Sunday Mercury - Commando

HOME AT LAST

2008-09-14T05:00:00Z

Our time in Sangin was drawing to a close.

The patrolling was relentless because we had to ensure the town and surrounding areas were as secure as possible, allowing a smooth changeover. In the coming fortnight sixteen air assault brigade was due in to take over from us.

At the beginning of our six-month tour we had taken over from the Anglians, and immediately been attacked with rockets and mortars. History now repeated itself, and the Taliban began attacking the D.C again.

They are fully aware that we do six months rotation, and these new attacks were laid on for sixteen air assault brigade. But our tour had been extended by two weeks, so it was us bearing the brunt of renewed attacks.

I was told that a team of instructors was being assembled to fly back to Camp Bastion and instruct the paras on the techniques and procedures that we had employed in our time in theatre.

My name was included on that list. As I packed my kit I was extremely excited, but this was twinned with regret that I would be leaving my troop to see out the final fortnight in Sangin without me.

We flew out just as we had flown into Sangin, on a Chinook. As I peered over the tailgate I could see the D.C getting gradually smaller. It had been a long hard six months.

We touched down in Bastion where we were shown to our air-conditioned tents. Bastion really is another world compared to the outposts that the rifle companies have to man.

Having a proper shower was absolute bliss. I was in there so long I came out resembling a prune.

Then it was off for the evening meal. I devoured a steak and chips. I must have resembled a caveman but I really didn't care, it was just fantastic to eat something that required chewing.

Aside from family, it's the simple things like food that people miss when they are away for six months.

The Paras started arriving at this point in time, so the following day we ran them through the range package that we had assembled for them.

Much is made of the rivalry between the Paras and Marines but I have nothing but respect for the Paras. They are very similar to us, they are keen, professional, highly motivated and - most importantly of all - they want to do the job.

They impressed me whilst on the range and I wished them luck out in Afghanistan. After a week or so of running ranges, the rest of my company flew into Bastion and most of our equipment was handed back into the stores.

The following day we flew out of Afghanistan and on to Cyprus. We were there for 24 hours just to have a drink or two and let our hair down. It is a good idea to have that day in Cyprus, albeit frustrating because all that you want to do is get home once the tour is finished.

Arriving at Exeter Airport and having my wife and daughter run up to me with open arms was emotional, to say the least.

That day ranks up there with the birth of my daughter - I will never forget it. My wife had been glued to the television for the past six months, worried to death about me, as I'm sure had the rest of my family.

A lot has been said about the British serving in Afghanistan. Whether it's right or wrong I don't know, I'm certainly no politician.

Many people only seem to consider the fact that we are facing down the terrorist threat. What I do know is this that, apart from fighting, we have helped give the law-abiding citizens a more secure place to live in.

Children can now attend school, people can go to pharmacies when they require medication. The situation is far from perfect, but it is improving.

Of course, I can only gauge this on the changes that I have seen in Sangin. Having spoken to men from each of our other companies within forty commando, each location has its own individual characteristics.

As a unit, Forty Commando Royal Marines lost three men and had many more seriously injured. They will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I have enjoyed blogging for you but must now take a break while I train those about to serve out in Afghanistan and the world's other hotspots.

Goodbye for now. Stay lucky.

Russell

Sapwan Qala : the day we heard one of our lads had been killed

2008-09-07T05:00:00Z

On arrival in the Sapwan Qala area we spend the night, and sentries are immediately posted. We have just stirred up a hornet's nest and it is anyone's guess how the Taliban will react.

My main concern is to get the faulty machine gun back to working order - I've managed to acquire quite a few spare parts from the armourer back in the UK.

Whilst in the middle of repairing the gun one of the Viking crewman approaches us with a grim expression on his face.

He's just heard that a Marine travelling in a Viking has been killed in an explosion at Inkerman, another one of our outposts just North of Sangin.

That's all the information he has. Names generally don't come out until next of kin have been informed.

The mood had been fairly upbeat after the day's success but this news brings us back down to earth with a bump. Once has sunk in you accept just how tragic the loss is, but it also makes you realise that it could have been any one of us, at any time.

From this moment on, I get the impression that the lads' resolve has been stiffened further still by the loss of a fellow Marine.

Our troop commander has been away getting his orders from the O.C. Tomorrow is going to be pretty much the same again, only this time we are going to the North of the village.

All our weapons have been cleaned, the faulty gun has been test-fired and is now working again. We are ready, both mentally and physically, for whatever the following day will bring.

We are up again before first light and heading for our new objective. When we arrive, I look up at the mountain where we are to establish the gun line on and my jaw drops.

Nonetheless, in true Royal Marine fashion, we crack on with the usual recce team - the boss and I, one gun team and the signaller. Eventually, we arrive at the top where we set up. It's a fantastic position in all honesty, apart from the climb up here!

Better is yet to come. The lads who were sat in the back of the Viking haven't yet seen the hill that they'll be carrying themselves, weapons and copious amounts of ammunition up.

As I opened the rear door to get the blokes out, I can see in their faces that they're ecstatic!

Each man has to do three journeys to get all the equipment to the gun line. By the end every one of them is soaked through with sweat. It's worth the effort - from our vantage point we can cover every step our lads take whilst clearing the village below.

The O.C gives the word and the village clearance starts. We wait patiently for the Taliban to initiate an attack. One by one compounds are cleared until they stumble on a drugs-making facility.

Authority is given for us to destroy the factory, and the area is cordoned off to ensure no civilians get caught in the explosion. The Gurkha engineers move in and blow the factory and all its contents to kingdom come.

Later we find a weapons cache and this, too, is destroyed. The Taliban do not make an appearance, which is fully understandable following the previous day's fighting.

That evening we travel back to the fire base and spend the night there. The following day we head back South, and the recce troop is picked up en route. Theirs' was a thankless, but essential task that they carried out very well indeed.

On the way back the three artillery guns have to be dropped off at our outpost at Inkerman - where the Marine was killed - and the mine threat is at the forefront of everyone's thoughts.

Then the inevitable happens. One of the wagons carrying the ammunition for the artillery hits a mine.

Miraculously there are no fatalities, but there is a casualty with spinal injuries. He is immediately flown to camp Bastion, as we continue to pick our way back to the D.C.

After several tedious hours sat in the Viking, we are back. Although not safe from attack by the Taliban in the D.C, at least we are safe from mines and improvised explosive devices.

We are all fully aware that the end of the tour is in sight. There is light at the end of the tunnel. People haved dared to think about going home, but every day in Helmand is potentially one you could be killed on.

We have to ensure every man remains focused to give ourselves the best possible chance of getting home in one piece.

Under attack from the Taliban while baby-sitting a Sky News crew

2008-08-31T05:00:00Z

Intelligence suggested that fighters from a village known as Sapwan Qala were travelling North and attacking another one of our outposts at Kajaki.

We received orders stating that Bravo company was to operate a sweep and search.

Unlike the operation to take Musa Qala, we were to work independently.

The only assets we had as a company group were three 105mm artillery guns and a reconnaissance group.

The Vikings had arrived at the D.C the previous evening and had been loaded with enough stores to last the three days that the operation was intended to last.

At first light we exited the gates, heading North, to carry out the 30km journey.

The recce troop was dropped at the base of a mountain range. They were to move on foot to the mountain top in order to establish an observation post. Once established they would be completely independent for the duration of the operation, so they carried three days' worth of water.

With rations and ammunition, each man had over 120 lbs on his back.

They were to be located four kilometres short of where we as a company would be operating. The idea behind this was so they could ensure nothing could be laid in the valley prior to us travelling to Sapwan Qala.

Equally important was that, when we had finished, they could inform us of any ambush that may have been set up for us. The valley we were to use was the only feasible route we could use both for entry and exit to Sapwan Qala.

With recce troop now making their way to the mountain, we continued on to an area where we would spend the night and where the three artillery guns would be set up.

As the crow flies, we were now approximately 10km from our fire base to Sapwan Qala, which was well within range for the guns.

We settled down for the night, meals were cooked, sentry duty conducted and a few final touches carried out on the weapons and equipment prior to the following day's operations.

It was at this time I was informed that my troop would have the Sky News TV team embedded with us. The last thing any of us wanted to do was babysit a camera team, particularly if we were to get into any confrontations with the Taliban.

Prior to first light we left the fire base behind and as a deception plan, headed North towards Kajaki. Virtually everywhere we went in Helmand, the Taliban had seemed to know where we were.

This is known by us as a dicking screen. The name originates from our days in Northern Ireland and basically all it means is that the enemy have people keeping tabs on us and report up their chain of command where we are, and what we are doing.

After heading North for an hour we about turned, headed South and then raced Westwards towards Sapwan Qala.

We moved along the valley floor which to me looked like prime ambush territory. Recce troop had been observing this area the whole time so I was confident they would have given us early warning of any ambush.

As I looked to my front I could see a prominent high feature, which I recognised from the previous evening's orders as our fire support position. As we came to a halt the boss and I grabbed a gun team and the signaller and made our way to the top of the feature to recce a gun line position.

On finding a suitable position, the remainder of the troop headed up the hill carrying the weapons and ammunition. The gun line now established, the O.C Bravo Company could now deploy his troops and begin their patrol through the village.

We constantly observed from the hilltop, looking for anything out of the ordinary, such as women and children heading out of the area. Nothing happened all morning. The lads cleared numerous compounds and find nothing.

The Sky TV reporter even did a report stating that the Taliban had fled.

But as I watched some of our lads playing football with local children, alarm bells started ringing in my head. Suddenly, all the children disappeared indoors.

Next thing, a mortar barrel opened up on us from the centre of the village. Then another, followed by two more.

Mortar bombs were crashing in around the Vikings. I screamed target indications to the gun teams, and streams of our rounds poured down suppressing the Taliban mortarmen.

Each mortar team only had chance to fire one mortar before we silenced them.

But Taliban machine gun fire was now crashing into the rocks around us and sailing over our heads. As I looked round to give another target indication, one of our lads was knelt up, feeding rounds into the gun.

I bellowed to him to get on his stomach and that if he couldn't see the enemy, then to move forward.

Two things went through my mind. Firstly, I didn't want to lose one of the lads. Secondly, we would have had a nightmare getting a casualty off that mountain.

We were winning the firefight, then one of our guns went down with mechanical failure. To further worsen our predicament, a sniper opened up on us. He was well dug in but eventually identified and taken out with a Javelin missile.

The firefight was still raging until an Apache heicopter arrived. It took out another mortar team with a Hellfire missile, and this brought a close to the days proceedings. The Taliban had taken one hell of a beating.

The Sky News team now had an interesting story. Our position was collapsed, kit and equipment thrown in the Viking and at haste we headed back into an open area of the desert.

I wondered what tomorrow would bring, particuarly as we were returning to the same village. Read next week's blog to find out what happened.

The seizure of Musa Qala : Part 3

2008-08-24T05:00:00Z

By now we had been out on the ground for a week. In that time we had acted as a blocking force and also as a decoy for other forces to allow them freedom of movement.

We were already on the outskirts of Musa Qala, and ready for the final push of actually liberating it. But we then received a bizarre set of orders.

A mysterious character who went by the name of Mullah Salaam had requested our assistance. Allegedly, he had been a former Taliban leader but had recently fell out with the rest of their hierarchy.

A deal had been brokered between President Karzai and Salaam. When Musa Qala fell, Salaam would become governor, although ultimately he would be answerable to Karzai.

He still held quite a deal of sway over many people in the town, so it made sense for him to take on the role. There was one major sticking point - his former Taliban friends now wanted Salaam dead for what they saw as treason.

Our job was to escort some Afghan soldiers into his compound so that they could afford him protection until Musa Qala was in our hands.

As we entered the village it all went relatively smoothly. The only problem that I could envisage was that we could easily be ambushed, as we had to pass through a bottleneck of narrow passageways - the only entry and exit point.

My heart was in my mouth at times but, apart from two RPGs that were fired at us, all was quiet in the village. After some of the engagements that we had previously endured, two RPGs was no longer of any great significance.

The Afghan soldiers had now linked up with Salaam, and it was nearly dark. We needed to leave the village before last light or we would have serious trouble on our hands.

We left without incident and set up for the night at a spot from which we would observe Salaam's compound. We were to act as a quick reaction force for his safety - if it looked like he may be in trouble, we would dash in and bail him and his followers out.

The following morning, our task of guarding Mullah Salaam now complete, Bravo company and all the other ISAF units were to move to our positions in order to encircle Musa Qala.

Once there, we occupied high ground and set up the gun line. It was getting harder each time because everyone now had blisters on top of their blisters from all the digging of trenches.

Although a bind, this was absolutely essential as our lives depended on it. Some of the Taliban mortarmen were highly skilled and accurate.

The riflemen patrolled into our area of responsibility, and we provided overwatch. As they pushed through compound after compound, there was very little resistance at all. There were a few sporadic fire ights but it was quite apparent a lot of the fighters had fled.

They knew just how dire their situation was and had left, possibly to fight another day. This continued throughout and the following day the town fell into ISAF hands.

What we did not know was that while we were at Musa Qala every British outpost in Northern Helmand had been attacked by Taliban forces. They were making a clear statement.

This highlights the fact that they appreciate they cannot fight us in a conventional manner so turn to smaller-scale tactics. The Taliban are a thinking force and most definitely not to be under-estimated.

We had one more night to endure. The nights were getting colder with the passing of each day, and frost glistened on all the metallic surfaces.

We left Musa Qala at first light, heading home, although we had one more task to complete.

The D.C in Sangin was no different to any of the other outposts in Northern Helmand and had also been attacked by up to 50 fighters. We were to head into the mountains overlooking North of the D.C and ambush these fighters if they attacked again that day.

As we travelled through the mountains you could not help but notice they were getting steeper and more precarious. At one point we were actually traversing up a ridgeline, and I was petrified that the Viking might role.

Had that have happened I most definitely would not be writing this article now.

Eventually we arrived. I had aged five years thanks to this white-knuckle ride. The gun line was established yet again and we waited. Unfortunately our friends did not show up, and just prior to last light we headed back in across the river and into the D.C.

Relief, great relief and a sense of achievement washed over me, having taken part in one of the biggest operations for some time - and it had been a great success.

Musa Qala was in ISAF hands.

The Taliban had been bloodied but remained unbowed. Our next operation in the town of Sapwan Qala was to prove testament to that.

The seizure of Musa Qala : Part 2

2008-08-17T05:00:00Z

Having spent a bitterly cold night on top of a mountain, it was welcome relief to collapse our position and leave our Russian trench.

It had just turned first light as we climbed back into our Viking vehicles and headed North to act as a decoy for other friendly forces who were operating to the East of Musa Qala.

As we slowly trundled along the Musa Qala wadi all was quiet until we came level with a wooded area, then all all hell broke loose.

My Viking was second in the convoy - we moved in single file owing to the significant mine threat - but the Taliban must have us couldn't resist ambushing us from our left flank.

They initiated the attack with Rocket Propelled Grenades, one of which hit the ground directly in front of me no more than five metres away.

Believe me when I tell you movie director Ridley Scott got it completely wrong in Black Hawk Down's RPG scenes - when they're fired at you, all you hear is a terrific bang followed a split second later by a second bang.

There is no observing the round in flight because it travels at a fantastic speed.

Next came the inevitable AK47 fire. You could hear the rounds - or bullets as they're more commonly known - ricocheting off the Viking's armour.

The commander of the Viking I was in was frantically trying to engage some of the Taliban firing positions with his point five machine gun - no mean feat in a moving vehicle with RPGs and AK47 rounds coming at you.

We had travelled roughly 500 metres and were still being engaged by the Taliban as was every vehicle in the convoy. By now I had lost count of how many RPGs had been fired at us.

I was becoming frustrated at not being able to give any assistance to the commander because the only weapon system that was employable in this situation was his, and to disembark from the armoured Viking would have been lunacy.

We would definitely have taken many casualties.

We headed East to get away from the ambush. There was high ground to our front about 1,500 metres away. Here we could utilise our machine guns to great effect and have the added bonus of being out of range of the weapons the Taliban were using against us.

Once on the high ground, without prompting from me, the lads set about establishing the gun line with a renewed sense of urgency.

Inside of two minutes the gun controllers had shouted to me that they were ready for tasking. I gave a target indication of where the Taliban firing positions were, and seconds later our rounds were finding their targets.

It had been so quick to set up that some of the convoy were still in the wadi as we rained down heavy fire on our attackers.

The Taliban had also used a substantial compound from which to engage us, so an airstrike was called. A short while later a 500 lb bomb levelled their vantage point, bringing an end to the fighting.

It had been a torrid two-hour engagement, although it had felt more like five minutes.

How we had got away unscathed from this ambush was a mystery to me. I just hoped our luck would hold out for the remainder of the tour. Once it had all sunk in, I was absolutely exhausted.

When the adrenalin rush leaves you, it's only then that you realise just how much it takes out of a person.

In all, we had expended 12,000 rounds. I learned this as it was passed over the radio net, and the sergeant major who holds the re-supply on his vehicle gave us an instant re-supply.

If the Taliban fight this hard 20 kilometres from Musa Qala, how hard will they fight for the town itself?