Reply With Quotenot saying it wasnt intense but they were monging it big time!Originally Posted by oldsoak
not saying it wasnt intense but they were monging it big time!
It concentrated their minds wonderfully though !
Helmand police chiefs visit British soldiers' training facilities
A Defence Policy and Business news article
15 Jan 10
Members of the Afghan National Police have visited the Scots Guards in the UK to see the training that the British soldiers are receiving before they deploy to mentor the Afghan Police.
The Scots Guards will begin mentoring Afghan police recruits in the spring.
They were visited this week by Colonel Asadullah Sherzad, Helmand Provincial Chief of Police, Colonel Ayoub, Head of Administration for the Helmand Afghan National Police (ANP), Major Almas Khan, Head of Counter-Terrorism, and Lieutenant Ahmad Fared, Helmand ANP's Training Officer.
The visit included a trip to the Stanford Training Area in Thetford, Norfolk, where an 'Afghan-style village' has been set up to help British soldiers adjust to the very different environment of communities in Helmand.
Speaking at Stanford, Colonel Sherzad said:
"We have finally made it to the UK to see the effort that is being put into training in the UK. In the last two days of our visit I have been interested to see the amount of effort being put into training and preparation.
"When I asked questions, it was amazing the information the officers of the Scots Guards told me about what they were doing. On this training area everything is real, everything looks like it does in Helmand. It is more than perfect.
"I want to use this opportunity to thank, on behalf of the people of Helmand, everyone who put this training together to prepare British forces for how to deal in the culture of Afghanistan and the Afghan people."
Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Jopp, Commanding Officer of the Scots Guards, was on hand to talk the Afghan police chiefs through the training regime for his soldiers. He said:
"Developing an effective partnership with the Afghan National Police is at the heart of our new approach to operations in Helmand.
"The visit of Colonel Sherzad and his distinguished team of officers is a tremendous opportunity for him to take part, not only in brigade-level training in Catterick, but also on the ground here in Thetford with troops from the Scots Guards who will be mentoring his men in Helmand this spring.
"So much of effective partnership is based on personal relationships and I have hugely valued the chance to meet and work with Colonel Sherzad even before we have deployed.
"I look forward to developing this relationship when the Scots Guards Battle Group takes over in Lashkar Gah."
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the first batch of ANP recruits in Lashkar Gah is now in the final fortnight of their eight-week training cycle at the Interim Helmand Police Training Centre (IHPTC).
The centre opened in December to accommodate the recruitment push for 160,000 policemen by the end of 2010.
Throughout the course, the recruits train on policing skills such as weapons-handling, first aid, vehicle searches, and counter-improvised explosive device training.
The instructors, comprised of Afghan policemen and British troops, also provide a literacy course and introduce the recruits to the Afghan constitution.
The IHPTC follows a curriculum for police training to that of similar centres in Kandahar and Kabul.
The shared syllabus creates a national standard for the entire country and introduces a new level of professionalism to the police force, in addition to regular pay and provided uniforms.
Recruit Dawood Gul Zaman said:
"I was not a professional before I joined - before I could protect others, I needed to be able to protect myself.Fellow recruit Khan Bashar Dost said:
"Our professionalism is not only the most important factor in defeating the insurgents, it's a source of honour."
"I came here because I want to be a good police officer and defend Afghanistan. It is my job to protect the people and maintain security all over the country."Each training cycle trains 150 recruits and by March 2010 will be capable of handling three simultaneous courses with 450 recruits at any one time - a capability of up to 2,550 per year.
A 100-metre firing range is currently under construction and there are plans for a specific counter-improvised explosive device course.
Guardsman Michael Harrison of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards is an instructor at the training centre. He said the recruits' progress was exceptional, adding:
"Eventually I'll be going back out into the field, and I'll get to see them put their skills into practice. I'll be fighting right beside them."
Royal Navy's Mobile Air Support Unit honoured
A History and Honour news article
15 Jan 10
The Royal Navy's Mobile Air Support Unit (MASU) Repair Section was recently awarded a Royal Aeronautical Society medal for its work restoring vital operational capability in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The team, based at Fleetlands, Gosport, repair aircraft around the world which have been damaged through accident or enemy action and work around the clock, in 50-degree-Celsius heat through to sub-zero temperatures.
The team have faced a wide variety of repair tasks, notably in Afghanistan and Iraq, ranging from small arms fire skin damage and airframe fatigue cracking to significant structural damage caused by rocket attacks, returning critical support helicopters to service in support of troops and saving the cost of repatriating the helicopters to the UK.
During the past year, besides commitments in operational theatres, the team has repaired structural damage to aircraft around the world in locations as diverse as Kenya, Arizona, Columbia and Japan.
Tornado GR4 getting airborne from KAF (looks like a couple of Paveway IIs under the belly)
2 YORKS (Green Howards) in Helmand.
Soldier from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment watching over a crossing at the Iran/Iraq border (2008)
Sailors and Marines from HMS Cumberland search a suspected pirate skiff. The RN and RFA were honoured this week by the International Maritime Organisation for ''Exceptional Services'' to the worldwide counter-piracy effort.
A BAE released image of it's contender for the FRES Scout, which will replace the Army's Scimitar recce tanks. (see dedicated thread for details and more images)
The BBC have a longer version of the vid. The troops seemed to find and engage the enemy firing points quite quickly.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8462779.stm
the footage is cut so they werent that fast,seeing the smoke has cleared but still a better show than the farce shown by sky.
Is the soldier on the right wearing MTP trousers, or are they just really dirty woodland CS95s?
dirty cs95
That guy at :46 hit the ground hard... looks like it had to hurt. Damned loose rocks.
Interesting video though, thanks for posting.
He was ANA wasn't he? It sounded like a break down between the Brits and ANA.
3 RIFLES Recce.
Colour Serjeant Paul 'Skip' Lucke and Signaller, Rifleman James McKie, both with Recce Platoon, 3 Rifles Battlegroup based at Patrol Base Airport Lounge near Sangin monitor the radio net following an explosion nearby
An Afghan National Army soldier after a joint patrol with Recce Platoon
British soldiers 'go firm' and keep watch during a Reassurance Patrol conducted by Recce Platoon, 3 Rifles Battlegroup based at Patrol Base Airport Lounge near Sangin
the signaller with the colour man is seriously considering when he can sign off there awesome!!!
What helmet is the soldier on left wearing? Looks like an US ACH or an MICH, but not quite... new MK7?
I noticed the guy sitting down has MultiCam mag pouches.
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