in PB Shawqat. By LCpl Smudge Smith Spr Marty Lasper
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PB ATTAL: If Carlsberg did Patrol Bases...

Following the initial stop and start that dogged our early progress, the work rate at PB ATTAL has blasted into the stratosphere. At one point, we even had all bar one piece of plant up and running. We also had the addition of Shaft the surveyor, loaned to us like by the UK WKS Group like some kind of delicate computer being handed to a toddler. Proving worth his weight in gold from the outset, Shaft and his magic box helped us to map out the majority of the camp in a few short days. Drainage ditches needed to have the right fall from the outset, the compartmentalisation of the tents are where they need to be, and the list goes on. No longer did we need to rely on the chippies eye; we had Shaft. With the perimeter wall now complete, the place doesnt look too shabby. With aggregate going down all over the place the dust is starting to calm down, and its beginning to look a bit like a PB should. There are signs of progress everywhere: The kitchen PAD has been poured and is actually big enough to be an HLS. The Bio DISCs are being emplaced as I write this and the task of concreting them in will commence over the next few days. The majority of the lads time has been spent on night time concreting tasks. During the day its so hot that the concrete will cure in the mixer so weve had to become semi-nocturnal to combat this. As well as that, tents, EPATS and
ATL - SSgt Barker sizing up Sgt Macs
ATL - Concreting at night. Love it.
electrical services are springing up everywhere. Outside of the daily work shifts life inside the PB still chugs on at a decent pace, the lads are spending a lot of time on either Op MASSIVE or FIFA 11. The Troop has also been contributing to the Hearts and Minds campaign by building and installing some football goals for the local childrens school that is to the front of the PB. By Lt Jackson.
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26 Armoured Engineer Squadron
OCs Foreword
Now well into our fifth month of the deployment, the Squadron is planning construction tasks right up to the end of our time in Afghanistan and starting to design more work that will be handed over to our successors to build from mid September onwards. About two thirds of us have now taken R&R and are settling down to see the rest of the tour through. Work continues at a furious pace across our area of operations, with 3 Troop in the Khar Nikah region earning the particular nickname ISAF Slaves from the local enemy as they cannot believe anyone other than a slave could work so hard for so long. The parcels, letters, emails and messages of support keep coming from all our friends and families as well as many members of the general public, all of which are extremely appreciated and our thanks go to all.
Shingazi Bridge Repair

RSOI Training for Armoured Engineers
Being the closest Sappers in the area, 1 Troop were tasked with the recce and repair of Shingazi Bridge on Highway 1, the main route running east to west in Helmand. We had already received a number of photos of the damage on the bridge, where a civilian truck had fallen through one of the decking pieces. With it being such a crucial transport link the repair was a high priority and the recce happened in very short time with US route clearing assets providing the force protection. On route to the bridge, a suspected IED was found and blown in place, however it was clear that the damage was worse than the previous photos had shown. More pictures were taken and we returned to our base at Lash
Shingazi Bridge complete with hole in deck
Durai to send the stores request. With the arrival of the stores the following day we were able to launch and start the repair at 0500hrs just 2 days after the civilian truck damaged the bridge. Getting to site in good order we found out that the damaged bridge was still being used. So we blocked of access to the bridge and had the first panel removed in
1 Troop begin the strip out
26 Armoured Engineer Squadron. July 2011
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The damaged bridge in detail.
no time at all. The deck piece where the truck fell through proved to be a bit more stubborn and Spr Kilsby set to work with the circular saw although he did get a little carried away and set his leg on fire, just to be safe we swapped him for Spr Jewell. The most shocking thing during the repair was seeing the size and state of the civilian trucks using the remaining bridge. The complete lack of fear when loading up trucks, cars and buses was astounding! After the difficult deck piece was removed the remainder flew out and all sections were replaced in just 4 hours. The site was tidied and then it was back to Lash Durai in time for lunch and getting back
Life as a Resources Specialist

Life as a resource specialist, recently renamed by the posh Army Career names inventors as Engineer Logistics Specialist, is not what majority of soldiers think it is. For me it meant loads of short courses and pre deployment training in UK, driving back to Germany on a Sunday morning and beginning a long journey back to Afghanistan in the evening as part of the advance party. Spr Nav Navakamocea and I got on to our handover takeover procedures straight after RSOI. That was when we realised how busy we were going to be. Spr Chigwena from 5 AES (handover party) did not say a word the first day of our introduction; he still had his head buried, writing demands for incoming SORs (Statement of Requirements). A couple of weeks later, we were up and running on our own feet demanding, receipting and sending various stores out to our area of operation, NES North via the Danish Logistic Patrols. How hectic and stressful has it been? I think SSgt. Kev Gallagher, the movement SNCO, who thought he was taking time off his MT duties to enjoy a cosy tour resourcing, has his own story to tell with the non stop loading of Danish trucks. I literally saw steam puffing out of his ears one hot afternoon, when I told him we will have to unload 35 lengths of four by four timber that he loaded into an ISO alone, because they were the wrong size. I think he would have picked up Camp Bastion and dropped it on my head if he could. Op Massive has never been this intensive in the Resource world. Despite a hard day either on the yard covered in dust loading ISOs or sat
SSgt Gallagher ready to outload stores
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in the office listening to Capt. Lippy Lomas (QM) moan at troop commanders on the phone, we have managed to adopt a good work out regime. I am happy to say that it is paying off as Navs one pack belly is gradually turning into a six pack. I hope he does not drink it back on after tour. All in all, no matter what demands and pressure the day throws at us, we always have a laugh at the end. One thing is for sure; that even the best Resource team needs a break. Let the two man Resources Special Forces plus one efficient movement SNCO shout ROLL ON R and R!!. by LCpl AJ Agyei
RSOI Training for Armoured Engineers
LCpl Agyei in his beloved forks
The Build of CP RICHKA

The CP RICHKA upgrade was a joint operation between 26 AES and A Company, 3 MERCIAN. The original scope of works had incorporated three jobs that were planned on Op HERRICK 13. The main route from PB RAHIM to CP RICHKA was nothing more than a footpath, therefore the first task was crossing point RICHKA, a culvert crossing to enable aggregate trucks and stores to get to the site and be able to withstand the weight of a JACKAL for CASEVAC. The second job was to upgrade the route down to CP RICHKA, known as Route ELMO. These tasks were a CIMIC project between the Danish and the local community. The road requirements were two fold, it had to be strong enough and wide enough to allow a JACKAL to get to the compound and secondly allow a full engineer section to move down and complete the upgrade with military plant, the third and final task. Ultimately due to the immediate need of the upgrade the route and culvert crossing did not take place. This involved a complete change of plan to allow the upgrade to go ahead in an area that was all inaccessible by anything other than a quad bike. As Engineers a number of factors would have to be considered in the planning process the main one in this case was the restricted build site, what stores we had and how we would get them there and ultimately what the Infantry call signs wanted to achieve as the threat situation had changed from the original recce. The infantry companys priorities would obviously be different to ours and it was surprising how after dealing with the situation they were more than willing to listen to our ideas and understood the problems that we had to overcome. The following day SSgt Buckland carried out a recce of what was required to carry out the upgrade with the constraints of moving the 1.2km between PB RAHIM and CP RICHKA by either foot or quad bike. The plan was discussed and approved with Company Commander and Company 2IC. This was the main effort and with the help of the Infantry patrolling down and them providing the protection we were able to get to site and deny the area using six foot pickets, razor wire and explosive tree felling to create a stand off and clear fields of fire. With the force protection design confirmed, CP RICHKA would require an Expeditionary Elevated Sanger (EES), anti lob
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screens, shoring up the roofs where the existing sangars were positioned, toilets, showers and a burns pit. Not only would this be an upgrade of security, but also general living conditions. With the Bobcat being the biggest bit of plant that would be able to get to site it would be an arduous task, with the EES being built by hand round the clock whilst A Company provided protection and escorts for the stores. All the stores were sourced and delivered to PB RAHIM apart from the EES and the aggregate that the EES would sit on. Due to its size the EES and base aggregate was delivered by under slung load (USL) via US MARINE CORPS Sea Stallions. The entire infrastructure was prefabricated in PB RAHIM and sent forward by A Company. This allowed us to concentrate on the build, whilst A Company would lay on bespoke moves ferrying stores in bergans and quad bike trailers. This was no mean feat as the shear quantity of equipment required a picketed route and constant shuttles with quads (about 20 runs) to ferry the stores to site was required. The EES was not the only the only issue, with numerous cancellations from the RAF, the US MARINES finally dropped it off and enabled us to start the task.
The first thing that would have to be carried out was the build of the EES. It would have to be built at night. The EES was constructed by hand with the Section lifting 16 tonnes of aggregate in bergans to fill the top layer of HESCO. Once the EES was constructed and manned by the Infantry, the internals of Cpl Jordan at CP RICHKA the CP could be completed. The grenade anti lob screens were made out of road building geo textiles, which negate blind spots and stand up to high winds much better than anything else we could procure. A good The BOBCAT example of a rough and ready common sense solution. The task proceeded without any problems, however one thing that we noticed was that what ever you can do, they will always want a little bit more. A Company provided us with the effect they wanted to achieve and ultimately gave us free reign to deliver. This was down to a solid working relationship and understanding of each others capabilities. A Company, 3 MERCIAN comments: The Engineer Section since the attack has been worth its weight in gold. When the uplift to CP RICHKA was finally approved they spent a number of tense evenings waiting for the arrival of the USL. During the day of the USL, the Section worked constantly, moving 30 tonnes of aggregate in 17 hours. The multiple commander on the ground has since commented on having a Bobcat on the ground makes a fantastic firing platform. The final product has been christened Super Safe RICHKA by the men of A Company. This is down to the hard work and graft of the men of 26 AES. by Cpl Taff Jordan
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LCpl McCammon enlisting the help of a member of A Coy
Spr Gothard after a long night at the controls
Members of the Sect infront of the EES
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31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) OCs Foreword.

I am humbled by the outstanding performance of the soldiers from the Yogi Squadron. Their stories may be hair-raising but the men thrive on the responsibility and adrenaline that comes with clearing IEDs along the routes in Central Helmand. This has been a particularly busy period for the Troops as we have proven routes to enable the re-supply of the forward bases as well as venturing into the insurgent heartland in Nad-e-Ali and Nar-e-Saraj districts with 42 Commando Royal Marines. In this addition we have included a couple of contrasting views of life in Camp Bastion for soldiers in 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron. Sapper Wobble Evans gives an account of his daily routine as a member of a TALISMAN Troop and the other an alternative view of life here from our only clerk, LCpl Bettsy Betts. She is responsible for the day to day administration of the soldiers pay and allowances, the post and coordinating the R&R departures and returns. I hope the wives and partners in Hohne have recovered from the excesses of Essex last Friday and this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits. Whatever you have planned for the school break, I wish you all a happy holiday and a safe journey. By the time the children go back to school we will have barely two weeks left here and already the excitement is building.
Reflections on Life in Camp Bastion
My vehicle, the MASTIFF
In March 2011 the Squadron deployed on Op HERRICK 14 as the British Route Proving and Clearance capability in Helmand Province. In this article I will tell you how I felt and prepared myself and my equipment for Operations in the green zone and the desert of Afghanistan. When given a mission, my Troop Commander and Troop Sergeant, Capt Luke Irving and Sergeant Andy Bracey, start the planning process and threat assessments. After an orders group to give us the basic plan of what our mission is, we start to
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get our heads around it. My Troop Staff Sergeant, SSgt Dave Heal begins forming a detailed stores list and mission specific training for what we will need while on the ground such as ammunition, fuel, oil, rations etc. I myself, am a searcher which means I search for IEDs along with my search team. Because of the importance of searching correctly for IEDs, we train constantly learning new techniques and procedures. It is a very hard job because there are constantly hundreds of thoughts going through your head; using your equipment properly, always looking around for ground sign, people watching and the atmospherics of the local community amongst other things. As a searcher I need very specific pieces of equipment to find IEDs, so before taking the equipment out on operations I need to clean and Our search vehicle the BUFFALO test every piece to make sure it works, as well as making sure all the batteries are fully charged and the spare batteries are OK so they will not go dead before I have a chance to use them. We will also go over to the training grounds in Bastion and practise our drills and skills, rehearsing everything we may do out in the ground. The drivers have the vehicles to first parade and ensure the air conditioning is fully working we dont want that breaking! The gunners need to ensure that the Heavy Machine Guns (HMG) and the Grenade Machine Guns (GMG) are timed correctly so they can be fired remotely from within the vehicles without the lads having to break cover. This is normally squared away with our REME sergeant (and resident gun nut), Sgt Vinnie Payne running a range day for the vehicle mounted weapon systems. At this time, Capt Irving will give us a formal set of orders, so everyone in the Troop knows exactly what is going on and what his specific job on the mission is. We may need to live off of our vehicles for long periods of time, so we have to load them with everything we need such as rations and water, as well as ammunition i.e. smoke grenades, flares and explosives. We call this tactical loading or tac loading. Our vehicle is a Mastiff Mk2 with Protective Eyes (a Mast Mounted Camera) and inside it is tight on space. Finding places for all our equipment was a difficult task at first, however, with practise we found ways and means of fitting enough food and water for a minimum of 48 hours and all the other equipment for an entire operation. We take a stores vehicle which holds the rest of The author ready for work our spare food, water, fuel and vehicle spares. Once we have loaded the vehicles and fuelled the tanks up to the brim, we try and get some rest before the move out. About an hour before we are due to leave we draw our personal weapons, mount the vehicles weapons and the Troop
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Commander carries out a last check of equipment to ensure everyone is carrying the correct documentation and Personal protective equipment (PPE). Then we line up in our order of march ready to head out of the gates. When we head out of the vehicle compound gates, I begin going through my drills and skills in my head, reminding myself of what I need to do. When we arrived at the Camp Bastion gates at the start of my tour, I always got this nervous feeling running through my veins as I was thinking about what I would see and have to do but as the tour has gone on the nervous feeling has settled and I am more relaxed, but I never let my guard down. The first time I went out of Camp Bastion and got out of the vehicle within a matter of minutes we had crowds of small children surrounding us asking us for chocolate, water and pens. I then began to see just how poor the people of Afghanistan were and how happy the children were even though they were growing up in poverty with nothing to educate them or help them find work in the future. It began to dawn on me why we were in this country, to help these innocent people have a life that we seem to take for granted. After an op is finished and we are travelling across the desert heading back to Bastion, it is a long and uncomfortable journey to say the least but its a good feeling knowing that youre heading back to the safety of Camp Bastion. Every time we get to the back gate of camp there is a sense of relief that we all made it back safely with everyone in one piece. We then unload all weapon systems before coming through the main gate. Once we have reached the vehicle compound we unload all our equipment and spare food then get the vehicles sorted ready for the next op. All the weapons are then cleaned and placed back in the armoury. We then all head back to our accommodation for a well earned shower, hopefully in time for some good food at the cook house. We all look forward to seeing if any mail has built up whilst we have been out, even from donations from the general public that never fail to put a smile on our faces, and then a full nights sleep. We are based in Bastion 3 which is a short walk to Bastion 2 and the NAAFI there. On the way to Bastion 2 we often stop off at the Danish camp which has a YMCA where you can have a cigarette and a brew or a slushy if you want to treat yourself. Its good there as you pay in an honesty box, putting in a couple of dollars if you have a drink or some homemade cake. After a while there playing cards and relaxing we might head up the road to the NAAFI where there is a KFC, a shop and a coffee shop. Also at Bastion 2 there are a load of phones and internet cabins which are all free where you can call home and go on the internet, usually Facebook which is the way everyone keeps in touch with friends and family back home, or internet banking to watch your balance slowly but surely growing. To break up our time with as much normality as possible, we have been celebrating birthdays out here. The day before a birthday in the troop we get a cake ordered from the cookhouse with the birthday boys name iced on top, then on the actual day after the daily briefing well sing Happy Birthday to the lucky person, hell cut the cake and everyone has a piece and a can of pop. A few lads have had their 21st out here so weve given them the bumps. We have had a couple of birthday parties as well. The troop waits until 1900hrs then go for tea together, move all the seats in a long line and eat together with a can of pop just like when you were little! This brings us all together and increases the already high sense of team camaraderie. Spr Evans, 31 AES, 32 Engr Regt.
Life in Camp Bastion

My name is LCpl Kirsty Betts and I am the Chief Clerk for 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron on Op HERRICK 14. We are the TALISMAN Squadron which is the UK Route Proving and Clearance capability in Helmand Province. Whilst the Squadrons 108 personnel are mostly Sappers, there are members of the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Artillery attached to the Squadron; I am the only member of the AGC(SPS), and the only girl! I have been here for just over 4 months now, and so have a good feel to what life is like on Bastion. Our camp is on Bastion 3 and the living accommodation is fairly new; it is comfortable and you can make it as homely as you like - some of the guys have made themselves right at home by putting up dividers between the bed spaces and plastering your typical male posters (half dressed girls) across them. In some of the rooms where they have the space they have even set up games stations where they challenge one another on the latest X-Box games. You only ever hear a complaint from me when the air condition goes down and it gets boiling in the accommodation, nearly the same temperature as outside. But the KBR personnel are very quick to fix it once we have reported it - then I become a happy clerk again. I have not tried the food in Bastion 1 or 2, but I can definitely say Bastion 3 scoff is excellent. Theres lots of choice the head chef puts on themed nights for us every now and then; the last was Chinese night and it was superb, a lot of effort was put in not only to the food but also in to the presentation of the whole cook house which was decorated. It was really appreciated by all.
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As Bastion 3 is a fairly new addition to the rest of Camp Bastion, we are waiting to have the Paradigm internet and phone booths put in, but it is only a short walk to Bastion 2 to use them, and its a nice break to get out and go have a juice or a brew. I am a regular visitor to this camp for the internet to keep in touch with family and friends. Also when getting about you never know who you many bump into such as old friends you may have trained with or worked with at previous units. This is good as you get to catch up. Although we dont have the Paradigm cabins in Bastion 3, we do have a welfare tent where you can pick up Wi-Fi, but this only allows 10 or so people on at a time for a 30 minute period. This is okay as the lads seem to rotate through and there are hardly ever any complaints about not being able to get on. Whilst the Squadron all work hard deploying out on ops and prepping for ops, we appreciate the down time we get, and as a competitive Squadron the troops and SHQ elements often get together and have sports competitions. These have included darts, table tennis, volleyball and football. One of the troop commanders, Lt Phipps, gets very competitive as he believes he is the best and hates to be beaten which he often is! SHQ are well practised at volleyball and therefore like to challenge others to a game. SSM Bourne likes to shout MINE even if he is not going to get the ball, much to our amusement. I no longer join in for fear of breaking a nail that I have been growing and manicuring out here. My place of work is in the SHQ which doubles up as the Ops Room. There is a lot of morale in here, normally at my expense when I come out with daft sayings or moments where I should really think before opening my mouth! To keep morale high amongst the troops I collect the post each day. I travel up to Bastion 1 in the hope that there will be lots of post up there ready to collect. Around 1500hrs some of the guys will come to the Ops Room hoping to collect their mail, and its good to see smiling faces when there is something there for them to collect. Its not so good when they look disappointed, when nothing has arrived, and as I am the clerk I get the blame for there being no morale. I dont mind as I know it is all banter they know I cant control what post comes in! My other duties include all the same sort of things I would do back home in Germany such as JPA claims, checking everyone s getting paid correctly and ensuring leave passes are submitted for R&R. Recently Ive been really busy with sapper annual reports, making sure the troop commanders and OC get them and pass them on. Another vital duty of mine is to send a daily feeding strength, if I didnt do this, we might not all get fed! I have also been playing a lot of minesweeper on my laptop and have even got the SSM into it - we have a daily challenge to see who can get down to the lowest number. I am obviously the best and today I completed the Expert level of 99 mines to find I am well pleased as it has taken me weeks to complete! The Sqn 2IC says Im not busy enough and hell find me more work to do! I am in a fitness regime whilst out here like many of the guys as its the perfect opportunity to get lean and fit, or as some the guys call it Op Massive. Even though Bastion 3 is the smallest out of the camps, its gym facility is very good with
Working hard, living it up and working even harder (playing YAHTZEE)
Fastfood, even in the desert.
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decent cardio equipment and lots of weights. There are also plenty of routes to go running, and as much as I moan about going its good to get about and see the rest of Bastion rather than the few places I travel to daily.
There is a lot of banter amongst the Squadron which normally involves me especially when I venture out from my desk in the Ops room to the vehicle park to grab the guys if someone needs them or to pass on messages. This is a place I rarely go and its like the behind the scenes to our tour where all the preparation happens on the vehicles and the guys work hard and pull together to help one another to be set for the next Op ahead of them. We sometimes chill out of an evening in the Danish Camp, this provides a good service for brews and is a good place to relax and unwind as its not far from us on Bastion 2. Whilst out here sometimes you may get a craving for fast food, and not all is lost. On Bastion 2 there is a KFC, but I have yet to try this as I am not a fan but on a night there are many people queuing up so it must be alright. I like the Pizza Hut on Bastion 1, and on a fortnightly basis me, LCpl Ben Mahoney and LCpl Jay Seyfang will go up there and get a pizza and then have a movie night as a treat. Its something for us to look forward to whilst out here and helps count down the weeks. We are hoping that eventually Bastion 3 will get facilities like this so we can have our own EFI and fast food facility or something similar. Before I came out here I was told I wouldnt like it and I would be very bored with there would be nothing to do, but I have done 4 months now and I have found ways to keep me busy or entertained. You pass the time by what you make of it and Bastion certainly provides good facilities for this.
Op ZAMROD PAK1 Troop

The criteria for this operation was two-fold, firstly to gauge the human terrain in an area known as Nad-e-Ali (North), which is rarely occupied by ISAF forces and secondly to demonstrate that we had freedom of movement within this AO. As this was my first deliberate operation, I was eager to see what things were really like as a HMEE (High Mobility Engineer Excavator) Operator. A few days later in the initial briefing, given by Lt Phipps, it was highlighted that aerial photos of the route showed the route required a lot of remediation work especially towards the southern end, in the direction of Lashkah Gah. It was also believed that the route was very narrow in places and heavily seeded with IEDs. They werent wrong. Day 1 saw TALISMAN leave Camp Bastion and head south towards the Central Helmand Area of Operations where we would stay the night and meet up with the other assets that would accompany us on the operation. Within 20 minutes of arriving at our destination we were told that we would have to move to another base due to the fact that our vehicles were encroaching on the Helicopter Landing Site. On arrival at our new location we were set for the first night ready to conduct the necessary battle preparation for the Op. At first light on the day of the operation we were moving east towards the northern edge of the route we were to search, but just as we entered the bazaar that marked the start, we noticed a large area of ground sign in the middle of a channelled route. On investigation it turned out to be nothing. After 3 days on the road I had upgraded a few irrigation ditches and craters allowing our follow on vehicles to cross, but nothing was too bad. After staying the night in a vegetable garden located in a friendly local compound, we were all eager to push on south and get the route cracked. Again at first light we headed off, searching the route in detail until we arrived at an irrigation ditch
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so flooded that it made it impossible to cross without significant ground preparation. The searchers cleared a working area for me and I headed forward once again to upgrade the track so our vehicles could pass. After another night back in the vegetable Two members of the search team preparing to deploy. garden we pushed on down the route this time making good progress and uncovering several IEDs. As we approached a small village about of the way along the route the atmospherics began to change for the worse and everybody felt unnerved by the change in circumstances. Shortly afterwards, LCpl Todd had eyes on a possible IED to the west. While Cpl Peglar sent the 10 liner report to the HQ, Spr Smith reported another IED find in an adjacent compound followed in quick succession by LCpl Todd reporting his second! The heart rate was rising and the hairs on the back of the neck were on end. Things were starting to get very busy, and even whilst the last 10 liner was being sent, yet another IED was reported from the search team on the route. Time to take stock and consider our next move!! An IED Destroy team moved in to deal with our three finds in the western compounds but on their way in found another device which was soon dealt with by a controlled detonaPreparing for another night in a compound. tion. LCpl Williamson and LCpl Todd were tasked with destroying the IED, this time using the robot. With a successful detonation we moved into a field and leaguer up due to the low light conditions. We had already been out for 6 days and once again moving south we
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Preparing for the Op in BSN.
reached part of the track which was surrounded to the east by farmers fields and a two metre irrigation ditch handrailing the route to the western side which was promptly occupied by Spr Corbetts carefully driven MASTIFF! After an attempt to recover the vehicle with my HMEE it was decided that this was a task for our REME callsign and his large recovery truck. Spr Connolly and I were employed to break track to the left and cut/prove a route through the fields allowing the REME to get in position to recover the stricken MASTIFF. Instead the HMEE became bogged in and had to be recovered before the recovery truck finally managed to get to the MASTIFF and within 30 minutes had it free. As we approached the end of the day we came across a broken culvert over a fast flowing stream. There was no chance of us crossing without significant upgrade work and the route behind us had already been re-seeded with IEDs by the insurgents. It was decided, while we still had some light, we would use both HMEEs to work on the culvert and try to prepare it for a crossing in the morning. The plan was to use the second HMEE to dam the stream further up, while I worked on the culvert and made it trafficable for the TALISMAN fleet. Within five minutes of the dam being in place the field to the left was flooded and the water was now cutting across the track. As the light faded we moved back to a compound to leaguer leaving the culvert upgrade for the next day. By 15:00 the next day, after suffering numerous bog-ins and finding three more IEDs, we had a (barely) trafficable route across the obstacle. The SVR attempted the crossing first so that it would be able to winch any struggling vehicles across the gap. Everyone held their breath and a few tense moments later the SVR was across. It was then the turn of the first MASTIFF (fitted with rollers) understandably it got stuck, but very close to the end so it posed no problem for the SVR to recover. After four more recoveries the SVR had had enough and brokedown. As the REME lads attempted to fix the SVR, the rest of the fleet crossed the obstacle with a little help from BUFFALO. Once on the other side we leaguered up for the night, but only after the CIED lads dealt with yet another IED! After negotiating and upgrading a final irrigation ditch we pushed on, to meet a second recovery truck tasked to assist in the epic. We headed back to the rest of the fleet and set about recovering the broken asset. Within an hour we were ready to go and proceeded to search the route down past the finish point and on to the tarmac of the Protected Communities. A quick trek up Highway 1 and we were back! Nine days after starting the operation we had the mammoth task of rehabilitating our vehicle and preparing for our next operation. By Spr Merrifield
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39 Armoured Engineer Squadron OCs Final Foreword

Salaamu alaikum. You will be aware from last weeks newsletter that Maj Si Bradley has now left theatre for pastures new. Id like to reiterate the Sergeant Majors words and thank Si and Mel for the support and effort they have shown the Squadron over the last two years and also take this opportunity to introduce myself, Capt Rich Garthwaite, as acting OC 39 AES. Ive been with the Sqn for just under two years; first serving as the Ops Officer and more recently as the 2IC. Having the opportunity to Command such a highly professional organisation is a huge privilege. As we approach mid July, all 3 Troops, the Echelon and SHQ remain fully committed to supporting Lashkar Gar, Nahr-eSharej South and beyond. This week the Acting Sergeant Major, SSgt Aidy Lamond and I have been able to get out and see firsthand the excellent work that is being done by both 7 and 9 Tps; not that 8 Tp are producing dodgy work, we just havent managed to get to NES(S) this week. I have been hugely impressed by the lads upbeat outlook, even in the most austere locations. Weve also seen the boost to morale that all the parcels, letters and welfare packages you send has, please keep the coming. To highlight the hard work the Squadron has been producing it is worth referring to some stats of what has been achieved so far. To date the Sqn has built 15 Check Points and Patrol Bases, 14 elevated Sangars (10 being filled by hand), 2.5 km of road, 3 hardened accommodation bunkers, stripped out 3 bases and conducted over 40 other tasks; a lot to be proud of, but there are still a couple of months hard work to go. We start this weeks edition with an insight from the power behind the punch, the Echelon... by Rich Garthwaite, Acting Officer Commanding, 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron
OC 39 AESCapt Rich Garthwaite.
ECHELON - Life in Joint Operating Base Bastion

The first thing soldiers will say when you tell them you served your tour of Afghanistan in Camp Bastion is, REMF. Yes we do have 3 square meals a day, a gym and air-conditioning, but it is not all easy living. Day in, day out, we have checks to do, normally in boiling hot, metal ISO containers and also have to sort out the stores and equipment needed to keep the guys on the ground capable of completing their tasks. On the whole, I have enjoyed my tour of Afghanistan in the Ech Tp. I take great satisfaction knowing that I have supported the lads on the ground and there is a huge feeling of they couldnt have done it without us. Everyone within the Echelon has grafted in the ISOs and worked late into the night to get stores out on time; successfully achieving our main goal of looking after the boys on the ground, which makes it worth it. Ive also had the opportunity to deploy forward to sort out signals and other specialist equipment, getting the opportunity to deploy on the ground has been a great experience and added variety to the tour, so as far as the REMF banter goes, yep, that air con is nice...chin up. Westy. LCpl S Westlake Echelon Troop
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Dive Team
In addition to two battle groups, the Squadron also supports a variety of additional tasks; manpower for the Automotive Bridge Layer Equipment and a back fill crew for the Armoured Support Group being two example that have seen action and been mentioned in preLCpl Westlake vious newsletters. Supporting an operational dive task is now another commitment the Squadron can chalk off on its list of achievements. Just a few days ago the call came through that the Regimental dive team was needed to search for equipment that had potentially been lost in the NeB Canal. When the call came in, Cpl Ewan tech support Bartlett and Capt Nipper first name Paul? Brazier were ready and raring to go. Given the alternative to deploying was sorting out last minute demands for stores from 2Lt Tom this is priority 1 Foote, the 2IC only managed to get as far as mentioning theres a potential div... before they were off. Having got their kit and received a quick brief on what to expect both above and below the water, the team soon found themselves on a specially laid on Merlin helicopter. On task, the Ech Commander graciously allowed the younger members of the dive team to go in the water first whilst he liaised with the ANA and other ISAF forces that were providing security. Cpl Bartlett led the way as the first diver in the water and started to sweep down the edge of the canal, a task not helped by the poor visibility caused by the silt from the bottom of the canal or the fast water in the canal. However the lads persevered, worked together, completing a systemic search to confirm nothing was in the canal before heading back to Bastion, job well done, ready for their next deployment. By Ewan, LCpl E Bartlett, C3S JNCO & Diver.
Cpl Barlett
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7 Troop
Due to other commitments the lads from 7 Tp have been thin on the ground this week; however everyone has worked hard to ensure that Combined Force (CF) Lashkah Gah (LKG) have been provided with the engineer support they require. Cpl Marlon Johnson has been out again with his Section; completing force protection and infrastructure upgrades to one of the Check Points (CPs) in the Area of Operations. Spr Callum Hillerby and Spr Lee Poodle Robinson were part of the Section who worked hard throughout the week; tasks completed included moving a Sangar and changing the design of the main entrance to provide the guys based in the CP with potentially lifesaving improvements to levels of force protection. Cpl Clifford Cliffy Owens, LCpl Michael Biddy Biddulph and Spr Michael Marchant have deployed with the Armoured Support Group (ASG) in a Trojan armoured vehicle to provide mobility support for CF NES(N). The guys have been out on a weeklong Operation, ploughing safe lanes through known IED belts and legacy minefields in order to give the ground holding call signs greater freedom of movement. This is the second time Spr Marchant has supported the ASG, making him the most operationally experienced Trojan driver in 32 Engineer Regiment. LCpl Ben Webby Webb and Spr Charlie Big Bird Invine both returned well rested from an enjoyable R&R this week. A good job given that 72 hours after landing back in Afghanistan they were having an equally enjoyable time - deploying by helicopter with 8 kg of high explosives strapped to their backs in order to provide Assault Breaching support to an infantry disrupt operation. The remainder of 7 Tp have spent the week constructing Elevated Expeditionary Sangars (EES). Due to the number of tasks the Troop have been supporting, it fell to Spr Dorian Dos Cross to step up to the mark and fill the role of Section Commander, with Spr Christopher Work horse Cooper acting as a highly capable Second in Command. Spr Leo Borris Remizov and Spr Mark my taste in music is awful Brewer were amongst the team that worked incredibly hard during the task, enduring Spr Brewers 80s power ballads and often working at night due to the kit they needed to help fill the Sangars being used by another Section during the day.
Attall EES
EES build Spr Remizov and Spr Menezes
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Assault Breaching PairLCpl Webb
Assault Breach PairSpr Invine
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8 Troop
HLS Improvement Cpl Walton & Section
Having completed their bridge over the NeB canal, its been back to business as usual for 8 Tp. Unfortunately business as usual involves 2Lt Tom Im new and super keen Foote taking over as the Battle Group Engineer and thrashing the lads from task to task its not often that an SHQ is heard saying, its great that you can get that done, but do you not think youre trying to cram a lot in? 8 Tp, if youre feeling that youve been worked hard, you know who to thank. Cpl Stevie Shaw took his Section on a 2 hour patrol to reach their first task sight, with all the stores having to be flown in by under slung load. The task was to upgrade a remote CP. Once on site there was no rest; the infantry callsign at the location had an Op to conduct and were on minimum manning. With a typical can do Spr attitude the lads mucked in and did their share of sentry duty, allowing the infantry some much needed time to prepare. Once that was done it was into a few days hard work; Spr Lorima Waqa and Spr Max Ledua were part of the team that set about building elevated firing platforms, improving defences and generally sorting the CP out. Job done, the lads put their kit back on and patrolled the 2 hours back home. It wasnt long before Cpl Shaw was back out with his Section. Their next task was another remote upgrade, however this time the task was accessible by road, at least allowing the lads to deploy in their protected mobility vehicles, one of which was ably crewed with Spr Stephen Sharpy Sharp behind the wheel and Spr Neil Scouse Simon providing protection on top cover. The job involved building accommodation for an infantry multiple at a remote observation point, surely just a case of erecting a few tents?, I here you say. Things are never that simple in Afghanistan. The observation point in question is on a ridge line that gives excellent views of the Helmand river valley; however this also means it is exposed to some phenomenally strong winds tents werent going to, and hadnt cut the mustard. Instead the lads set about constructing several hardened accommodation bunkers; designed to survive a direct strike by artillery, they might be slight over kill, but at least the infantry wont have to worry about their home blowing away every night. Meanwhile Cpl Danny Old man Walton has taken his Section down the PB line to a CP that needed an upgrade to its Helicopter Landing Site (HLS). With LCpl Andy Martin acting as his Second in Command, the Section has spent the week building a wall around the HLS. Whilst at the CP Spr Daniel Stewart and Spr Samuel Walding took the time to build an additional Sangar at the edge of the HLS. The new wall will offer protection to helicopters when they come in to land should any insurgent be bold enough to take a pot shot, whilst the Sangar offers improved arcs over the surrounding area, reducing the chance of anyone trying to engage a helicopter in the first place.
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9 Troop
Route Canterbury Improvements
LCpl Nige Gray and his Section have completed their work on the new Ground Line of Communication being built in NES (S) - for the time being anyway. Road building, due its repetitive, labour intensive nature is by far and away the most soul destroying work the lads are involved in; however it is hugely important. Every time a road goes in, it improves our freedom of movement, allows locals to move produce around more freely and generally brings with it a bubble of security. All of the guys involved should rightly be hugely proud of their achievements. The lads even found time during the construction of the route to support the infantry on other tasks Spr James sweating in a 60 degrees cab is a great way to stay trim Scott took the fight to the insurgents in his Medium Wheeled Tractor. Supported by infantry call signs and high risk search teams he used his planty skills to knock down a wall that was being used by insurgents as a firing point for shoots. With the wall gone the infantry are now better able to protect the local community; local nationals have already returned to using a route that boarded the wall and were previously afraid to use. Towards the end of the their most recent road building task, the lads from 9 Tp showed that as well as being combat engineers and tradesmen they are soldiers first; Spr Andrew Jacko Jackson, Spr Scouse Doran and Spr Mathew Keeber were just one element of the Section who deployed in their protected mobility vehicles to put in Vehicle Check Points at short notice as part of a wider Task Force Helmand Operation. Cpl Mark Kay has remained in NES(S) this week assisting with improvements to the water distribution system at one of the major PBs. Assisted by Spr Paul Thomas and Spr Glen Hossell, the lads have been laying a water main and distribution system which is linked to new sinks and showers; providing the guys in the PB with a few creature comforts and reducing the chances of everyone getting D&V.
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Capt NightingaleBlue Steel
Route Canterbury ExtensionSpr Waqa
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59 Commando Squadron RE
Whilst to OC s Away the Troops of SHQ Will play..
Two more weeks have past and with the OC Maj Williams taking his well earned R&R, for troops of SHQ it was work as normal. Well that is what we thought was going to happen, but second in command Capt Burton had other plans!!!!! As you can see, morale has been at its peak the last two weeks, and plenty of hard work has been achieved!!! Only joking OC, it was work as usual, HONEST!!!!! Ive always been told pictures speak louder than words, so here they are: Written by Sgt Matty Needham. AKA Table Tennis champion 2011
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The latest shenanigans of the Fighting First...
Commando river crossing skills in effect as select members of the Troop swim across the NEB to assist bridge recovery.
At last its time for a couple of grafters to have a go at this newsletter malarkey! Stand down Dev (LCpl Devenish) and Tony (LCpl Wiltshire), there is a new sheriff with his deputy in town. July 10th and we have finally done enough to earn a day off, so as all the lads get some much needed rest, we are going to update you on our latest ordeals and how a certain Spr became stretched to the limit... but first...
The last time you heard from us, the lads were grafting day and night to upgrade the two new CPs Brekna and Limbang. Since having successfully completing the tasks we have moved back to what we used to call home at PB Folad to find that Royal had turned into Pongos (their term for us meaning that were minging!) making the place look like a dump! The internet was on its way out, the chef decided he wasnt going to be a chef any more and the Gym got top flapped (put in royals bergans wherever they could) and disappeared! Staff (SSgt Bell) was once again quick to get his whip out so that the lads got stuck in, in order to get out of there as soon as possible and get back to PB Wahid. We are trying to think of some funnies that took place at Folad, but there really arent any, it was a case of get the job done and get back to living like rock stars in Wahid. One good thing that did come from Folad was that LCpl dog tits Devenish finally got his R&R, this being good for him and for us as we no longer need to hear him moan about the lack of welfare facilities. Have a good one big dog!! So with that out of the way the fighting first made our way back east to Wahid to get set up ready for the next set of circus acts the Squadron threw our way! No sooner we were back at party base Wahid getting settled in, Lt keener than keen Exelby emerged from the dark depths of the Ops room with a task to recover a footbridge we had put in a few weeks previous. It had somehow been tampered with so when we got to the bridge we found hat it had been split in the middle. Without hesitation Spr Applebum Appleton saw the chance to get his head wet and made his way as graceful as a swan to free the two pontoons that the bridge was sat on in the middle of the river. With a quick swipe of his blade the pontoons were free and he was making his way back to the home bank. Now that the home side of the bridge had been recovered, we had to set our attention to recovering the other half of the bridge, which was still on the other side of the river. As he had already been in, the plan was for Spr Appleton to swim the full width of the river with a length of rope long enough for more lads to make their way across and regain the remaining half of the bridge. Now with the rope attached on both sides of the bank we started sending the pontoons across in order to attach them to the bridge and float it back. First up was Spr Stretch Travanti and Spr butter fingers Stanley. With one hand on the pontoon and one hand on the rope to pull themselves across they began to shimmy across like a pair of old tarts. At the halfway point, where the current was at its strongest, Spr Stanley decided hed had enough of our plan and decided to let go. This left Spr Travanti holding on to the rope and the pontoon with Spr Stanley frolicking off the end of it in the current. After many moments of chaos in the ravenous waves, and a yelp of ITS STRETCHING ME!!, Spr Appleton came bounding over the enemy bank like a Marvel super hero and entered the water with an Olympic standard double front flip half twist pike dive!! Now working together, we managed to get it across. Next across with the second pontoon were Spr Jeeves Madge and Cpl Training Reg Robinson, who nailed their attempt with absolute precision having learnt from the mistakes of the first pair. With both pontoons across more gladiators were sent for in the form of Cpl Tommo Thompson, LCpl Paris Hilton body Courtney and Spr Barracus Bijay. The pontoons were attached and we sailed back to the home bank like true commandos aboard our make shift raft.
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1 Troop removing the broken Infantry Assault Bridge in Loy Mandeh Kalay.
That is our story until now, we have well and truly broken the back of the tour and are already counting down the days to our safe return. Lots of love to all family and loved ones back home, ONE TROOP THE FIGHTING FIRST. PEACE OUT. Spr Travanti & Spr Appleton
Cpl Thompson and Cfn Anthony take the plunge much to their enjoyment in the 45 degree heat.
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Condor TroopA day in the life of a 'Newey'!
Cpl Cofax, Section Commander decided to join Dave in the oggin for a cuddle.
Well, with the Boss away on R&R we thought things were going to be a little more relaxed down here in Nad Ali South with Condor Troop over the past few weeks guess again! There's nothing better, for the R&R blues, than to have Cpl 'Patches' Cofax tell you that after just flying into Shawqat that youre the driver for a 2 week task. It probably would have been ok for one of the field sappers but for Dave 'the Newey' Maitland who had to get famed up on how to use a disposal john (a bag that you go to the loo in) it wasnt the best of days. First stop CP TAKHTA After a move to Cp TAKHTA we got settled into what can only be described as a 59 Cdo Squadron paradise. OP MASSIVE in the gym and the river where the locals took a keen inter-
Cpl Cofax, Spr Bates, Spr Williams, Spr Loton, Spr Maitland (Ive got a tan, its just everyone else is in the shade!) enjoying a quick dip in the river at CP TAKHTA.
Edition 9
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3 Tp Check Point Chiron, the build concludes
est in the boys as they bathed and carried out a healthy amount of OP BRONZING especially Wardy who is a healthy dark purple now. We waited a few days for the aggregate and crane to arrive but soon realized that with the Boss away on R&R the BGE (Capt Pearce) was probably too busy sunbathing to do any work...and we have the evidence to prove it from the very sweaty sun lounger found at FOB SQT behind his office (see photo). When we eventually got cracking on with the task it must be said that the lads owe a big thanks to Mr and Mrs Cofax for the immense amount of food Spr Williams suffering from a severe bout of Condor Troop syndrome, defined in the 59 Cdo dictionary as, when you work so hard that if you sit down to based morale that rest, even just for a second, you will fall to sleep within seconds for further details was distributed by see entry entitled the results of Lt. Robinsons work ethic. the well-stocked up Section Commander. Royaly Royal (the Marines) didnt know what had hit them once we turned up, one of them told us we were making them look bad in front of the female medic, because we turned up all bronzed and ripped up! We smashed the task out in true Condor fashion and moved on seamlessly to our next job at CP HAJI ALEM. Thankfully we arrived at HAJI in good time and managed to catch the Haye vs Klitchko fight in the rest room at the CP more morale which set us up for the next day and an early start fixing the road outside the CP. Cpl 'Patches' Cofax, Spr 'OC' Maitland, Spr 'the sleeping beast' Williams and L/Cpl 'Im a meaner bloke than the locals' Thapa set out with our shovels, digger and of course a couple of machine guns if the baddies came calling and got stuck into the task literally. Patches thought it would only be fair to get the Newey in the sewer to dig the tunnel out again to ensure our repair stayed in place. Needless to say the locals soon gathered round in sheer bewilderment and mocked us with their usual taunts this was compounded by the addition of a playful water fight with a few boisterous locals who soon escalated to throwing rocks whilst in fits of giggles All in all not one of my best ideas. Thank goodness for body armour and helmet! Apart from working in a sewer (literally) and fighting with Spr Williams to get his rig off before he went to sleep (which no man can physically accomplish) the tasks were a great laugh and Im pleased to say that the Squadron ethos burns hotter and deeper than ever in the lads serving with Condor Troop in the deep south... This is Spr Dave Maitland, from Condor Troop in Nad Ali South, Southern Helmand Out.
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3 Troop The Pantomime at SHAHZAD continues.
Spr Tom Vye on Assault breaching Op.
Hi 5s are now banned, as the Provost Sgt (Royal Marines) continues his attempts to sweep up any morale with his Majestic moustache. However; after nearly 4 months of nightly briefs, he still focuses on 59s allyness! Shahzads search dogs had a wave of fear sweep over them as Tom Ross stepped off the Helicopter on his return from RnR, with a menacing grin and a stern look on his face. A welcome back to Yak and Lloydy, at least the standard of plant skills will now raise again as the Plant Master General is back! The works continue in the FOB even though, you guessed it the decision has still not been made on whether the work should start? But its now more or less completed get your head round that! Spence is a man on the edge after losing the tear up of tear ups to Basildon Bond, in the 59 disputes pit. The unusual approach adopted by Spence, i.e. hand bags at dawn couldnt outgun the tenacity of the python...Bondy.... unfortunately the simultaneous knockout everyone hoped for never materialised. 1 Troop watch your back; Bizzle (Spr Bee), G man (Cpl Reynolds) and Sowers are benching, dead lifting and squatting a Mastiff each for fun!! Along with eating the galley out of chicken so theres now a shortage of protein in theatre. Op Certain Death went ahead and Daz (Spr Lambert), Gaz (Spr Perrin), Tom (Spr Vye) and myself paired up to support the clearance of Route URANUS (gen); Daz and Gaz opened up a barmine sized hole into a compound alongside URANUS using only a little can do attitude and some elbow grease and yes, a locals pick they found in a ditch. Eventually URANUS was cleared with multiple IEDs found. Ive been crated by the lads for being the 3rd person this tour to receive a Med category 9 liner out of FOB SHAHZAD for minor or self inflicted injuries and who says eye patches make you look like a nerd anyway. I beg to differ! Lieutenant Viking Clark has been smashing the BGE or Captain Slip in the ditch Siemieniuch in the gym, he has now managed 3 straight gym sessions in a row, what a guy! Well done Le Champ aka Beauchamp, at the helm steering the rudder less ship....... A big hello to the fallen Johnny Hunchback Evans, stop faking it and haul ass back out here, it was only a 25 kg charge...Gaylord!
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Sprs K Hop Hopkins and Spr Harry Ramsden at Cp Limbang near Tunnel 4, prior to heading out on a patrol.
Finally, Tom Sowers, myself, Tom Vye and Gaz were rudely awoken at 1.30 am for a hasty strike op that presented itself in the hope of capturing a heavily defended high value target. With bombproof intelligence we were in the air by 03.30am and on target poised to blow entry when the Afghan version of Yoda strolled out wondering what hell 30 Commandos were doing standing on his Geraniums and fumbling around in
the dark? Low and behold - what we did find were 17 goats, one OAP and multiple crimes against fashion. The tribe would like to say thank you to everyone back home for all their support...K-Hops final thought.. if there
Spr K Chop Hopkins taking a knee, observing the area.
are any single female relatives out there between the ages of 18 and 65? my mobile number is..07876....psych! By Spr K Chop Hopkins
Spr Harry Ramsden back in after a patrol with LCoy 42
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 Soldiers Charity. ABF, The Soldiers 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. Childrens Hospice South West. The Childrens Hospice South West is located in Fremington, literally on the Regiments 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 Childrens 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 bch5951@gmail.com
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 37 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
http:// www.facebo ok.com/ TFHEngrGp

TFH Engineer Group Newsletter Edition 9 150711

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TFH Engineer Group Newsletter Edition 9 150711

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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group News Letter

Edition 9 17 July 2011

Commanding Officers Foreword

Inside this issue:

Regimental Headquarters 54 Commando HQ & Support Squadron

59 Commando Squad- 30 ron Support Commando Sappers in AfghanistanWrist Bands 37

Commanding Officers Foreword(continued)

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron

Resources TroopThe long journey so far!

The a team bonding after the lose of Ssgt Wilkinson

Tolay Advisory & Training TeamOperation Omid Haft (Hope Seven)

The complete teamUK and Afghan engineers on parade together.

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

3 Armoured Engineer Squadron

PB Nahidullah: Nearly Complete!!!

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

See no, hear no, speak no. Tp SSgt, Tp Comd, Tp Recce

NHD - LCpl 'Rossco' Dearden

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

PB ATTAL: If Carlsberg did Patrol Bases...

ATL - Concreting at night. Love it.

26 Armoured Engineer Squadron

Shingazi Bridge Repair

Shingazi Bridge complete with hole in deck

1 Troop begin the strip out

26 Armoured Engineer Squadron. July 2011

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

The damaged bridge in detail.

Life as a Resources Specialist

SSgt Gallagher ready to outload stores

LCpl Agyei in his beloved forks

The Build of CP RICHKA

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

LCpl McCammon enlisting the help of a member of A Coy

Spr Gothard after a long night at the controls

Members of the Sect infront of the EES

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) OCs Foreword.

Reflections on Life in Camp Bastion

My vehicle, the MASTIFF

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Life in Camp Bastion

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Working hard, living it up and working even harder (playing YAHTZEE)

Fastfood, even in the desert.

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Op ZAMROD PAK1 Troop

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Preparing for the Op in BSN.

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

39 Armoured Engineer Squadron OCs Final Foreword

OC 39 AESCapt Rich Garthwaite.

ECHELON - Life in Joint Operating Base Bastion

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

EES build Spr Remizov and Spr Menezes

Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Assault Breaching PairLCpl Webb

Assault Breach PairSpr Invine