Posts Tagged ‘Scimitar’

You might note as you read along that this report often does not parallel the doom and gloom reporting of the media in this country.  It is in many respects a very encouraging and positive report of the activities of the Household Cavalry Regiment.  The report of LtCol Harry Fullerton, Commanding, The Household Cavalry Regiment, continues:

The contrast never ceases to amaze me. This soldier is on guard and being teased by tourists. Next month he might well be in Helmand Province - on guard in an entirely different way.

“In realising their weakness, the insurgents have fallen back to their tactic of laying IEDs [improvised explosive devices], mostly on vehicle routes. The threat is extremely high, but we mitigate this by using a combination of good route-clearing drills, technology and equipment, protected mobility vehicles, aggressive patrolling and observation of routes, and most importantly the co-operation of Afghan forces, who also clear the routes on a daily basis.

“The professionalism and courage of both regular troops who ‘Barma’ or search routes for IEDs and of our dedicated counter-IED teams from the Royal Engineers (RESA) [Royal Engineer Search Advisor], Royal Logistic Corps (ATO) [Ammunition Technical Officer], and Royal Military Police, cannot be commended enough. They are the front line in defeating this deadly threat.

“Thus far IEDs have claimed damage to six Mastiffs (which continue to be the best vehicle we have out here and can be repaired relatively easily), two Jackals, one Scimitar and, sadly, an Afghan Army Ford Ranger, which took the lives of three Warriors (Afghan soldiers). However, far more IEDs are actually found and defeated.

Scimitar

“The key theme of the tour has been about working with our Afghan partners, both the Police and Army. The Afghan Police have recently been on an intense training programme, run by the Americans. The finished product is a District Police Force that are better trained and disciplined and who are now gaining the respect of the locals, something that was perhaps missing in the past.