Week 20 - Adjutant's Notes

With the Commanding Officer on R&R and the Battalion 2IC at a planning conference in Lashkar Gar, it falls to me the Adjutant, to provide this week's update. It is with immense sadness that we mourn the passing of an excellent man, an outstanding leader and fine soldier. Sergeant Jon Mathews, attached to 1 R IRISH Battlegroup form 4 SCOTS was killed in action on the 28 Jul 08. Sergeant Mathews, operating with OMLT 4, was on a joint foot patrol with the ANA helping to protect the Afghan National Police in the Marjah District, near the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. The patrol had been warned by civilians that Taliban fighters lay ahead. Undeterred, the patrol went to investigate when they were engaged by the enemy; Sergeant Mathews was injured by accurate small arms fire, subsequently evacuated to Camp Bastion R2E Hospital, but despite the best efforts of all medics, his life could not be saved. We will pay our last respects to Sergeant Mathews tonight at a Vigil Service in Camp Bastion. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this sad time.

General Muhaiyodin deployed to Musa Qal'eh and Sangin with a team from the Afghan Ministry of Defence. The purpose of the visit was to personally announce the implementation of the new ANA banking system. This is an important and major milestone in the administrative devolpement and morale of the ANA. The efforts to assist with ANA administration will hopefully reduce corruption, ensure that soldiers are paid on time and correctly - thus reinforcing the ANA Moral Component. To support this announcement there is a Bank currently being constructed in Camp Shorabak. Let's hope they don't introduce JPA!

The Battlegroup continue to take the fight to the Taliban. In particular, a contact involving OMLT 1 (A Coy) in Musa Qal'ah resulted in 20 insurgents killed. The OMLT and ANA were engaged by accurate suppressive heavy fire from enemy small arms and rocket propelled grenades from multiple firing positions, whilst on a patrol 4.5Km South East of Musa Qal'eh. This protracted contact involved all available assets from direct fire weapons, Javelin, artillery fire missions, close air support and close combat attack form Apache helicopters. The insurgents' failure to strike a decisive blow on ANSF/ISAF troops, will be damaging to their efforts to influence the local community. The ANA, supported by the OMLT, must continue to press any advantage gained if we are to have a secure environment to progress reconstruction and devolpement.  

Maj Walker catching up on news back home as he waits for his flight back to the UK

We bid a fond farewell to Maj 'Max' Walker who has returned to the UK for some well earned leave having completed 5 months in Afghanistan. His final task was to cut his 40th Birthday Cake on the 30 Jul 08. We wish him and his family well on his next adventure to Canada. We congratulate Maj Mike Potter on his promotion and also bid farewell. Maj Potter arrived in the Battalion in 2000 as a Second Lieutenant and has served continuously since without a break. We wish him every success at Staff Collage.

As the old and bold move on, so we see the arrival of 12 soldiers in to the Battalion. 2Lts Everett and Ward have arrived from PCBC and 10 new Rangers. These Rangers had finished their basic training in May but, with the requirement to conduct specific Operation HERRICK training in the UK before deployment, they have only just arrived in theatre. They are very welcome and will soon deploy to Sangin to join B Coy’s platoon attached to C (Ranger) Coy.

GDB RAINEY
Capt
Adjutant
1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment