Week 10 - Commanding Officers Notes

The construction work continued as the Kandak and mentors provided a security buffer against a resurgent but elusive phantom-like Taliban. As the engineers, and all spare hands, constructed protective blast walls and observation towers around our new Patrol Base, Major Rob Armstrong and his mentor teams urged on the Afghan National Army to try and interdict the enemy and reassure the villagers in the Green Zone. One hot sweltering morning as the work progressed a loud explosion was heard 1.5 km to the north. The sentry in our new, and proud, 'super sangar' reported the grid following sighting of a plume of black smoke. The watchkeeper in the command vehicle checked the Callsigns on the operations map and radioed to units on the ground to check if they had been contacted. The situation was unclear. The Quick Reaction Force was deployed to investigate.  Some time later it became apparent that one of herd of wandering camels had detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) intended for one of our mobile patrols. The device was close to a settlement just to the west of the green zone.

Further tentative movement with mine detectors and a fire support group in overwatch, revealed a radio controlled device linked to a pressure pad IED. This was situated at a cross tracks in the centre of a small village where children wandered oblivious to the lethal threat. Apparently, 2 nights earlier a Taliban grouping had entered the settlement at night. Using a loudhailer they had threatened people with their lives if they left their mud compounds. It was then that the insurgents placed numerous deadly munitions designed to restrict our movement and dominate the population.

The RSM and the Commanding Officer on patrol in the Green Zone

More detailed searches and careful patrols raised suspicions. Eagle-eyed soldiers spotted traces of faintly disturbed earth. Mine and metal detectors confirmed the presence of the unnatural. On hands and knees, LCpl Stewart and I probed around the sandy soil in 2 locations. It did not take long to uncover the grim truth. We withdrew cautiously, marking the finds with mine tape, leaving the rest for the ordnance disposal experts. It later transpired that one device was a car fuel tank filled with home made explosive dug in above 5 mortar rounds. The other was a pressure plate IED.

The Commanding Officer at a Shura with some local Barakzai tribal elders

Later, I was back at Patrol Base ATTAL (meaning Hero in Pashtu) sitting cross-legged on an Afghan rug drinking chai with the Afghan ops officer. Some local Barakzai tribal elders were appealing for the release of a relation, whom we had detained on suspicion of being involved with an earlier attack. Whilst trying to follow the conversation and sipping my chai, the RSM whispered in my ear. The results of the well water sample had come back. He told me what I was drinking was 'off the scale for e coli'. Up until this news I had been growing quite fond of the local brew. Suddenly, I was faced with the dilemma of insulting my hosts and rejecting their hospitality or continuing to drink from the 'chalice with the malice'. Never a dull moment……

Lord Maginnis, Peter Robinson and Jeffrey Donaldson along with senior peers, including Lord Lamont, spent the morning meeting soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment in their base in Helmand Province.

This week also saw local politicians among a delegation of Lords and MPs who visited Royal Irish troops serving in Afghanistan. Lord Maginnis, Peter Robinson and Jeffrey Donaldson along with senior peers, including Lord Lamont, spent the morning meeting soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment in their base in Helmand Province.

The trip included a briefing on operations, a visit to meet Afghan soldiers in the local garrison and lunch with 1 R IRISH soldiers. Following lunch, the group spent some time meeting over 100 reservists from Imjin Company, 2 R IRISH who are currently serving alongside their regular colleagues in Afghanistan.

E B M FREELY
Lt Col
CO 1 R IRISH OMLT BG