THE AFGHAN HOUND - Regimental Comrades...
Transcript of THE AFGHAN HOUND - Regimental Comrades...
aviation assaults than the
whole of HERRICK 14 - a
cracking achievement. But we will have to wait until
our return to fill in the de-
tail. The level of support
from back home has been
amazing. Every soldier has received a parcel from the
Regimental Association,
donated by over 100 Old
Comrades and kindly or-chestrated by Mark Ashley-
Miller (who as my first Ad-
jutant I remain slightly
scared of!), that have been
great fun (going to the shower block with 'Gay Bar
Soap' was interesting) and
cheered everyone up. We
have also had massive sup-port from right across the
wider community - really
touching - and further
proof that remaining linked
to our recruiting areas is critical to maintain a Regi-
mental identity - the Wrist-
band Appeal has gone from
strength to strength. When the dates for my leave are
finally confirmed I aim to
give a Regimental Presenta-
tion in Dempsey Barracks
and one in London for any-one who is interested in
getting the latest on what
the team have been up to.
I would like to wish every-one a very merry Christ-
mas and a joyful New year.
I hope you enjoy the read.
Welcome to the Christ-
mas Issue of the Afghan
Hound. The weather has finally turned and the
nights are getting seri-
ously cold - although the
sun still comes out during
the day it brings false hope! That said I have no
doubt that Germany and
Wales are substantially
wetter and more miser-able. The last month has
been a roller coaster of
emotions with the tragic
loss of Lt David Boyce
and LCpl Shag Scanlon, their eulogies are hum-
bling, and I would like to
thank the Rear Opera-
tions Group and all those at ERE for giving them
both the send off they
deserved - and we will
come together as a Regi-
mental family at the end of the tour to raise a glass
or two in their memory.
The pace of operations
has remained high
throughout. Our training, and the commitment of
the boys, has really paid
off. We have certainly
taken the ISTAR Gp to
the next stage of its evo-lution and virtually the
entire Regiment is cur-
rently deployed in sup-
port of the largest Afghan National Army operation
so far. Things have
moved forward and the
conditions are very firmly
set for Transition of Nadi Ali (where A Sqn is based)
back to Afghans in the
very near future. B Sqn
are picking up more and more tasks in support of
2 MERCIAN in the north
of our area as well as
starting to reinforce the
wider ISTAR Gp (based on QDG RHQ). C Sqn
have already done more
Commanding Officers Foreword. Lt Col JJ de Quincey Adams
C O N T E N T
CO’s Fore-
word
1
A Sqn 2
B Sqn 3
B RF 4
RHQ 5
TFH LAD 6
BTE 7
EOD &
Search
8
ANCOP 9
War Artist 10
Eulogies on
back pages
11
D M C THE AFGHAN HOUND
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
1 9 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Right: Commanding
Officer, Ops Officer
and Regimental Ser-
geant Major Talk
about Regimental
Business
P A G E 2
A Squadron Major Jonny Hanlon & Capt Whelan, SSM WO2 Russ Kimsey
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: Major Jonny Hanlon & The Kandak
Commander. Pre deployment on OP ZP
A Squadron have now been on the ground for
over 3 months and are well settled in our role
as Advisors. Out here, the weeks seems to
have flown by as the Afghan Army take advan-tage of the winter lull to make gains over the
insurgency and keep their Advisors on their
toes. As I write this, the majority of the Sqn
has deployed North to advise, mentor and marvel at the 1st Kandak on Op ZAMEN-
STANI PERROZI. This is the biggest operation
of our tour so far and sees the whole of the
ANA 3rd Brigade deployed to PB SHAZAD in
northern Nad E‟Ali to clear the area of insur-gents and establish an Afghan foothold in an
area that has only known ISAF and Insurgent
presence. 1st Kandak is on the main effort and
leading that, alongside their Tolays, are the A Sqn Advisors. It is the early days of the opera-
tion but preparations have gone well and the
Squadron has been swept along with the en-
thusiasm of the Afghan Warriors to get the
job done. We‟re also keen for them to be done before Christmas! There are a few bets
running if we‟ll still be out there on the big day
and it‟s a hard one to call at the moment.
As well as Operations, the last month has seen a
shift in where the Kandak Commander has
wanted to base his soldiers. Tolays have pulled
out of 2 bases and with them their Advisors. It has meant that the Squadron has come together
back in FOB Shawqat for one of the first times
since we were in Camp Bastion over 3 months
ago. It has also meant that stories can be swapped, life with the ANA compared and gentle
banter traded. Out of the Squadron, only Advi-
sor pair 15, Capt Jimmy Carroll and Sgt Des
O‟Connor, look as if they will be staying in same
base which they started their tour in. R&R flights are in full swing as well and people are
coming and going constantly. It is always hearten-
ing to see those returning to catch up on home
news and know that others will soon be back home to see friends and family. The tempera-
ture has seen a rapid drop and there have been a
few hurried phone calls home for hot water bot-
tles as those here firmly dig out their winter
sleeping bags. We are conscious that the time may not be flying by for those at home and our
thoughts are always with you. We hope you‟ve
all been good and get a visit from Santa! We wish
you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year from all of us out here.
Above: Capt Jonny Whelan celebrating
his 34th Birthday in FOB Shawquat.
V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3 P A G E 3
A Squadron Capt Will Russell & SSgt Sheep Jones TATT 11
Capt Billy Russell and SSgt Jones 578 are currently based in
PB SAMSOR Nad-e-Ali district, facilitating partnering between
C Company 1 PWRR and the 4th Tolay. Thus far, we have kept the Tolay busy and the insurgents out of the area on a
daily basis with a busy patrolling and training programme. We
are lucky enough to have an effective and well respected To-
lay commander by the name of Najibullah who keeps a „tight
ship‟ as well as having a humorous side (frequently making Capt Russell laugh keeping SSgt „Sheep‟ Jones‟s jokes at bay!).
The living conditions in PB SAMSOR are what you would ex-
pect from a PB, showering out of bags, making good use of
portable loo bags and entertaining ourselves during downtime with volleyball and reading copious amounts of magazines and
e-books! SSgt „Sheep‟ Jones is frequently seen to be enjoying a
„gentleman's‟ hour/Grandfathers hour in the afternoon post
patrolling; this activity is not subject to just my 2ic I would
have to admit!
Above: Capt Russell & SSgt Sheep Jones on
Patrol in Nadi’ Ali.
Right: Sheep & Capt Russell pre patrol
picture with their Tolay.
Below: Capt Russell Arm wrestles with the
Tolay Commander in FOB Samsor.
The soldiers (Warriors) in the Tolay have displayed good low level
skills on patrols and on planned operations which has certainly dis-
pelled any pre-conceptions about the capability of the ANA before
deploying. There are a few frustrations along the way and cultural differences, most of which have been solved; cultural and military
training before deployment in September has been most beneficial.
C Company have made good use of the helicopters in TFH and we
have been on two aviation launched operations to date into the Western Dasht. The mission has been to re-assure locals of ANSF
and ISAF presence and security where there is little GIROA influ-
ence and has been a good way of creating unpredictability in our
patrolling and work within the AO.As with the other members of
the Squadron, we have drank gallons of Chai (Afghan green tea), chewed through fresh foot bread and even been given small gifts
(incense, scarves for our other halves, pomegranate and ANA t-
shirts) which has been gratefully received, further indicating the
strength of the relationship we have with our Tolay.
P A G E 4 TATT 11 Continued
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: Sheep, who once worked in a bakery in Merthyr
Tydfil, thought it would be appropriate to make wraps for
the Mexican Theme night in FOB Samsor.
Right: It would not feel right if you did not look Mexi-
can..
Major Hanlon has also been given some pur-
fume by Najibullah and despite not seeing many
females in our PB it is always a treat to get a
whiff when up in FOB SHAWQAT with SHQ!
The main effort in the C Company AO has
been the transfer of security to the ANSF and
the merging of the ISAF AO and reducing our footprint, this has accelerated recently and we
are expecting big changes to the lay down come
the end of tour. It has been a challenging but
yet enjoyable job so far with doses of satisfac-
tion along the way with small operational gains being made by the Tolay in terms of their train-
ing competencies and effectiveness as an organi-
sation.
As the weather draws in and the temperature drops,
Sheep is digging his slippers out of his Bergen and Capt
Russell is preparing to deliver small gifts around the AO
on the night of the 24th (rosie cheeks and a decent outfit should bring some Christmas cheer)! Halfway through
the tour now and we are now relishing the challenges
ahead as Nad-e-Ali continues to undergo transition.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Afghan
Hound readers….hohohohohohoho
Below: Capt Russell & One of the ANA
Sergeants. Out on Patrol in Nadi Ali.
P A G E 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
B Squadron Maj Paddy Bond ,Capt Simon Mildinhall. & SSM WO2 Rob Mansel
Above: 2nd Troop B Squadron Cpl Morris & Crew.
Having said goodbye to old Lt Boyce and LCpl Scanlon,
B Sqn returned to MOB PRICE and immediately de-
ployed back out onto the ground. In our own AO,
YAKCHAL was still proving an extremely interesting
area and taking up the majority of 4th Troop‟s time,
whilst in the North OP JANGEL SALAT 2 required the
attentions of two Troops, Tac and an enthralling trip
to work with the MERCIANS in FOB OULLETTE for
Capt Chambers. In addition to all of this, the Sqn was
also required to support the BRF in the Green Zone of
the Upper Gereshk Valley, all whilst staying on top of a
demanding vehicle maintenance schedule. OP JANGEL
SALAT 2 saw 2Lt Groves taking up the reins of 1st
Troop and working with 2nd Troop to secure a newly
black-topped route that had attracted a lot of insur-
gent activity recently. The two troops, commanded by
Maj Bond in Tac, spent a week working alongside the
Afghan National Civil Order Police (the Afghan equiva-
lent of SWOT teams) as well as a platoon of Warriors
from 5 Rifles.
Above: 4th Troop move through central Gereshk
whilst on route to Yakchal.
The operation saw the ANCOP push into
areas they had hitherto been unwilling to go
to, reassured by the presence of 10 CVR(T)
and 6 Warriors. This resulted in no IED em-placements on the stretch of road for the
duration of the operation, as well as the find-
ing of a rifle, some IED components and the
improving of relationships with local nation-als in the area. Meanwhile 4th (Support)
Troop under Lt Williams and Sgt Thurston
were conducting daily partnered patrols into
the troublesome village of Yakchal, working
hard to improve security there as well as helping to train the ANA. Lt Lough took 3rd
Troop up to the “PB Line” in the Upper
Gereshk Valley to assist the BRF, which has
been recently covered by The Sun. The only disappointment comes from the newspaper
failing to include any quotes from Lt Lough,
which clearly would have resulted in much
champagne being supplied to the Officers‟
Mess on our return in May.
“ Working Hard to improve security in
Yakchal”
P A G E 6
B Squadron 4th Troop :Lt Bryn Williams & Sgt Billy Thurstan
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: 4th Troop pose for the Christmas Calendar .
Christmas attire kindly donated by the RCA & HHQ.
Below: 4th Troop clothes on.
Support Troop, B Squadron,
unlike the other three
troops operates on one of
the British Army‟s Afghani-stan purpose made vehicles–
the British made „Jackal.‟
Best described as a four
wheeled semi armoured sand buggy with a grenade
machine gun or ‟50 cal.,‟
mounted on top. A combi-
nation of its speed, as Cor-
poral Veasey will happily demonstrate, and more
open nature means the
jackal is more suited to the
interaction with the Local Nationals and relevant to
Support Troop – the Afghan
National Army. Support
Troop, B Sqn are the part-
nered force to the Afghan National Army for a 50km
stretch of Highway 1. The
highway is the main artery
for most of Afghanistan with
it running between the ma-jor cities, including that of
Gereskh in Helmand, which
is the main population area
for B Sqn.
As it hosts large proportions of the local population and due to its operation being essential to the
infrastructure and maintenance of this developing country it is a vital mission to maintain its secu-
rity. Therefore with the help from the Queens Royal Hussars who are tasked with being the
„Advisors,‟ and thus (in their words) – the oil that lubricates the relationship between the some-what chaotic and crazy Afghan National Army with the immaculately organised Support Troop,
both units „Secure,‟ the highway.
Each day will typically involve two or three partnered patrols with the ANA, although inevita-
ble lack of fuel, lack of „warriors,‟ lack of warm clothing, a lack of time for lunch or usually a com-
bination of all three means that one of these is normally cancelled, much to the frustration of all
the ISAF involved. When the patrols take place Support Troop provide either a mounted over
watch capability or dismount with the ANA „warriors,‟ to both boost their security and to ensure
that the planned patrol goes vaguely in the correct direction. These patrols involve interacting
with the local population, exploring new areas of the desert or disrupting into the Green Zone, all
of which have varied experiences and results.
4th Troop Continued
P A G E 7 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Above: Lt Williams counts to ten as the ANA test his patients.
Below: 4th Troop Patrol Orders “ Yakchal
When patrols allow, Support Troop up-
sticks from MOB Price and deploys for
several nights to an ANA run checkpoint
along the highway called CP Kay. This CP
is located on the edge of the Green
Zone and therefore occasionally experi-
ences „incoming.‟ This is primarily from
the ANA who believe that it is perfectly
acceptable to wake up their comrade for
sentry duty with a burst of AK47. Occa-
sionally the CP receives incoming from a
more understandable direction at which
point Support Troop burst into life in
various dress states and attempt the al-
most impossible task of identifying the
enemy. Every Thursday morning involves
the weekly „shura,‟ and planning meeting
with all the Tolay (Company) command-
ers. This regularly involves a four hour
meeting with lots of fist stamping and
raised voices and numerous interpreters
working overtime to translate these
ramblings. I leave each time more con-
fused and less aware than I was when I
walked in and certainly without a clue as
to which patrols are taking place the fol-
lowing week.
Everyone within Support Troop is
adapting very well and performing to the
highest of standards. Each day much laugh-
ter is caused by the bizarre nature of our
Afghan counterparts, most of which are
rationalised by our excellent interpreters -
Hafiz and Richard. Those new to Afghani-
stan are enjoying the challenges it pre-
sents albeit with the dangerous undercur-
rent this country always beholds. Those
who are experienced with this country
comment on how much it has changed
and progressed since they were last here
– hopefully eluding to a time when transi-
tion to our partnered force is a real possi-
bility. Although a much more reliable and
easier to use vehicle than the Scimitars,
the other troops certainly get their own
back and laugh a lot at our open top/
fronted vehicles when the rain comes or
the temperature drops to minus numbers,
something which is occurring more and
more regularly as we approach Christmas.
P A G E 8
4th Troop Continued
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Left: 4th Troop form up in MOB PRICE
for pre patrol checks.
Below: Lt Williams explains to the ANA
why he knocked their barrier down with
his Jackal.
Travelling at 70kph along the highway into a wind chill well below zero is certainly not an enviable task,
especially at 0600hrs when the daily culvert checks (irrigation tunnels underneath the tarmac highway)
take place. The Christmas vibe is gradually creeping upon us, although as Trooper Doolan mentioned,
“this is the hottest I have ever been on the eleventh of December.” The forthcoming weeks and months hold much of the same for Support Troop who have the overall aim of bringing on the ANA
further with the hope of one day being able to leave the Highway in the sole responsibility of the ANA.
It is with pleasure that I can report that each day they learn that bit more and although at times frus-
trating, „transition,‟ is within our sights.
Support Troop, B Squadron wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) Maj
Justin Stenhouse ,Capt Ruggles– Brise & SSM WO2 Mark Hawtin.
Left: BRF just
about to get on the
Chinook Helicopter.
Other wise known as
a Helicopter Assault
Force ( HAF)
P A G E 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
We are now 2 months into Op HERRICK 15 and writing
this article gives some pause for thought as to what the BRF
has achieved. There is no doubt that we have been busy,
with large number of operations under our belts some of which have multiple phases and consisted of troops being
deployed by vehicle or by aviation. Aviation is certainly the
preferred method of travel as Warthog is very uncomfort-
able and slow; and you are not back in time for breakfast or lunch depending on how long we have been out for; there is
always a distinct moan from whichever troop is chosen.
However, there is something very comforting about having
armour around, even just hearing it in the distance, we are
and remain very grateful to OC Warthog, Maj Chris Wild-man and his boys. The environment out here is testing, at
the start of the tour is was hot and sapped your energy and
now it is cold and sometimes wet and we wish for the sun.
The locals are also kindly irrigating their fields making move-ment very difficult, so as soon as you jump out of the heli-
copter you are knee deep in clinging mud. We now know
why we expended so much effort on PT during out pre de-
ployment training. LCpl Jones 470 found himself the source
of much amusement by 1st Tp recently when he was blown into a rather deep irrigation ditch by the CH47 as it took
off, all that could be heard were his cries for help.
Above: Major Justin Stenhouse (OC BRF)
Rock Drill , BRF Compound.
The BRF has operated virtually all over
Task Force Helmand‟s area of opera-
tions (AO), from the Bowri Dashte
(Desert) that has now been reclaimed and is being farmed by the Afghans to
the Arghandab River Valley (ARV)
which is very open with large ditches
and berms making movement by vehi-cle very difficult, however great terrain
for arrival and departure by helicop-
ter. The Warthog Group particularly
enjoyed operating down there with us!
(See Photo). We have also operated in the complex terrain of the Green
Zone where at sometimes when you
are lying in the hedgerows you could
be in the UK, usually you are brought back to reality pretty rapidly. Recently
the BRF has had some particularly suc-
cessful operations, Cpl Beal and 1st Tp
found an Insurgent prison with a pris-
oner who we recovered to Bastion for subsequent release. 2nd Tp not to be
outdone discovered a lunatic asylum
and it was not Regimental Headquar-
ters! All the troops have been par-
ticularly successful with discovery of large insurgent weapons and Impro-
vised explosive device (IED) caches
which have subsequently been de-
stroyed. Even as I write 3rd Tp in the Dashte east of Operations Box
BURMA have discovered 20 pressure
plates hidden in the ground and are
awaiting the counter IED team to
come and destroy it.
Above: Warthog Group Fail Their first swim test
Below: Capt RB ( 2ic BRF) managing to keep his feet
dry...for now.
P A G E 1 0
BRF Continued
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: LCpl Symonds admires the local horticulture
It seems an age ago when the BRF formed up
on the 03 Jan 11, the change in everyone is
impressive and humbling to witness. There
have been some particularly notably perform-ances from Cpl Beal, and LCpls Grills, Ellis
and Pearce (both from 1 YORKS). It is also
safe too say that we have all lost a little weight
while we have been out here although some are more sensitive than others if you give
them a little pat on the tummy on the way
past, for example Sgt Greenwood, I am told
this is a trait he shares with the Commanding
Officer! The SQMS (SSgt Gallagher) and his team in Bastion go to great lengths to ensure
we are well supported and have made the BRF
compound very comfortable. They continue
to work long and thankless hours to ensure when we depart or return on operations eve-
rything is in place, from our early morning
bacon sandwiches (where sometimes they
have been know to help the chefs with the
cooking to ensure we get them in time) to taking the troops vehicles for their mandatory
servicing whilst we are out. WO2 Davies continues to prove his worth procur-
ing communications equipment that other sub units
could only wish for. We recently lost him for a few
days when he had to deploy to a Forward Operat-ing Base as a Liaison Officer (LO), thinking he
would only be absent for a few hours he took noth-
ing more than a sleeping bad and a box of Pringles.
He was sadly mistaken, however this has allowed him to gloat to the SQMS that he has in fact left
Camp Bastion. Cpl Oates (R Sigs) who has only
been with us for the last month has had a steep
learning curve, when asked to provide some black
illumination so we could see better with our night vision devices he duly fired some rockets into the
sky, the night remained dark. He could not under-
stand why we could still see nothing on this very
dark night. It was only when Capt Ruggles-Brise read the packaging to him that it became apparent
that he had been firing smoke rockets into the air.
As we approach Christmas our thoughts are with
our families and with many of us with new children
either born just before deployment or some after it is even more poignant. But we wish everyone a
very Happy Christmas. We continue to examine
the options as to how we will celebrate the day
out here with a number of suggestions being vetoed
even if just to retain some decorum.
Above: Sgt Matt Hansen Out on patrol in
his Jackal Vehicle.
P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Left: WO 2 Marc Davies & SSGT
(SQMS) Russ Gallacher :
A big thank you goes out to the Nottinghamshire Constabulary and Support Our Soldiers, South West
Wales Branch for their more than generous donation of Christmas Parcels for the Brigade Reconnaissance
Force (BRF). WO2 Marc Davies and SSgt (SQMS) Gallacher of the BRF handed out the parcels to members
of the Squadron on their return from a particularly demanding Operation. Cpl Morgan one of the soldiers who received a parcel said “The parcels were a really nice surprise and its good to know that people back
home are thinking of us during this festive period, the chocolates especially went down well, yum yum”.
3rd Troop BRF Capt Chris Roberts & Sgt Matt Hansen
Above: 3rd Troop BRF with the Apache Helicopter.
P A G E 1 2
3rd Troop Continued
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Breaking into December, the frequency of
Ops has picked up an extra gear. The Insur-
gents annual lull in battle over the cold win-
ter months has provided the opportunity for 20 Bde to claim a bit more territory. This
has meant an increase in how often we‟re
going out the gate for Ops planned for the
long term. Recently the Sqn has entered the heady heights of minor celebrity. Many a Z-
lister would kill to be on page 17 of The Sun
and that‟s where the BRF ended up. For
those who didn‟t see it; The Sun covered an
Op where we rescued a kidnapped ANA sol-dier due for execution by the Taleban and
found a large number of IEDs in a factory,
which were blown up in place. The Op was
done with excellent support from B Sqn and a Troop of Warthog vehicles from the QRH.
3rd Troop now holds a small record; the larg-
est find in a certain area of Helmand Prov-
ince. Whilst out as a single Troop mounted
in the QRH Warthogs we decided to do a bit of potholing – it‟s never too early to start the
AT – in the underground river systems
(called Karizs) that criss-cross around Hel-
mand. LCpl Carr securely fastened by a rope
to Pte Drew, lowered himself into the Kariz.
Above: LCpl Carr searches Kariz Hole
for IED Components.
Above: 3rd Troop next to Apache.
Armed with a pistol, torch and Vallon he set
out through the overgrown and sewage strewn
tunnel. After only a couple of minutes he came
across a hessian sack filled with ammo, drugs and explosives. Later in the day Tpr Gould was
down a different Kariz hole and found the
mother-load. 20 pressure plates all ready to be
fixed up to IEDs and placed in the ground to target the Afghan and ISAF security forces. We
secured this and extracted it out of the hole;
any excess was blown up in place by our overly
keen Engineers Sgt Stewart and LCpl Carr. Not
a bad mornings work and a nice change from searching endless compound after compound.
Tpr Nursey: On a recent Helicopter Assault Force (HAF) , “where we fly onto a target”, we
entered a compound to search it. Tpr Griffiths
had gone into the compound and was helping to
search the rooms. He went through the door
and all we heard was a little girly scream. He thought he was going to have his first contact as
a chicken came flying out at him. He‟s had a
few more run-ins with chickens since. They
always seem to burst out at him. Chickens are not the only farm animals he has had a relation-
ship with. In another compound LCpl Hum-
phreys and Griffiths came sniggering out from
behind a small wall and claimed to have just at-
tempted to milk a goat! A gentler side was also seen to Griff as he lovingly tended to a small
flock of Afghan „fat-bottomed‟ sheep. He fed
them and petted them, I don‟t think the com-
pound owners had ever seen anything like it before!
P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Above: Cpl Lewis left & Davies right. On the HAF.
Below : Right: Capt Roberts finds out his comms are down.
Whilst it is a demanding and difficult job consider-
ing the complexity of some of the BRF tasking and
missions, the Troops always find a way to lighten
the atmosphere and pick-up morale on the ever colder early mornings. Something as simple as
posting stag in a make shift sangar tower can re-
duce the entire Troop to fits of laughter if carried
out by Tpr Durnall. One of the slighter and more mobile members of the Troop he made the simple
job of climbing through a small hole in the wall to
stand up in the tower seem like Mission Impossible
IV! High jinks with native farm animals seems to
have been perfected by Tpr Griffiths. Currently we‟re in the middle of a helicopter-fest; with five
HAFs in five days planned. It started well with the
first HAF delayed by 24 hours! But, to make up
for this we managed to pull it out of the bag and complete HAFs onto three separate targets the next
day. Two were pre-planned, and as we came off the
helicopters in Camp Bastion the message was
passed around not to bother taking off our kit,
we were going back out onto a detention opera-tion to arrest four men. We arrived on to the
target compound and found six men, all a bit
dodgy and linked to IED making. Following a
thorough search and with zip ties securely around their wrists all six were brought back to
Bastion for further questioning and evidence col-
lection. I was very impressed with the „wilco‟
attitude taken towards the swift turn around and
the speed that the guys got to the target com-pound considering the amount of weight every-
one has to carry.
With Christmas just around the corner the en-
tire Squadron is in the festive mood.
The SQMS team has beautifully decked out the briefing room
with tinsel and sparkles (interior design beckons after 22
years!) and the number of parcels arriving every day has no-
ticeably increased. A special thank you goes out to all of those who have sent welfare parcels, as there are always a
few who don‟t get quite as much mail. They really make a
difference to the lads and reinforce that connection between
home and Afghan. Troop skits have been handed out; we‟ve each been given a different Troop or SHQ to take the mock
in a loving manner. This was strictly enforced by the OC
who feared an overload of Orang-utan and Ginger-Ninja style
performances. I‟m sure we‟ll all find a small space for that!
The biggest morale booster for everyone is that Christmas, brilliant in it‟s own right, also signals the proximity of R&R.
Something I know the entire Squadron is looking forward to.
The chance to see loved ones and friends, and take a pause
on this dreadful enforced de-tox. Wishing you all at home a very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year from all in 3rd Troop. Above: Tpr Durnell searches a Sangar.
P A G E 1 4
Regimental Headquarters/ 20X ISTAR FIND
GP LASHKAH GAH
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: ISTAR 20x Headquarters. Queen’s
Bays Bell far left of the picture. Capt Hoey cen-
tre right sitting behind his computer drawing
pictures.
Readers of the Afghan Hound will, of
course, long be familiar with the Regiment
(and wider family) appearing in the local
and national press. For us in the ISTAR Gp HQ, in the less glamorous side of opera-
tions, it was a delightful surprise to find
some of our members clinging to the coat-
tails of the sub-units in an article in The Sun. The shy and retiring Commanding
Officer had a quote coaxed out of him but
less happy was 2nd Lieutenant B******
S****, attached to the BRF, who seems to
be under the impression that the Int Corps is MI6 and therefore his name must
not appear in print. A note has been made
and fines will be issued upon return to the
mess next year. The media cell say his chest is hairless enough but needs to be
bigger if he wants to appear on page 3
rather than 17 so he has been sent inter-
net shopping for some herbal pills. Such
small occurrences serve to keep us amused as the pace climbs higher in Bde
HQ. The well-oiled (not like that, the
Becks is alcohol-free) machine is churning
out plans as fast as the sub-units can exe-
cute them and with officers starting to go away on R&R we are all stepping up a gear
to cover for them.
Left: Capt Sambrook & 2LT Smith hard at
work
We must be getting more efficient as despite this, most people continue to be able to get out for a
day or two – even the 2ic was spotted sporting body armour and helmet the other day. This may have
been for a debriefing by the Brigade Chief of Staff though as he was also seen shoving a copy of Coun-
try Homes & Interiors down the back of his trousers. Messing report: Within the MOB, as tempera-tures have dropped fewer and fewer hardy souls choose to sit outside but ISTAR Gp HQ continue to
grizz it out. Actually at lunchtime when the sun has burnt off the mist and a glimmer of warmth deli-
cately spreads through the thin winter air, it is most agreeable to tarry a while nursing a coffee before
diving back into the hustle and bustle.
P A G E 1 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Above: Operations Officer Capt Ben Parkyn. “ Please
Colonel can I go out with the BRF”.
KBR continue to do their best with the food
although the blockade on the Pakistan border is
starting to bite – CO QRH was recently seen
pacing round and round, muttering “the foie grass must get through” as his Adjutant at-
tempted to distract him with a punnet of olives.
We must all learn to tighten our belts, now
metaphorically as well as literally. What helps, of course, is the almost constant stream of
Christmas parcels from those at home, friends
known and unknown. The odd chocolate or-
ange from close ones is much appreciated but
what is also astonishing is the generosity of strangers: church groups, scout groups or just
kind-hearted people who have passed a shoe-
box round their office. So thank you to all who
have sent a little something from home this Christmas, we wish you the very best and look
forward to seeing you soon, at home or on the
parades when we return.
LAD TFH Cfn O'Neil Below: LAD TFH get in to the Christmas
spirit.
The LAD has had a very busy and constructive
month. It all started with everyone having to feel
sorry for the AQMS as he thought he had man flu,
this took up some considerable amount of pro-duction hours. It later emerged that the AQMS
wasn‟t ill and that he had been spending a little
too much time with the RAF personnel that he
shares his luxurious Bellagio tier 2 accommoda-tion with. Cfn Rayner is slowly making progress;
he has now upped his working hours, spending a
minimum of 4hours in work but only 2 of these
actually in coveralls. The EME is still happy for Cfn
Rayner to carry on with his main task of „trying‟ to get massive in the gym, it has been explained
to him that mopping the floors and filling the
fridges does not get you massive muscles.
The LAD also had some members take part in the Danish half marathon. Capt. Alexander, won the
event with a time of 1 hour 16 minutes and 38
seconds. ASM Thompson was the second from
the LAD to finish with a time of 1 hour and 51
minutes. Cfn O‟Neill was the last of the LAD to finish with a time of ………. A high profile visit
to the LAD was also announced, the visitor being
Commander EC (Col. Thompson).
Colonel Thompson was very impressed with the LAD and
spent a lot of time talking to the Armourers and VM‟s. Every-
one was happy to talk to the Colonel until Cfn O‟Neill pulled
his camera out for some publicity shots. A further visit to Camp Bastion was announced this time the visitor was the
world famous golfer Colin Montgomery. The ASM, SSgt
„Pete‟ McGlashan (26RA) and Cfn O‟Neill were lucky enough
to have a golf lesson with Colin and the ASM even got invited to have lunch with him.
P A G E 1 6
LAD TFH Continued
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: ASM & Cfn O'Neil pose with Colin Montgom-
ery with the Ryder Cup. Camp Bastion.
The highlight of the afternoon was having
pictures taken with Colin and Golf‟s top
prize – the Ryder cup. The REME are still
recruiting in theatre, with Tpr Mather (BTE) showing an interest in becoming a
vehicle mechanic. It was later explained to
Tpr Mather that he would have to be in
work on time everyday, wouldn‟t be able to skive down at the American PX and
would have to work late in the evenings.
This news brought about a sudden change
of heart in Tpr Mather who now no longer
wants to transfer. The AQMS displayed the very best of his management skills
when he managed to book the EME in as
the Headline act in Padre Mike‟s Medical
Centre Cabaret Night! So with only one day to practice before the night and his
nerves all a flutter the EME treated the
crowd to a medley of the latest hits! As
the gig was such a massive success with a
sell out crowd of 30, the AQMS has al-ready been in touch with the organizers of
the Glastonbury Festival to negotiate the
EME‟s performance fee for the summer.
Right:: Tpr Mather showing interest in vehicle mechan-
The LAD is well into the festive season
with Santa & a Snowman decorating
the roof of the LAD HQ office, the
sweets have all arrived and the non-alcoholic becks is also on route from
the NAAFI, so it should be a party to
remember unfortunately!
The ASM will not be spending Christ-mas with the LAD as he has left to go
and have R & R with his family back in
Paderborn, we will save him a few
mince pies though. It has also come to
light that the BRF cannot handle their workload we assume this is due to
LCpl Dan Nelson spending most of his
time down at the NAAFI trying to chat
up the medics much to their dismay, SSgt Bobby Walker spending all his
time in the gym doing insanity work-
outs. The HQ LAD Vehicle Mechanic‟s
are under new management from SSgt
Brian Cook of 26RA with his hand on the tiller the vehicle mechanics have
been completing Inspections on the
Jackal‟s of the BRF allowing them to
deploy out on operations.
Cfn O‟Neill will never be allowed out of Bastion again
after his tail gate drop off at Khar-Nikah lasted three days
as opposed to the planned 30 minutes! Tyre flips have
been an ongoing challenge at the LAD with everyone be-ing invited to do 15 flips of a MASTIFF tyre, these weigh
in the region of 100KG! Cfn O‟Neill was awarded 60 flips
for continually forgetting his notebook.
P A G E 1 7 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Above: EME & ASM talk to Commander EC Col .
Thompson.
Above Right: Cfn O'Neil Masters the tyre flipping
Above Left: AQ felt left out so he thought he would give it a go.
Right: This is as close as it gets for the EME . He wanted
Christmas to be cancelled. So threatened to shoot the Snow
man.
Below: Cfn Raynor Santa's little helper.
He completed these over 3 days which made his
little arms sore. The ASM has broken his own
record for 15 flips by 8 seconds after he re-
turned from a conference that made him quite cross, the new record stands at 41 seconds for
15 flips, all comers are welcome to try and bet-
ter this.
A very Merry Christmas And Happy New Year
to all. Readers should Look forward to another
exciting instalment from the LAD next month.
P A G E 1 8
Brigade Troops Echelon WO2 Rob Lockyer.
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Above: Maj Tyson Officer Commanding Brigade
Troops Echelon.
Well another month has passed and the Brigade
Troops Echelon (BTE) continue to drive through
change whilst offering the highest level of support
to a large, complex and dynamic organisation. The team are continuing their aggressive house-
keeping, newly coined “Battlefield Clearance” and
a plethora of pre-inspections and inspections were
passed with flying colours. November and early December has seen the BTE undergo significant
structural change. This saw the re-development of
Camp 251, home of the BTE, with a new office
complex (tent) built at the rear of the existing J4
hub. The BTE is growing in size by two companies, and the ‟new build‟ will house the Company Quar-
ter Master Sergeants (CQMS‟) from C Coy 1
PWRR and a Rifle Coy from 3 Scots, as well as the
CQMS‟ and SQMS‟ already working with the BTE. The BTE are also enabling the move of the QRH
Warthog Group from Bastion to MOB Price,
which entails the usual J4 and J1 issues in terms of
moving large numbers of personnel, vehicles, ISO
containers and equipment. Planning and forward loading of stores to Patrol
Base (PB) Clifton continues, in order to ensure
that the PB is in good order for when it is eventu-
ally handed over from the Danes. Once complete,
it will be home to C Coy 1 PWRR, once they fin-ish a short refurbishment period in Bastion.
Left: Sgt Pye & Cpl Watson make a
new door for the BTE .
Below: Cpl Young hard at work. All are trying to get into the spirit of Christ-
mas, especially when we have a delivery of
welfare parcels. Once they have been col-
lected we all go through to our adopted postal sorting area, the brew area at the back
of the J4 hub, don our Santa hats and divide
the contents in to several larger boxes for
the sub units that are based in forward loca-tions.
The fitness bug seems to have taken hold
once again, 10 of the BTE‟s finest attempted,
and completed, the Dan Bat Half Marathon.
Of note, this saw one of the oldest BTE com-petitors beat the youngest, finishing in a time
of 2 hours. The unnamed individual has been
heard gloating slightly by re-telling the story
of how he kept the youngster in his sights for 11 miles, putting in a phenomenal sprint finish
over the last 2 to beat the youngster by
P A G E 1 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
almost 10 minutes. Our next challenge for the BTE
Olympians is a marathon being held on News Years
day, so we are all keeping off of the mince pies!
The R&R plot is well under way, and as most QDG soldiers come through the BTE prior to flying out, it is
a good opportunity to catch up with friendly faces and
listen to the „war‟ stories of the „Daring Dragoons‟!
Banter between everyone within the BTE continues unabated. The latest round saw LST commander, Capt
Berry, who had just returned from a PB, have his unat-
tended kit laid out show parade style. On seeing his
kit in neat lines on the floor he gave a tired outburst
“This is not on! That‟s it, I am going to unleash the Dog of War” At which point all those in earshot fell
about with laughter.
With the first half of the tour nearly over it would be
great to say that both the QM and SPS departments were operating at steady state. However, with new
sub units coming in, location changes and a never end-
ing inspection and assurance regime I am sure that we
will all be kept on our toes until we handover in April.
On behalf of the BTE I would like to thank everyone for supporting and sending Christmas Parcels out to
Afghanistan. It really is amazing to see so many kind
hearted people doing their bit for the forces.
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. Congratulations go to WO2 RQMS Lee Bilner and
WO2 RQMS Jason Wilcox for being selected for pro-
motion from WO2-WO1 in 2012. Also, birthdays
have been celebrated for Cpl Akuila Korovulavula and LCpl Dean Hanbury.
Above: BTE G4 HUB
Below: right: Brew Area, where all the Welfare parcels
get opened.
Below Left: Members of the BTE take part in the Danish
Left: Members of the BTE pose for the cam-
era after the Danish half marathon.
P A G E 2 0
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Staff and Personnel Support (SPS) Capt Mike Day
Left: SPS
Technical
Training Day
Comd SPS
visit.
The wider SPS team enjoyed some techni-
cal training, which was well timed to coin-
cide with the visit of Commander SPS 1
(UK) Armd Div, Lt Col Mike Sykes visit. A timely get together brought some smiles,
allowed all to discuss and confirm that yes
the soldiers in every unit believe that they
should be paid far more than they receive at present and their pay must be wrong.
The training was followed by a games eve-
ning for all SPS in Camp Bastion. There
were 4 teams competing for the title, one
of which was led by Capt Mike Day. The competition was fierce, but friendly.
There was a clear pull towards the BTE
team, with many SPS from other units
wanting to be part of the elite squad. There were 6 games:
Balls: The aim of the game was to get the
tennis balls into a bowl. The instructions
were a little unclear, and the assumption that typical mess tactics could be rolled
out to manoeuvre the balls fell foul of the
judges, resulting in “nil pois”.
Bridging: 5 team members were re-
quired to bridge the gap. The technique
was slick and the bridge was solid, how-ever the final task of downing a can of
coke was not achieved due to a lack of
practice and weak gullet by the final man.
BTE were placed second.
Core stability: Capt Ollie Martin and Cpl Lisa Ev-
ans, wife of Cpl (box head) Evans QDG were re-
quired to maintain a stable position with their head
on one chair and feet on another, whilst lying hori-zontal and passing an object around their body as
many times as they could. They achieved a com-
bined score of 110 and secured second place. And
yes, Cpl Evans did get the higher score between her and her boss.
Above: Cpl Lisa Evans testing her core stability
Above: Cpl Ridley & LK during
the tyre stack phase.
P A G E 2 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Tire stack: The aim was to get 4 tyres numbered 1 to 4 across 3 squares without putting a higher number tyre
on top of a lower number tyre. It was immediately obvious that a specific sequence was required. This was im-
mediately identified by Capt (Timmy) Mallet. To avoid congestion, Capt Mike Day assigned only 2 pairs from the
vast amount of power available to conduct the task. With the concise direction from Timmy and the slick action of the 4 soldiers which included our very own Cpl Mac Ridley and Cpl Ellie Lakoisolomone, the competition
were left wanting as the BTE team romped home in half the time it took the team that came in second. I think
part of this was the 1,000 yard stare given by our most Cbt orientated CHRS.
Little Piggy: You guessed it, the game revolved around eating,
so there was only 1 choice to be had…..WO2 Chris Shaw was
the obvious choice. The game was quite a mess, yet Chris en-
tered into it whole-heatedly as you would expect. When trying to find the sweet in the bowl of chocolate sauce, it was no sur-
prise that the chocolate sauce was gone in less than 60 seconds.
This was followed by a bowl of rice crispies, plenty of crackers
and the obligatory mouth full of crackers. Sadly the dice were against him and although he won on the eating and was clearly
the one who participated unreservedly, he came in 4th.
Left: WO 2
(RAWO) Chris
Shaw with a
face full of
sweets.
Above: The RAO Hand bags at dawn.
Hand bags at dawn: With the scores tight, we had to
win this game to win overall. It was clear from the way
that the game was being set up, that this was going to be a
joust of some description. The RAO was looking forward to getting involved however; Cpl Mac Ridley was immedi-
ately volunteering to “inflict some mindless violence on
someone”. As he was so keen, I agreed. Sadly for Mac,
the rules dictated that team leaders were to compete. As the smallest of competitors it was obvious that the book-
ies were providing long odds. The RAO however does
enjoy the famous line by Al Pacino in the Devil‟s Advo-
cate, “keep low, stay small and don‟t let the ******* see
you coming”. Needless to say, several swift blows to the head of the opposing RAOs left BTE victorious!
The BTE welcome the arrival of Private Deependra
Kumar Gurung who put in a strong performance
during RSOI, particularly compound clearance and
searching and Captain Nigel Hinton who will take over the role of RAO BTE for 6 weeks. The bonus
for the guys with this changeover of SPS manning is
that Captain Hinton is accompanied by enough
Welsh cakes to feed a small third world county for a year.
Quote of the tour so far Pte Stacey Lane:
“The RAO made me spoon with Cpl Ridley for it”.
She was for the chance to go to Brunei to escort 2 RGR‟s heavy weapons. She meant “spoof”.
Above: Lcpl Tupou & Pte Lane
hard at work.
P A G E 2 2
EOD & SEARCH TASK FORCE LCpl Simon Jackson
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
I am now 3 month‟s into my 6 month tour
of Helmand province, Things are going well
and the time is flying by. It started with the
five day RSOI package which was one of the first things I noticed was different to our
previous tour on Herrick 9. I found they
went into much more detail on all aspects;
having a whole day on search was an eye opener for what I and the rest of the infan-
try escorts would be up two for the next
six months of the tour. After these five
short days, that was me ready to go. I
joined my team who had just come back off their R&R after a couple of admin days we
deployed on the ground as BRIMSTONE 10
to OP BOX BURMA. I manage to complete
10 jobs (a job is classed as neutralisation of an improvised explosive device) I have now
returned to Camp Bastion until my R&R in
Below: Brimstone is the Call Sign for
EOD & Search
Above: Tpr Frost , LEFT still finds the time
for a laugh in the Incident Control Point
(ICP) . During an IED find.
Tpr Arron Renolds
I am now 3months into my tour, it‟s not what I
expected it to be but I am enjoying my role at the
moment which is as an infantry escort for the EOD and Search Task Force. I just come back
from my R&R, it was a good 2 weeks off and I
enjoyed it. The team I am with is excellent,
I couldn‟t ask for a better team, and operator. We have been kept quite busy, we have had one
casualty at the beginning which left the team
down and worried about future tasks, but as of
late we have began to pick up and look even bet-
ter than before. I have only got 3 more months left of tour and hoping it goes quickly, knowing I
have 3 months left I now have something to look
forward to. So far this tour is turning out to be a
challenge but it is also rewarding going out every day dealing with the IEDS. It is a good feeling
knowing that we can clear the path for the rest of
the troops to do their day to day job, is a good
feeling. This tour is turning out to be an experi-
ence that many of us will remember for differ-ent reasons, good and bad, but we have been
really well hosted by the Royal Engineers. We
have all made good friends and the banter about
us all wanting to be Engineers goes down well but
we all know they want to be QDG!
We would like to thank the Regiment for
the Christmas boxes we have received
And we would like to wish every body back
home.
Merry Christmas
and a Happy New
P AGE 23
AFGHAN NATIONAL CIVIL ORDER
POLICE (ANCOP) WO2 Simon Jones (Jugs)
Dawn breaks over FOB Ouellette
(Forward Operating Base) which resem-
bles Dartmoor prison, then luckily for us
we break out Tango and Cash style into CF Burma and OB Haldenby.
A days training with the ANCOP is full of
surprises, as most of us will be aware,
there is never a dull moment. The Police Mentoring Advisory Group (PMAG) PATT
I work with consists of various ranks and
Cap badges, already we have jelled as a
team and we have all hit it off enormously
especially with the banter towards our OC Lt Pitto from Spain, I mean Gibraltar.
The ANCOP we are mentoring are a
good bunch and surprisingly professional,
they also have a good sense of humour which makes the rapport even easier to
build, this is essential when you are serv-
ing out here in Afghanistan. On a daily
basis we turn up at the various CP,s
(Check Points) and instruct them in les-sons, which include, first aid. C-IED,
weapon handling and Immediate Action
( IA) drills, they are hugely enthusiastic
which makes the lessons a lot of fun for
the boys to teach.
As we gradually start to realize that this is es-
sential to success on this tour and subsequent
tours after, we are moving towards transition
and our mentoring is reflecting this as we move forward. To date we have conducted
numerous tasks and Operations with the AN-
COP which have been a huge success, they
have taken the lead on every opportunity and they have proven more than capable. Christ-
mas is around the corner and that in itself is
being looked forward too, everyone is missing
their family's back home and we which them
all the best and we will see them soon. We as an ANCOP PATT have had huge re-
wards ourselves during this tour so far and
continue to do so, we are still learning the job
and the guys are staying focused and we have some keen and exciting Instructors within the
Team. We remain committed to the job in
hand and there is an excitement around the
guys, they are ready for the next challenge
which in Afghanistan is only around the cor-ner.
Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year to all.
“ The ANCOP
have proven to
be more than
capable and
have taken the
lead at every
opportunity.”
WAR ARTIST Mr Daniel Peterson
P A G E 2 4 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3
Left: One of the
first patrol pic-
tures just outside
Gareshk with 4th
Troop B Sqn. Sgt
Billy Thurstan
talks to Lt Bryn
Williams.
I‟ve been with the QDG, here in Afghanistan for three weeks now. Arriving in Bastion on a C130 from Minhad
was far from the beginning though. I‟d already spent 18 months or so making phone calls, talking to different
regiments, pulling strings and jumping through hoops, until eventually the QDG invited me to spend time with
them on Op Herrick 15. Another chain of events then began that culminated in a Hostile Environment Aware-
ness Training course in Chillwell, multiple medicals and a dash to the Afghan Embassy in London for the re-
quired visa. ISAF Accreditation secured I was ready to go. When I arrived the Media Operations team issued
me and the other media people, who arrived at the same time, with blue body armour and helmet and, took us
for Reception Training and Onward Integration (RSOI) and Role Over Drill Egress Trainer (RODET) training,
this is a role over drill in the event of the vehicle you are travelling in tips over. As soon as we got back from
that the RSM QDG picked me up and we quickly stowed the blue kit under my bed space and I was issued with
full multi-cam PPE. No one wants a big blue target on patrol with them and, I certainly didn‟t want to be the
reason why some Insurgent got paid a ten grand bonus. I didn‟t see much of that bed space in Bastion as the
very next day, after morning PT, the RSM and myself were off on what turned out to be fifteen days „on the
ground‟. We started off with a visit to TFH HQ in Lashkah Gah and an introduction to the Colonel, among
others. This is a seriously busy place and not the sort of activity you would first associate with soldiering. How-
ever, after witnessing ISTAR in action during a BRF Operation and the amount of work that‟s involved I soon
saw the benefits. From TFH it was on to MOB PRICE to meet the B Squadron. It was with B Squadron that I
would make my first patrol and after a brief from Lt. Bryn Williams, 4th Troop, we were in the Jackals and driv-
ing through the streets of Gareshk. Nice town! I‟m happy to admit I was nervous. This was my first time out
and after a brief about suicide bombers and IED threat levels my imagination was in overdrive. Mainly making
sure I was ready to catch anything that was thrown into the Jackal – insurgents have been known to throw gre-
nades from the crowded market place. All went well. We made the drop off and after another drive through
Gareshk we were back in MOB Price.
P A G E 2 5
War Artist Continued Below: LCpl Bob Comley TPB Yakchal
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
A few days later and a few more patrols and I became more relaxed. Particularly as I soon realised
that the members of B Squadron really did know what they were doing and how to go about it. One
patrol was in support of the ANA as they searched some compounds in the notorious Yakchal area. It
wasn‟t to be the last time I went there. I spent a small amount of time with 3rd Troop in a „Sand Box‟ of Scimitars and Spartans next to a CP in the dessert, but now it was time to be in the air again and off
to witness the work of A Squadron down south in Nad „Ali.
From FOB Shawquat, PB Samsor and PB Khamaar I got to carry out a number of foot patrols and
meet and drink copious amounts of Chai with the men and commanders of the local ANA. The foot
patrols, usually working with the ANA, meant another level of anxiety for me but by this time I knew I
could trust the skills of the officers and men of the QDG. Getting out on foot and seeing the local
nationals living their lives in the market places and compounds was an outstanding experience. It was
good to see that both in Nad „Ali and back in Gareshk the smiles, waves and thumbs up outweighed
any animosity I witnessed. After time well spent with A Squadron it was back to Bastion to link up
with the BRF and go out on an operation in the Green Zone of Yakshal. After an interesting brief,
which effectively meant we were going in by HAF and GAF to occupy a number of compounds and act
as bait for the Insurgents so that ISTAR could watch and study their movements. A yet higher stress
level for me but a thoroughly worthwhile time spent patrolling in, setting up a Tactical Patrol Base
(TPB), stagging on, gibbering in the freezing nights, listening in to icomm, dealing with a contact or two
and tabbing 3km or so across the dessert to get to the HLS for the exfil. The question about all this,
must be why? What was I doing while all the work was going on around me? Well, I was drawing,
painting and taking photos and videos. I was talking to the guys on the ground and getting a feel for
their lives in theatre.
PAGE 26 War Artist Continued
The purpose for my visit is to produce these sketches, live in the field, and to follow them up with more
finished pieces and paintings when I return home. The outcome will be the first, as far as I am aware, vis-
ual diary of the Regiments time in theatre as well as the customary paintings and prints for the various
messes. A finished hand bound book will be produced and, hopefully, some copies made and put up for sale when the tour is over.
This book will be greatly enhanced with your help. Officers and men are invited to supply summaries of
their tour as well as extracts from their diaries. I understand that there are even some budding poets out
there putting their thoughts on paper. The more of this we can get hold of the better a commemoration
this book will be of the tour. If you can supply your submissions via the RSM, even the smallest diary ex-
tract will be very much appreciated.
As I am getting myself together to leave on the 21st I‟d like to thank everybody I‟ve met during my time
here for their outstanding hospitality and helpfulness. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for any-
one and I never imagined I would get to see and do as much as I did.
I‟d like to wish all the officers and men of the Welsh Cavalry and 20 Brigade a great Christmas, wherever
they are during the period, and a safe and successful rest of tour. See you in Cardiff for the parade!
T H E A F G H A N H O U N D
Quote of the Month
Prices:
£1.50 $2.00 Euro 2.00
Contact the UWO on
Contact the Unit Welfare Officer (UWO)
Capt Kelvin Thomas on the following e-mail:
Also available at HHQ
We are on the Web ! Contact the RSM QDG on:
“He wants your stories”
Joke of the Month
A women walks into a bar, she asks
the barman for a double entendre.
So he gives her one.
Capt Charlie Robinson declared in his mid-year
report;
"My aspiration is to be a very successful banker and
earn more money than all of the officers at
Regimental Duty put together.”
He later promised the serving officers a create of
champagne if he has not achieved half of this
aspiration in 3 years time.
Lookalike Corner
The RAO
A Christmas message from Padre Alex Bennet ( QDG PADRE):
Preparations for Christmas are well underway, and on Wednesday 21st December we will have a Carol Ser-
vice with the bands of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the choirs of the US Marines Corps and the Royal Tongan Marines.
At Christmas we are thinking of everyone at home, as you are thinking of us. Thank you for your generosity
in sending parcels and good wishes from the UK and Germany, We all wish you a very blessed Christmas .
LIEUTENANT DAVID ALEXANDER GRANT BOYCE
1ST TROOP LEADER
B (FORMATION RECONNAISSANCE) SQUADRON
COMBINED FORCE NAHR-E-SARAJ (NORTH)
1ST THE QUEEN’S DRAGOON GUARDS
Lieutenant David Boyce deployed to Afghanistan on 21 October 2011 in command of 1st Troop, B Squadron, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. After completing his in theatre training, he moved for-ward to the Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North) (CF NES(N)) Main Operating Base PRICE, from where his Troop was one of four tasked with securing two vital routes passing through the District, as well as supporting ground holding companies North of Helmand’s second city, Gereshk. On the morning of Thursday 17 November Lieutenant Boyce was leading his Troop to support another Com-pany, when shortly after leaving Highway 1 his vehicle struck a powerful Improvised Explosive Device which killed both him and Lance Corporal Richard Scanlon.
Lieutenant David Alexander Grant Boyce was born on 18 September 1986 in Welwyn Garden City. He studied International Relations at the University of Exeter before taking a gap year. Lieutenant Boyce joined the Army in September 2009 and commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sand-hurst into 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards in August 2010. From there he attended his Formation Reconnaissance Troop Leaders’ Course, immediately followed by the Platoon Commander’s Division. He joined B Squadron in May 2011 during the early stages of Mission Specific Training, and took com-mand of 1st Troop in July. His reputation as a highly competent, decisive and inspirational young offi-cer preceded him; his reports from both the Troop Leaders’ and Platoon Commanders’ courses were exceptional, and his impact on his new command was immediate and profound. Fit and confident, he was equally comfortable in his Scimitar or on foot.
David was a consummate leader. He was a popular, good humoured member of the Officers’ Mess, an avid skier who was due to assist in the running of the Regiment’s 2012 Winter Sports Team, and was well respected by all ranks. He was also a keen sailor, sailing for the Army Offshore Racing Team during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2010 and numerous other regattas for the RAC and the Army. He was a man of huge potential but his legacy will endure in the troops he trained and led. David leaves behind a loving family, his father Martin, mother Andrea, sister Charlotte and girlfriend Jodie. His regimental family is richer for his short but accomplished time within our ranks. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this tragic time.
Lieutenant Colonel Jasper de Quincey Adams, Commanding Officer, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards said:
Lieutenant David Boyce was a charming young officer who, quite simply, represented everything that that is great about the Regiment and British Army. He died while commanding his soldiers on operations in a complex and demanding environment. He led from the front, setting the very highest standards, and in-spired his men and peers alike. Tall, powerful and with an infectious smile he, like so many officers of his generation, was committed to his men and determined to succeed on the operations. He had the gravitas of one far more senior but maintained the infectious enthusiasm of a young man doing what he loved. His men adored him and showed him the level of loyalty that is reserved for the very best. David had so much to give, so much to look forward to and so many opportunities ahead of him. The Regiment has been denied one of our best, and a professional commander for the future has been taken from us. But our tragic loss is insignificant compared to that of his family; his mother, father, sister and Jodie all of whom he loved so much. And so to them we offer prayers and our thoughts, and our thanks too, for sharing with us someone so very special. David was a man to walk the mountains with, a man to go to war with and he will never be forgotten.
LANCE CORPORAL RICHARD SCANLON
1ST TROOP
B (FORMATION RECONNAISSANCE) SQUADRON
COMBINED FORCE NAHR-E-SARAJ (NORTH)
1ST THE QUEEN’S DRAGOON GUARDS
Lance Corporal Richard Scanlon served with B Squadron, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. He de-ployed to Afghanistan on the 18th of October as part of the Task Force Helmand Formation Reconnais-sance Squadron. After completing his in theatre training, he moved forward to the Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North) (CF NES(N)) Main Operating Base PRICE, from where his Troop was one of four tasked with securing two vital routes passing through the District, as well as supporting ground holding companies North of Helmand’s second city, Gereshk. On the morning of Thursday 17 November Lance Corporal Scanlon’s vehicle was struck by a powerful Improvised Explosive Device, which killed both him and Lieutenant David Boyce. Lance Corporal Scanlon joined the Army in November 1998, he passed out of training in October 1999 and joined his regiment, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards in Catterick. He was known for his fantastic sense of humour, he had the ability to make anyone smile, whatever the circumstance. Lance Corporal Scanlon deployed to Bosnia in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 and 2005 before deciding to leave the Army in July 2006. After being dissatisfied in a number of civilian jobs he rejoined the Army and the Regiment in September 2009 and was promoted to Lance Corporal in October 2010. He was a genuine regimental character and will be hugely missed by all who knew him. He leaves be-hind his mother Cherry, step-father Robert, father Raymond and sisters Lisa and Emma. Lieutenant Colonel Jasper de Quincey Adams, Commanding Officer, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards said:
Lance Corporal Richard Scanlon was one of life's great characters, always with an infectious smile and
a tangible love of life. An experienced soldier, calm under pressure, he was hand picked as the Troop
Leader’s gunner on a demanding operational tour. He was a fighting soldier, cracking in the field or on
operations, and in camp, his flamboyant character meant he could find fun in any situation. His appetite
for the finer things in life was prodigious and had earned him one of the more memorable nicknames -
nothing was ever half hearted for Lance Corporal Scanlon! We will miss him terribly, barracks life will
have lost some of its sheen, but our tragic loss is insignificant compared to that of his family; his mother,
stepfather, father and sisters Lisa and Emma, all of whom he loved so much. Lance Corporal Scanlon
will never be forgotten and our memories of him will forever be cherished.