Download - Defence Forces October 2013 Issue 275

8/13/2019 Defence Forces October 2013 Issue 275

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Royal Navy |Army |Royal Air Force |Ministry of Defence|ISSUE #275OCTOBER/13DefenceFocus

HELPING HIS EXCELLENCY:SHAPING THE AFGHAN MOD

Looking at what some of ourreservists are doing in Kabul

RESERVES

OF STRENGTH


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COMBATBARBIE


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NAVIGATORNAVIGATOR

P26

Regulars

P14VERBATIM

Meet Chief Constable Alf Hitchcock,the MDPs most senior officer

P30 HEALTH

The discomfort when your headacheturns into a crippling migraine

OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE 275| 3

P26 BOOK REVIEWS

We look at the latest and best militarymust-have reads

P28 COMPETITIONS

Win a break in Brecon in Wales or a500GB PlayStation 3 and a Diablo III game

Features

P5 OP HONOURS

Acts of courage, commitment, sacrificeand derring-do from the Armed Forces

P8 ROLE OF RESERVISTS

Soldiers in Afghanistan give theirviews on what it takes to be a reserve

P12 MAYBE MINISTER

Nick Carter is the senior UK adviser to

the Afghan Defence Minister in Kabul

P19 MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL

Who is the bravest of them all? LanceCorporal Matthew Wilson wins an award

P20 DEFENCE DOCTOR

Army reservist Heidi Doughty on jugglingmilitary duty with a demanding NHS role

P22 GOLFING GRIT

Battle Backs golfers overcame injury andserious illness to triumph in the US

P19P22

REDEPLOYMENT: THE RESPONSIBLE

REVERSE RESUPPLY CHAIN P16


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EDITORSNOTEFIONA SIMPSON

I sometimes feela bit stuck in theWestminster bubble.Although I havea nice view of thebottom left-handcorner of the LondonEye, its always niceto get out and meetsome real people.

This month Ive actually been let out ofthe office and, even though it was justdown the road, it was a great experience.

I went along to an event at theTower of London to meet some of theincredibly humble heroes who have beenrecognised in the latest operationalhonours list.

There are some amazing talesof bravery, often tinged with sadnessfor people who were lost, and you canread just a few of them starting on thenext page.

Our reservists are also out and

about, in a much further-flung mannerthan my trip to the Tower. On his recenttrip to Afghanistan Ian Carr met someof the reservists who are deployedin Kabul, working in jobs that rangefrom protection officers to postmen.There is also an interview with medicalreservist Colonel Heidi Doughty, whohas perfectly balanced the civilian andmilitary in her 30-year career.

Also in the magazine this month isan interview with Alf Hitchcock, not thefamous (and dead) film director, but AlfHitchcock, Chief Constable of the MODPolice. Six months into his appointmenthe talks to Lorraine McBride about hisfirst impressions, what attracted himaway from the regular police, and whathis plans are for the MOD police servicein the future.

And I can start planning my nextexcursion when Im next allowed out ofthe office. Until then, back to the viewof that bit of the London Eye.

4 | WWW.GOV.UK/MOD| OCTOBER 2013

For everyone in defencePublished by the Ministry of Defence

Level 1 Zone CMOD, Main BuildingWhitehallLondon SW1A 2HBGeneral enquiries: 020 721 8 1320

EDITOR:Fiona SimpsonTel: 020 7218 3949email: [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR:Ian CarrTel: 020 7218 2825

email: [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR:Leigh HamiltonTel: 020 7218 5988email: [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR:Lorraine McBrideTel: 020 721 82341email: [email protected]

ART EDITOR: Mark EagleTel: 020 721 8 3658email: [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT:Shell DaruwalaTel: 020 7218 1320email: [email protected]

MOD does not endorse any product or service advertisedinDefenceFocus, nor does it verify any preferentialtreatment offered by any advertiser to MOD employees.Queries on advertisements should be addressed to ouradvertising agency.

Opinions expressed inDefenceFocusdo not necessarilyrepresent those of the MOD. Articles on all aspects ofMOD and Defence will be considered for publicationbut we reserve the right to edit contributions. MODstaff contributing toDefenceFocusshould ensure theirwriting is suitable for open publication.

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HONOURS AND AWARDS

Picture:CorporalSteveBlakeRLC

Mercian pride: Corporal Josh Griffiths


ITS AN HONOURIAN CARR TALKS TO FOUR HEROES FROM OP HERRICK 17 AT

THE OPERATIONAL HONOURS AND AWARDS CEREMONY

How would you react in the face ofextreme peril? Fortunately few ofus get to find out. The servicemenand women recognised in the

Operational Honours and Awards List

About 15 minutes into the fight myeye started feeling sore, then one of thelads looked at me and said uh, youvebeen hit in the face guy! I never realisedbecause as we were firing I was onlyusing my right eye anyway.

Thanks to his immediate actions theinsurgents were halted at the northernwall of the base, allowing the casualtiesfrom the initial explosion to be extracted.

As other uninjured soldiers began toarrive, Corporal Griffiths again shruggedoff his own injuries and, aided by theSergeant Major, led a small team ofsoldiers as they charged forward in orderto secure the base.

As well as suffering a damaged eyein the initial blast, the fourth vertebrae inCorporal Griffiths back had been broken.

His actions certainly savedthe lives of his wounded comradesand contributed significantly to thesuccessful defence of the base.

On receiving his award he said: Itsa great honour, but we lost a lad that

day, so Id rather that hadnt happened.Having him alive would be better. Therewere a lot of lads fighting alongside me,so Im lucky for getting this award. Thewhole company was amazing.

CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY CROSS

CORPORAL JOSH GRIFFITHS

THE MERCIAN REGIMENT

Corporal Griffiths had finished his stintof guard duty for the day at Patrol BaseFolad in north Nad Ali. He had just goneto the cookhouse and was queuing for aplate of beef stir fry with his mates whena massive vehicle bomb tore through theouter wall of the joint Afghan NationalArmy and ISAF base.

Estimated to be made up of half-a-tonne of explosives, the bomb left a40-metre gap in the perimeter wall,exposing the base to a well organised

and complex attack. The cookhousewas destroyed, as was the operationsroom, which had been hit by two rocket-propelled grenades, resulting incasualties.

I thought wed been hit by a mortarat first, and then when I got outside Icould see green fields where the Hescowalls should have been, and I thoughtthat aint the camp, Corporal Griffithstold Defence Focus.

In fact Corporal Griffiths had himselfbeen seriously wounded. But he ignoredhis injuries when he realised that a smallnumber of determined insurgents hadalready gained entry into the patrol baseand were less than 50 metres away fromhim and the other casualties.

Wearing no protective equipment,he rallied the dazed soldiers around him.Armed with a light machine gun that he had

grabbed in the chaos, Corporal Griffithsfaced down the enemy who were throwinggrenades and firing automatic weapons;placing himself and one other soldierbetween the casualties and the insurgents.

have all faced that test and demonstratedcharacter of the highest order. Yet thesemodest heroes shun praise, preferring tocredit their comrades rather than hog thelimelight. Here are some of their stories.


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Lieutenant General Bradshaw congratulates Lance Corporal Gurung

Picture:CorporalSteveBlakeRLC

6 |WWW.GOV.UK/MOD| OCTOBER 2013

HONOURS AND AWARDS

MILITARY CROSS ACTING LANCE

CORPORAL TULJUNG GURUNG THE

ROYAL GURKHA RIFLES

Lance Corporal Gurung, who was at thetime a rifleman, was on guard duty at the

front gate of Patrol Base Sparta in Nahr-eSaraj in a three-metre-high Hesco Bastionsangar when he was attacked.

Nearing the end of his duty at fouroclock in the morning he noticed twoindividuals running towards him acrossthe fields from a disused compound 90metres to the south.

I shouted loudly at them to stop,but once they heard my voice one ofthem started to shoot at me, said LanceCorporal Gurung.

As rounds struck the frame of thesangar, he returned fire but was struck bya bullet on the left-hand side of his helmetand knocked to the floor. I just felt thatsomebody came from behind and hit myhelmet with big hammers, he said. Myneck was sore and I felt so much pain.

As he regained his footing to resumehis fire position, Lance Corporal Gurungsaw a grenade bounce off the ceiling of thesangar and land next to him. Still groggyfrom the bullet striking his helmet, heshowed exceptional instinct and courage,pushing the grenade out of the sangar justbefore it detonated. The blast peppered

the sangar with fragmentation, knocking

MENTION IN DESPATCHESLANCE

CORPORAL RACHEL MARIE HUGHES

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS

While on her first operational tour,Lance Corporal Hughes, an army medic,administered life-saving medical treatmenton three separate occasions.

The first time was when, as the onlymedic in a temporary base, Hughes wasfaced with providing emergency treatmentto four Afghan children. They had beenbrought to the base by their family aftertheir tractor had overturned into a canal,trapping the children underwater. Two were

in a critical condition.Although she was prepared for a major

incident, Lance Corporal Hughes didntknow what she would be facing until thechildren were brought in. It was a shock tostart with, but the training soon kicks in andyou do what you have to, she said.

She instigated her plan and, despite theseverity of their condition and the anxietyassociated with the treatment of children,provided life-saving aid.

Four days later, she again saved achilds life after a boy was brought to thebase following a traumatic amputation ofthe lower leg and severe loss of blood. Itwas the first IED casualty I had seen. I waspretty nervous because you cant reallyprepare yourself for something like that.But again the training kicked in. You go intothe zone like its second nature, said LanceCorporal Hughes. It definitely helpedstrengthen our relationship with the locals.They were very warm to us when we wereon patrol, and would bring us gifts.

On the third occasion, Lance CorporalHughes was the medic during an Afghanpolice-led operation in the notoriously

dangerous area of Alikozai.Her platoon came under fire resulting

in a casualty who sustained a gunshotwound to the neck. Without hesitation andunder fire, Hughes moved to the casualty,

him off his feet yet again.Then, through the dust and debris,

Lance Corporal Gurung spotted one of theinsurgents climbing into the sangar. I sawhim face-to-face, he was quite a lot biggerthan me and wearing thick clothing. He was

so close I didnt get a chance to swing myrifle and injure him, but I suddenly realisedI had my kukri knife in my osprey (bodyarmour) so I took it out and started to hithim with it, said Lance Corporal Gurung.

When I saw him I thought I dont wantto die, I want to live. If I am alive I can savemy colleagues. I have to do something, solike a madman I did everything.

In the ensuing hand-to-hand combatLance Corporal Gurung and the insurgenttoppled over the wall of the sangar andfell three metres, landing on the groundoutside the patrol base. Tenaciously hecontinued to fight with his kukri to defendthe base, until the two insurgents turnedand fled.

The citation said that Lance CorporalGurungs actions showed the highestlevels of gallantry and courage. His speedof reaction and utter disregard for his ownsafety prevented two armed insurgentsfrom gaining access to the patrol base andprevented loss of life.

On receiving the award LanceCorporal Gurung said: I didnt expect anhonour like this. It is something special. I

was quite surprised and happy.


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Picture:SergeantRa

lphMerryABIPPRAF

who was bleeding from the carotid artery.Battling against rapid loss of blood,

Lance Corporal Hughes stemmed thebleeding and cleared his airway. Hertreatment was faultless, but the casualtyscondition deteriorated.

Hughes stayed focused and fought tokeep him alive against the odds. This shesuccessfully did, and he arrived at the CampBastion military hospital in a conditionwhere he could be operated on. The praisefrom the surgeons was unequivocal in theirbelief that, without her unfaltering andsingle-minded desire to save his life, hewould have died at the scene. We managedto get him home to his parents, which wasthe main thing, she said. Id been theirmedic for the whole tour, so it meant a lot tome that he knew I was there for him.

Her citation says: Throughout thetour, Lance Corporal displayed a level ofmedical professionalism which exceededthat expected of someone of her rank andexperience. Her performance instilledconfidence in the platoon, and despiteconsiderable emotional strain shemaintained her composure and focusthroughout, never allowing her personalfeelings to affect the medical treatment shedelivered.

On receiving her award she said: Imstill in shock. Im in awe of all the otherguys who have won awards and Im really

privileged to be among them.

QUEENS COMMENDATION FOR

BRAVERY IN THE AIRFLIGHT

LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER GENT

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Flight Lieutenant Gent was an aircraftcommander in the UK Medical Emergency

Response Team (MERT) at Camp Bastion.On 20 December 2012, a heavy fog

had reduced visibility to around 50 metres,halting all Task Force Helmand activity. Allflying had been cancelled. It was literally

the first day that our crew had served onthe MERT, so we were just getting our feetunder the table for the morning shift whenthe phone rang, said Gent.

An Afghan National Army soldier hadbeen shot in the head during an operation

25 miles to the east and needed urgentevacuation to hospital. Even though allhelicopters were grounded, after rapidconsideration of the situation the JointAviation Group launched Gents crew to tryto recover the casualty. His helicopter tookoff just 14 minutes after the emergency call.

A cat alpha call is the highest prioritything we do. Your focus is on saving a guyslife. Id probably have been within my rightsto say we cant fly in these conditions, but Iwas confident in the abilities of the wholecrew. If you dont do everything you can forsomebody, well it just wouldnt sit right withyou.

Gents handling of his aircraftin severely adverse weather and hisleadership of an understandablyapprehensive crew was exemplary. Wehad to hover-taxi for part of the way, so wewere flying at about 20 to 30 feet off theground at about walking pace.

Gent skillfully positioned his Chinookhelicopter to land near the casualty. Duringthe flight the aircraft was vulnerable, not

just to terrain and obstacles, but also toinsurgents known to be in the area. As thefog closed around them, Flight Lieutenant

Gents crew loaded the casualty and startedthe return flight, again forced to fly lowdespite the risk of insurgent attack to avoidmissing Camp Bastion in the fog.

Gent and his crew were under pressureas the casualtys condition deteriorated.However, through his extremely coolleadership and expert flying in abysmalweather, they returned safely to CampBastion. But visibility was too poor to land,so Gent arranged for an ambulance to meetthe helicopter on the only part of the camphe knew would be clear of masts and wires the main runway. This required calm anddetailed co-ordination to minimise the riskof collision with another aircraft.

On receiving his award he told DefenceFocus: Im really flattered, its a massivehonour. All the Chinook crews do anamazing job in Afghanistan. Im proud toaccept the award, but it is on behalf of thewhole crew. DF


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RESERVISTS IN KABUL


IAN CARR TALKS TO RESERVISTS ABOUT THEIREXPERIENCES AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN KABUL

RESERVES COMMENT

Theres no doubt that reservists are on our

radar at the moment. Not only are their

numbers set to swell, the Armys target is to

have 30,000 trained reservists in place by 2018,

but their role is changing too. So, while in Kabul,

Defence Focus decided to take the opportunity

to talk to a few who are already there and get a

glimpse of the range of things they do.

CLOSE PROTECTION TEAMCorporals James Goff and Mark Finmoreare part of an eight-man team providingclose protection to General Lorimer, theDeputy Commander ISAF. Its their job tomake sure the boss gets to where he needsto be, safely and on time. Another reservist,Lance Corporal Aidan Cooper, is part of aseparate team protecting UK Major General

Hockenhull.When the General travels by helicopter,

members of the team accompany him asbodyguards. But road moves involve them ina lot more planning and preparation as they

Travel safely: Corporals James Goff

and Mark Finmore (right) from Deputy

Commander ISAFs Close Protection

Team keep a close watch on our reporter

Got you covered:

Lance Corporal

Aidan Cooper

Pictures:CorporalJamiePetersRLC

RoyalNavy | Army| RoyalAir Force | MinistryofDefence | ISSUE #275 OCTOBER/13

DefenceFocus

HELPINGHISEXCELLENCY:SHAPINGTHEAFGHANMOD

LookingatwhatsomeofourreservistsaredoinginKabul

RESERVES

OF STRENGTH


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bear full responsibility for the trip. Nothingcan be left to chance. For example, beingable to find their way around the chaos ofthe Kabul streets is essential. Parking upto peruse an A-Z (even if there was one)would not impress the General. We know

the routes extremely well. Obviously certaininformation might mean that we have tochange from our normal route. Wereconstantly adjusting the way we work, saidCorporal Finmore, who is a floor layer in hiscivvy life.

This means endless recces, checkingvehicles and kit, and being constantly awareof the threat situation. In their speciallyprotected Land Cruisers the team can takethe boss to most places in Kabul within 30minutes but that can easily double if thetraffic is bad.

But then, you could argue that thetraffic is always bad on roads where roadsafety lends itself more to kismet than tothe Highway Code. It can be pretty busy.The Kabul road network is hectic comparedto what were used to in the UK. You can findyourself on a road where the road systemhas been switched around from one day tothe next, so you have traffic coming towardsyou, said Corporal Goff.

And then there are the policecheckpoints to deal with. I can definitelysee a noticeable change from when Iwas here last year on my first tour, said

Corporal Goff. There is a much strongerpolice presence, they are taking on a lotmore responsibility, and the way we movearound is affected by that stringency. Butthat is what youd expect.

Also on his second tour is LanceCorporal Cooper; however his last wasin a different role, as a police adviser inLashkar Gah. I returned from operationslast October. Then after finishing the eight-week close protection course, which wehave all done, I was mobilised for this tourpretty much straight away.

In civvy street, Lance Corporal Cooperworks in the private security industry. Hefully intends to carry on as a reservist. Forme its the best of both worlds. I can enjoymy civvy career and still do something Ivealways wanted to, which is be in the military.I think Ive got the balance just right.

AIDE-DE-CAMPCaptain Sandy Rowell is a member of 4thBattalion The Parachute Regiment. By thetime he comes to the end of his currentcontract he will have been on full timereservist service for 23 months.

For 18 months he has been the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to General Lorimer, initiallyworking for him when the General wasstill General Officer Commanding 3 (UK)Division, before moving with him out to

have a frank conversation.In civvy street, Captain Rowell ran two

companies, but he was keen to do more. Hewanted to deploy to theatre and decided thattaking the Territorial Army commissioningroute was the way to go. After successful

selection it meant a massive commitmentto training, but it has worked out well forhim. I joined to go on operations because,yes, I wanted to serve my country, and wouldI do it again? Definitely.

MEDIA ADVISERSNearing the end of her service in the RoyalNaval Reserve, Commander Jane Allen wasdetermined to fit in one more deployment.Now in her 33rd year of service she is basedin Kabul, just a few weeks into her postworking as Deputy Commander ISAFsmedia adviser when she spoke to DefenceFocus.

This is only my second tour of duty andthey dont tend to deploy many people at myrank, she said, so I really had to push toget it. It probably went in my favour that mylast posting to Iraq in 2006 was to do a verysimilar job.

But why had it taken so long to get thatyearned for first deployment? I joined asa Wren during the Cold War era when theService was very different. Back then wecarried handbags not weapons, wore skirtsnot trousers, and we didnt go to sea.

As a self-confessed tomboy,Commander Allen admits that if it hadbeen possible her early ambitions were to

join the Royal Marines. I was a real actionperson so I didnt join the Navy as the onlyfuture I could see was as an Admirals PA,so I went off and did other things. Muchlater I joined the Reserves, and it really hasgiven me the best of both worlds.

Commander Allens patience paid off,because when the first deployment didcome along, it proved to be an even morerewarding experience than she had hoped.Iraq at that time was a dangerous place,but I did manage to get out and about, shesaid. The biggest logistical challenge was toget a group of western and Iraqi journalistsfrom Baghdad out to the oil platforms inthe north Persian Gulf, then back via UmmQasr. The trip included travelling by road,helicopter and Hercules plus a move toHMS Echo. It was quite a marathon, saidCommander Allen.

But it also taught her a lot in termsof what it means to be a media adviser onoperations. This included playing her partin developing the skills of spokesmen for

Iraqi ministries. We had to train them andmake sure that they understood that if theywanted their country to succeed then theyneeded to coordinate their messages.

To help bed this in, Commander Allen

Kabul where the General took up his postas Deputy Commander (DCOM) ISAF. Iwanted to deploy, and DCOM, GeneralLorimer, was looking for a ParachuteRegiment ADC. The regular battalions werefairly busy on ops and other commitments,

so my name went into the melting pot and Igot the job.

Its Captain Rowells job to keep theGenerals daily battle rhythm on track. Imin the office around 0630 preparing the filesfor the General and organising everythinghe will need for that day: things like updateson operations, casualties, equipment,and any briefings for the days meetings,and things he has asked for to broaden hisunderstanding of an issue.

At the end of each day, which can oftenbe 15 hours later, Captain Rowell has adiary meeting with the General and provideshim with the biographies he will need forthe following day. Not everyone who asksfor time with DCOM will necessarily getit. Of course its DCOMs decision whohe sees, but I will make suggestions suchas perhaps Brigadier X would be a moresuitable person to talk to.

Captain Rowell must also look to themiddle and far distance for things thatwill have an impact on the General. In theinternational environment that is ISAF HQthe ADC has to build up a useful networkof contacts. Thats why I say its all about

relationships. Youve got to know who toring, maybe have a quick chat over a brewto find out whats going on. Presumablythat includes developing a good relationshipwith the General? Yes definitely. Duringmy first interview he did say to me that ifwe didnt get on hed get rid of me but Ivesurvived for 18 months so I must be doingsomething right. Ive got to know when itsthe right time to close the door and let himget on with things and when I can go in and

Captain Sandy Rowell

is Aide-de-Camp to

Deputy Commander ISAF


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RESERVISTS IN KABUL


accompanied a number of them to Londonfor training. It was very hard work, but itresulted in them writing their own commsplans and putting their tribal differencesto one side and to look at things from anational perspective.

I learned a lot there which is usefulhere in terms of coordinating efforts acrossthe country and feeding content into abigger more strategic narrative, she said.There is a danger that the British publicsees Afghanistan as only being aboutHelmand province. My tour will be abouthelping to lift the narrative to show howthings are at a national level.

The life of a media adviser is one ofcompromise. The aim is to achieve anacceptable balance. On the one hand theyhave to make sure that the media getsas much access to places and peopleas possible while making sure that themessages that ISAF want to promulgatealso get air time and column inches. Itsnot easy, and sometimes it can also meanreminding the boss that the press wontnecessarily write exactly what he likes.

Another seasoned reservist with 24years and three deployments under his belt,this is Lieutenant Commander Ian Kingsfirst time as a media adviser. He was onlyweeks into his deployment when he spoketo Defence Focus.

An English teacher in his civilian

life, Lieutenant Commander King said heenjoys deploying as a reservist as it gives acontrast to civilian life. I like the positive,disciplined environment where people arewilling to do things, often before you have

even asked them. Over the years he sayshe has seen massive changes in the rolesand opportunities that are open to RoyalNavy reservists. And its still expanding;its becoming a much more deployableorganisation now with all kinds of niche

activities. Ive been to Kosovo, Macedonia,Poland, Romania, and now Afghanistan. Iwouldnt have had the chance to do all that ifI hadnt joined the Reserves.

POSTAL ORDERLYLance Corporal John Stott gets a lot ofmail. Every two or three days, dependingon transport and the weather, he receivesanything from two to 20 bags of it from theairport on the outskirts of Kabul.

As the post orderly for British troopsbased at ISAF HQ its his job to sort it all out.It takes between a week and 10 days toget here from the UK. It comes via Bastion,but sandstorms, flights getting cancelledor large movements of troops can delaythings.

When he first arrived, things wererelatively quiet to start with. I had one maildrop then nothing for 10 days, he said.Then a three-week backlog of 56 sacksturned up in one go.

I just had to lock the door. I was hereuntil about 10 every night just trying toget my head round it all, he said. Sortingthrough all that mail in a small office is

difficult enough, and it doesnt help whenan item is incorrectly addressed. If theressomething like that, I put a note on the doorso if people are passing and recognise thename they can tell the person. Otherwise

after three weeks I have to send the itemback to the UK; theres just not enoughroom to store things.

But the days of letters from loved onesare not what they once were. With email,eblueys and internet access the bulk of the

mail today tends to be packages and, ratheroddly, pay slips. And then there was the tinof sardines. And, yes, it had come open inthe post. And naturally it had been sittingin a bag at Bastion for a few days beforereaching Kabul. So it was minging by thetime it got here, said Lance Corporal Stott.

He has worked for the Royal Mail for28 years, and been a reservist for 26. Itsbeen a good laugh, and Ive made somegood mates. This is my first proper overseasdeployment and its harder than I thoughtit would be. But its cooler here than inBastion, so I feel a bit mollycoddled andlucky to be here. DF

Point of view: Commander Jane Allen assists TV presenter

Gethin Jones filming for a Remembrance Day broadcast

In post: Lance Corporal John Stott

is the post orderly for British

troops at ISAF Headquarters

Picture:StaffSergeantBruceCobbledickUSArmy


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FEATUREINTERVIEW


12/32


SOME SAY ADVICE IS THE ONE THING OFFERED FOR FREE

THAT NO ONE WANTS. NOT IN THIS CASE WRITES IAN CARR

Im here at the British Embassy inKabul as the senior UK adviser to HisExcellency Bismillah Khan Mohammadi,the Afghan Minister of Defence for the

Government of the Islamic Republic ofAfghanistan, Nick Carter tells me as we sitby the well-watered patch of grass outsidehis office.

Quite a mouthful. And no doubtdifferent to the way in which he introducedhimself when he managed the logisticsrisk management process for the Chief ofDefence Materiel in Abbey Wood. But thereis no mistaking the pride with which Nicktrots out his title. This is quite a privilegedopportunity, to be able to helpvery senior people to influence and shapethe development of a nation. At home Icertainly wouldnt be working so closely withour own minister.

In fact his introduction says a lot about

his working environment here and what hehas had to adapt to during the 18 months of

MAYBE, MINISTER

KABUL

programming, budgeting, acquisition andhuman resourcing issues, so that they cansustain themselves in the future.

Nick Carter is one of the people doingthat, and one of the issues he is advising onis bringing more civilians into the AfghanMOD. Certainly at the executive level themajority of positions in the department arefilled by generals. In fact, at the moment,the only civilian at a senior level is the FirstDeputy Minister, Enayatullah Nazari.

There is currently a drive to civilianiseabout 12,000 posts within the MOD at oraround our B2 equivalent level, said Nick.

To convince an initially dubiousdepartment of military top brass thatthere could be a useful role for civilians,our Secretary of State, Philip Hammond,invited His Excellency Mr Mohammadi andsome of his team to the UK to take a look.Nick, a civil servant himself, lets not forget,

was involved in making it happen. MrMohammadi was stunned at first to learn

his deployment . Everyone here refers tothe ministers as His Excellency. There is adeference and a great deal of respect givento those in senior positions, and the word ofthe minister is taken extremely seriously,he says. It has clearly rubbed off on him.

Since 2009 the NATO Training Missionhas been helping the Afghan MOD byoffering advice on training and equippingtheir army. But now the pace is picking upand the focus is changing. As the DeputyCommander ISAF, Lieutenant GeneralJohn Lorimer, told Defence Focusin aninterview earlier that day at ISAF HQ. TheAfghan security forces are effective, theyhave proven that during the fighting season.They have the numbers, what we arehelping them with now is the quality.

At the highest levels in the ministriesof defence and of the interior we needto help them, and the organisations

that support them, to become effectivedepartments of state, working on planning,

Beret beret: Nick Carter

at Shindand Air Base with

Afghan commanders


13/32


interested to consider it seriously.My wife Irene and sons have been

very supportive, but being here does haveits challenges, and its risks. When Imwith the Afghans I always feel safe, but Ihave been at work when a suicide bomberactivated a device outside my office. ButI have had the privilege of calling the

Afghans I work with friends. So if someoneis thinking of doing this I would encouragethem. You get the chance to deal withthings that are extremely significant. Youwill experience a different culture and yourwork will assist a nation in developing itsinstitutional perspective.

No wonder then that, when Nickintroduces his job title, he does it with prideand respect.

Nick is due to leave his post in January.If you are interested in applying for this BandB role (or other similar ones at C-B1), contactAndrew Oram in the Ops Directorate (020 72188128 or [email protected])

that we had more than 60,000 civil servantssupporting our Armed Forces working ondefence issues. Are they all ex-military?he asked, said Nick. But Mr Mohammadisoon recognised the advantages of bringingin civilians with particular skill sets, who

cost less than their military equivalents,who could become subject matter expertsworking on defence issues where gettingengaged in military operations was not partof their job.

All well and good, but importing thisidea would of course throw up other issues.Where, for example, would you find suitablerecruits? Certainly with an improvingeducational system Nick argues that thereis an intellectual workforce out thereto draw on, but the next tricky HR issuewould be finding the colonels and generalscurrently in these jobs something else to do.But as General Lorimer had earlier pointedout, any effective department of state mustbe able to solve such issues.

Another area that Nick has beenhelping the Afghans with is developing theirbudgeting skills. For the last three or fouryears the Afghans have failed to spend theirbudget effectively, he says. So a lot ofwork has been done over the last 12 monthsdecentralising accountability and allocatingresponsibilities so that commanders areresponsible for their own acquisitionsand how they contract their services and

facilities. Developments that, funnilyenough, are also being introduced in theUKs MOD.

This is another crucial task for, as thepace of the coalition drawdown gathers,there is a recognition among Afghansthat they must be able to support all thesystems that are being put in place. Thereare a lot of coalition advisers helping themget to grips with how they will identifyrequirements and then translate them intocontractual requirements and budget forthem, said Nick.

The basis of much of the adviserswork is broadening peoples outlooks andencouraging them to think about thingsin a new way. As adviser to the minister alot of Nicks time is spent helping his bossas head of the department to operate asa politician rather than as a general. Thatmeans helping him to approach thingswith a different mindset and to get a feelfor those things that should demand hisattention and then decide what he wants hisoutcomes to be.

It also involves assisting the ministerto understand what Nick calls the political

neighbourhood, whether thats locallydealing with other departments, regionallyor internationally.

I help him to understand that his roleis strategic and that there are others around

who can fight the tactical battles for him.As a previous Chief of Defence Staff it hastaken a while for him to come to the fore asthe Minister of Defence. But he is quicklyrecognising what he needs to get from keystrategic engagements, whether its fromthe ISAF commander, other departmentheads, or from our own Secretary of State.

Its all about helping him and his team toshape things for the good of Afghanistan.

An example of this was when Nickhelped the minister to prepare for a trip toPakistan, possibly the first time any Afghandefence minister has visited that country.

Although the principal point of the tripwas to maintain the military-to-militaryrelationship between the two countriesduring a sensitive diplomatic situation, itwas also a useful vehicle for building otherbridges too. So I helped him with speechlines, who he should speak to in addition tothe president and the chief of the army, andwhat he wanted to get out of the trip.

To be in a position to offer such helpand advice means building up a high levelof trust, and doing that takes time. Which iswhy these tours are usually 12 months long.

But if you are thinking of giving it a go,you need to be aware that, if Nick is anykind of an example, the job satisfactioncan be addictive. Which is why family manNick offered to extend to 21 months whena successor had not been found as heneared the end of his stint. Because of thepersonal relationships that Ive built up

here, I wanted to avoid any gap as assistingthe Afghans depends on continuity.

Nick believes that having more UK civilservants in Kabul would be of tremendousbenefit to the Afghans, and advises anyone

DF

Heads up: Nick Carter talks to Ian

Carr at the British Embassy in Kabul

Seats of power: Mr Bismillah Mohammadi,

Afghan Minister of Defence (right), meets UK

Secretary of State Philip Hammond in London

Picture:Corporal

JamiePetersRLC

Picture:Harlan

dQuarrington

upportperations


14/32

VERBATIM

APPOINTED CHIEF CONSTABLE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE POLICEIN MARCH, ALF HITCHCOCK IS STEERING THE FORCE THROUGHCHOPPY WATERS, REPORTS LORRAINE MCBRIDE

MODS TOP COP


MDP marine machine: Chief

Constable Hitchcock visits the

Clyde Marine Unit

DF: Six months after your appointment,what are your impressions of MOD?AH: When you look at our capabilitywe have a huge amount to contributeinternationally through defence. So myfirst impression was wow, this is reallysomething!

Secondly, working within MOD, HR,financial and resource management,running the business is very different froma county police force so Im still gettingused to how all that works.

I have been impressed by how warm,friendly and helpful everybody is. Militarycolleagues and civil servants have gone out

of their way to help me understand howthe organisation ticks. Its even introducedme to a whole new language because Ithought I knew every three-letter policingabbreviation. Its incredible!

DF: What are the main crimes that theMOD Police (MDP) investigate?AH: It definitely doesnt mirror nationaltrends. Our primary role is counter-terrorism, to protect the nations defencesand critical national infrastructure,whereas in a local police force the focuswould be on combating volume crime,robberies and burglaries, and organisedcriminality.

Secondly, the nature of what we doin MOD means that clearly some peoplewant to protest, but we must make sure

that its done in a lawful way and thatprotestors are treated appropriately anddont obstruct business. Thirdly, our workwith MOD, especially Defence Equipmentand Support, is around people whod

defraud us or steal our equipment.

DF: Why join the MDP insteadof the Met Police?AH: If you join the MOD police,

its because you really want to be part ofprotecting the nations most valuable andcritical assets.

Once youre in, the worlds youroyster. Theres an amazing array ofthings to do apart from the excitement ofprotecting the nuclear deterrent. Wevegot tactical support groups trained to avery high level in firearms intervention,a security escort group who escort themovement of critical assets, CID, and thebiggest marine policing unit in Britain.

DF: The Armed Forces have seenredundancies and bases closing. Has theMDP also been affected?AH: We have been affected. Weve gonedown from 3,500 officers to 2,700. Somebases have closed, which means weve had

to move officers, and in some cases theirfamilies, because were a national policeforce. That causes challenges, professionaland personal, organising resources to besteffect. To be honest, were probably six to12 months away from getting the force inthe shape it needs to be. Thats going tobe difficult to manage because of somepeoples circumstances and we need to bereally sensitive about how we handle that.


15/32

protecting the defence and critical nationalinfrastructure, is right at the forefront.Elements of the Met do have that, butvolume crime is at the top more than theCT threat, which ebbs and flows.

In terms of the cops, we have thesame police powers, wear the sameuniform, talk to people and get themonside. Its about firm but fair use of

powers and doing it with a smile when wecan, like the everyday British bobby. Butwe also have some discrete specialisms.

The only other difference is carryingfirearms, to protect valuable assets forthe nation. It means that 2,400 of ourofficers carry firearms out of 2,700. Nowin most forces it would only be a maximumof 10 per cent. Other than that, were copsthat do all the things cops do.

DF: You lead on diversity on behalf ofthe Association of Chief Police Officers. Dowe need more MDP officers from ethnicminorities?AH: If you look across Britain, you cant justtake a particular area or group and say thatall the talent is in that pocket. Its spreadover gender, sexual orientation, faith andrace across the nation. So if we want thevery best people, weve got to make theorganisation feel right.

Weve got a challenge as we donthave enough female and ethnic minorityofficers. Thats important becausediversity gives you difference in thinkingand understanding, and finally, its

intuitively the right thing to do.

DF: Youve been a copper for 36 years.Whats been the biggest change?AH: Four areas; law, culture, crime,

DF: Can the manpower reductions beachieved without leaving the MDP short-staffed or with skill shortages?AH:We have a really clear plan that involvessome reskilling for officers. Weve hadto move people around and pay overtime

to make sure that were always thereto deliver but weve not got a problemdoing the job. Because of the changesand disposition of the force, well havegaps developing in 2014, so at the end ofSeptember an advert went out to recruit 120MOD police officers to bridge some of thosegaps. This is our first recruitment campaignsince 2008.

DF: Whats your assessment of moraleacross the force?AH: I think morale is surprisingly high giventhat people are being moved, some jobs arechanging and some people are reskilling.Theres a feeling that the process is taking avery long time to get to where we are.

Now that Ive made some decisionsto recruit and reset the disposition of theforce, theres also a feeling of movementand progress which has created an attitudeof right, were the cops, we have a job, letsget on with it! When I go into staff sessionsaround the force, they might grumble aboutkit, but, at the end, theyre really upbeatabout getting out and doing the job. Theycan see the end of turbulence, which is very

helpful, but its important that they dontsee that as the end of change because goodorganisations always keep the momentumof change.

DF: Twenty-five years ago, there were25 MOD buildings in London. Soontherell be just one. Given the terrorthreat are we at risk of putting all oureggs in one basket?AH: No, I met recently with the peoplewho provide the physical security of MainBuilding and look at the way we protect it.Theres a number of layers to this, physicalsecurity, intelligence and the likely threat,and policing and getting it right combinedwith the guard service who check passes.But theres also staff in the building beingalert to things like hostile reconnaissance,so people working at the building shouldtell us if they see something odd. Havingone building means we have to makesure that we get it right, and that meansbeing alert to any changes and quicklyresponding. I think were in a good placein terms of understanding that threat andhow we counter it. I think we can do that

even though it is only one location.

DF: What distinguishes the role of the MDPfrom other forces?AH: The profile of counter-terrorism (CT),


and technology have changed thingsdramatically. The Police and CriminalEvidence Act (1986) set a series of rulesfor how we deal with crime. If you watchLife on Mars, they are caricatures, butwith a sliver of frightening reality. In1986

all the rule-bending was wiped out. TheStephen Lawrence enquiry report (1999)made us look at ourselves, the culture andhow we investigate crime and work withcommunities. There are still pockets ofproblems but it changed the way we policefor the better.

The link between serious crime,drugs and guns has grown radically overthe years and policing technology haschanged massively. If I stopped you onthe street I can put your thumbprint on anelectronic device and within a second ittells me who you are.

Technology to support policing isfantastic but the internet is also usedto handle stolen goods, and with socialmedia Im gobsmacked at the amount ofinformation people give away on Facebookand Twitter. In Defence you really need tobe cautious about what youre giving away.

DF: Has the MDPs role in training theAfghan National Police been a success?AH: What you find is that in society theresa level of dishonesty and corruption andthere is no single country that doesnt

have that. However, the more unstable thecountry is, the more likely it is youll havecorruption.

The work that MOD police aredoing alongside the military to bringstabilisation to Afghanistan, to try andcreate a rule of law and put it in place, isthe building block by which corruptionis reduced to levels that you see in othermore stable countries.

DF: Has the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigbychanged the approach to security?AH: I doubt that weve had moreintelligence coming in to us but wevehad more alertness from the public,particularly from military personnel andfamilies in and around bases. We alwayssay to people that, if you see anything, tellus. Its raised awareness but a horrificincident does do that and well keep underreview the security arrangements at awhole range of locations across MOD.

DF: Finally, has your name Alf Hitchcockbeen a help or hindrance in your career?AH: It is my real name. Some people think

that because youre called Hitchcock its apolice nickname, but I am Alfred Hitchcock.It was my dad and granddads name so Igot lumbered with it. Ive got two girls sotheyve escaped!

Crimewatch: Chief Constable Alf

Hitchcock heads up 2,700 MDP officers

DF


16/32


REDEPLOYMENT

SMOOTHOPERATORSBRINGING BACK VEHICLES AND KIT FROM AFGHANISTAN IS

ALL ABOUT GETTING A SMOOTH FLOW WRITES IAN CARR

As the pace of base closuresand handovers in Helmandcontinues, the flow of equipmentback through Bastion and out of

Afghanistan is well under way.The good news for the taxpayer is that

this is not just the military demonstratingtheir logistics prowess on a grand scale, butan exercise in accountability, responsibilityand value for money.

Lieutenant Colonel Ceri Morton isbased in HQ Joint Force Support at CampBastion. She is responsible for all theredeployment that takes place within

Afghanistan. As personnel redeploy, sothe kit and the equipment they were using is

redeployed in the correct form or status, orit is disposed of properly, she explains.

It means that all operational accountsare reconciled and closed and all real estateis either handed over to the legal ownersor transferred to Afghan institutions in aresponsible way.

When Defence Focuswas here a yearago, a tour of the real estate within CampBastion, set aside to deal with all the stuffthat would be rolling in through the campgates, required a good imagination.

The guided tour involved peeringthrough fences at huge dusty areas

and being told this is where the ISOs(containers) will be going; over there

vehicles will be parked before theyare brought forward for servicing andmaintenance; thats where they will bebio-washed. It all seemed, to a civilian whohas enormous trouble sorting out a gardenshed, a hugely daunting task.

But now that redeployment is in fullswing, you need no vivid imagination. Thereit all is, and its all working. There arecontainers full of properly sorted out kit.Rows of palletised Jackals, and even thebody of a Chinook helicopter, are all waitingon the tarmac to start the journey home.

This time last year, the bio-wash

where vehicles are scrupulously pressure-washed to rigorous DEFRA standards,

Day of the Jackal: the high mobility

armoured vehicles ready for loading


17/32


ridding them of any nasties that they mayhave picked up during their time in the sand,was just a scrape in the ground. Now itsworking often round the clock on a three-shift system. It needs to when you considerthat it can take 12 hours to thoroughly clean

a large container truck, and that by the endof 2014 something like 2,720 vehicles willhave gone through the system.

Each step of the process to get kitfrom the front line back to the UK hasbeen carefully thought through. A lot ofplanning has gone into this, not just thespace thats required, but also the lineardesign, said Major Stuart Ferguson, OfficerCommanding Reverse Support Chain (RSC)Squadron. Its all been designed so thatmateriel flows in, through and out againsmoothly.

But we shouldnt be surprised. Afterall, the British military have been breakingdown bases for centuries, and lessonshave been learned from Iraq. Stretchedout before us in Bastion is the result. It allseems very logical.

A pan-defence planning group inthe UK created and has overseen all ofthis, said Lieutenant Colonel Morton. Itinvolved detailed planning in theatre too byJoint Force Support and an investment ofaround $11m in the reverse supply chaininfrastructure to make it happen. Weve gota load-handling area for when the shipping

containers of kit come back in, we haveweighbridges, an airside storage facility anda cargo yard all set up deliberately.

SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS

This is the first stage of what is a three-stage process, possibly the biggestlogistical challenge in a generation.

Stage one starts when an operationalcommander decides that a piece ofequipment or a vehicle is surplus torequirements in theatre. Its declaredas surplus by the pan-defence planningcommittee in the UK, said LieutenantColonel Morton.

A sub-set of that committee thenconsiders whether that item will be neededfor future operations. No decisions aremade about any of this in theatre. If it isneeded, the questions then asked are howmuch will it cost to bring back? What stateis it likely to be in? Would it be cheaperto dispose of it? If thats the answer, wefigure out the best way of going about it.We reconsume wherever we can. We eat it,fire it, put it in our fuel tanks, use up sparesbefore ordering more.

But the logistics team (loggies) getan extra layer of job satisfaction. Becausealthough redeploying kit might be themain activity, supporting operations isstill the main effort. So they have to keep

a keen eye on kit movements both in andout of theatre. They must make sure thatthe troops have all the beans, bullets andbandages they need.

Lieutenant Colonel Morton isprofessionally relaxed about that. Logistics,she is keen to point out, is a science not anart. So while no extra kit will be flown intoAfghanistan if there is no clear need, stockswill match the capability that is needed onthe ground. Weve been in Afghanistanfor more than 10 years, so we pretty muchknow what the demand is here, based onthe tasks the units have to perform. Ourprofiles and our systems mean we can trackitems and identify and manage surplusespretty effectively.

The second stage is moving all theequipment and vehicles out of Afghanistan

to their next destination. This activity isowned by PJHQ. The final stage is whathappens to it all when it arrives at thestrategic base, its final destination. Butthis part of the story all begins at theforward bases that are closing down, wheneverything is given its first sorting through.

We deploy a specialist logistics teamforward to advise the bases. Effectivelyeverything is sorted into piles such asequipment spares, ammunition, and so

on, said Major Ferguson. Then theysort it into piles, for example, things thatit is really important that we dont losetrack of, what is going to be needed rightup to the last minute, and things deemedACTO attractive to criminals and terroristorganisations. This includes things likebatteries and old fire extinguishers whichcould be used by insurgents to make IEDs.

Then, in a similar way to which itfirst arrived, delivered by combat logisticpatrols, it all finds its way back to Bastionwhere further sorting takes place and moreexperts are on hand to give advice.

Teams of subject matter experts fromthe depots at Bicester and Donningtonand people with expertise in weapons anddangerous goods, such as paints and gases,are on hand to offer advice with the sorting

and checking.There may be some doubt about a

particular item and we can get it from thehorses mouth; well, if you did send thatall the way back to the UK, it would only getdisposed of, it wouldnt go back on the shelfso we can then dispose of it here saving thecost of transport said Major Ferguson.

Up to this point the kit is still theresponsibility of the unit that owned it. Oncethe amount and condition of the returned

Spray gun: a cargo truck goes through the bio-wash

On track: civilians manifesting loads ready

for onward movement from Camp Bastion


18/32


REDEPLOYMENT

kit has been agreed, it is signed off and is nolonger the responsibility of the unit. It is thislevel of accountability which has helped toavoid the problem that has reared its headin the past, where soldiers, eager to getaway, resort to throwing things into an ISOfor the loggies to sort out later.

Some of my team have experiencedreturns from other operations where thatshappened, but this has been conductedentirely differently, said Mick Thorn, one ofthe RSC experts.

Over at the Theatre Equipment

Support Group light engineering companyworkshops, the same smooth thinkingis being applied to the vehicles leavingtheatre. This is the Bastion based hub ofthe engineering expertise for servicing andupgrading vehicles in theatre.

During periods of what the troops callnormal jogging, vehicles are maintained asfar forward as possible. But vehicles thatare leaving theatre get their final servicinghere. We know whats going to be comingin, said officer commanding, MajorDavid Smith. We know what the next tour(Herrick 19) will need. The bandwidth of ouractivity is redeployment now. But it doesntmatter to us. Whether we are working ona vehicle thats going back to the front orgoing home, we have plenty of experienceworking on all vehicles across the fleet sowe have nothing to fear.

What matters here, as it does at everystage of redeployment, is maintaining asmooth flow of work. When their tour began,due to the pace of base closures, there wasa bow wave of vehicles for the engineers toattend to and bring up to standard.

We deployed with fewer headcount,

said Major Smith, but we brought a surgeof 230 vehicle mechanics and other tradeswith us to deal with the backlog of vehicles.We took over 130 vehicles as part of theredeployment. It took us about six weeks

to deal with the backlog. Its been a realmixture but what we are working on now isthe last wave of Jackals and Coyotes beingpushed through by the end of September.

Over at the cargo ready to moveyard, duty air movements officer FlightLieutenant Chris Ashby is one of thelast people to wave all these vehiclesand pallets of kit goodbye as theyleave theatre. We handle up to 10,000passenger movements a month, so ourredeployment has to fit within that, hesaid, which means we have to have a

close relationship with the RSC Squadronto supply us with the vehicles and freightleaving theatre.

Each C-17 transporter aircraft cancope with between two and four vehicles.Working at full tilt we are shifting about150 vehicles a month. Between thebeginning of October 2012 and the end ofJuly this year weve done 1,000 vehiclesand major pieces of equipment, saidLieutenant Colonel Morton.

We are moving about 700 palletsof kit a month. Every other day we move

a 747s worth of freight in and out oftheatre. We are bringing in things likefood and sending out around 80 tonnes,thats 42 pallets of equipment every twodays, said Flight Lieutenant Ashby. Butwe are within our capacity.

To make it all work, hard standingareas have been specially laid downfor the freight, and dust-free areascreated for the vehicles prepared forredeployment. We have space for about30 vehicles, thats inbound as well asoutbound, so we dont want anything

sitting here for long, nobody wants that,said Flight Lieutenant Ashby.

Up to the end of September a majortask was returning the Jackal vehicles,two-at-a-time on each 747 run. To speedup the preloading process, a bespokemethod for palletising and strappingdown the vehicles was introducedsatisfying international air transportregulations. We also built a ramp so thatvehicles up to 10 tonnes in weight candrive up onto a special outsized palletwhich can then go straight onto one ofour aircraft freight loading vehicles, saidFlight Lieutenant Ashby.

We are at the end of a very long line,which is why its so important that wekeep in close touch with the Joint ForceSupport people so we get the correct flowand the right balance of kit and vehiclesflowing through, he added.

Lieutenant Colonel Morton may haveoverall responsibility for co-ordinatingall this, but, as she is keen to point out,redeployment on this scale is a teamsport. Its the responsibility of every unitin theatre and every deployed command,

she said.But from the evidence on the ground,

it looks like everyone in that very long linehas responded to that challenge and arekeen to be seen as smooth operators. DF

Not winging it: a Chinook is prepared for its trip on a 747

Truck stop: a mechanic works on a Husky


19/32

PRIDE OF BRITAIN

AN ACT OF BRAVERYA SOLDIER HAS BEEN HONOURED AT THIS YEARS PRIDEOF BRITAIN AWARDS. REPORT BY LEIGH HAMILTON


Lance Corporal Matthew Wilsonfrom 2nd Battalion The Rifleswas recently presented withthe Military Special Recognition

Award at the 2013 Pride of Britainceremony in London.

Lance Corporal Wilson was singledout for an award following an enemyattack while he was attached to theQueens Dragoon Guards in Afghanistanin 2011.

While on patrol, Lance CorporalWilsons reconnaissance group wasambushed by a strong insurgent force inHelmand province. The enemy fighterslaunched an intense attack, supportedby grenades and a sniper taking aimat the British troops, resulting in onesustaining a critical injury.

Without any cover, Lance CorporalWilson pushed forward to help his strickencomrade, running across open ground infull view of the enemy. As he ran, one of the

snipers bullets smashed into his helmet,knocking him out for 30 seconds.

When he came to, he saw that aBritish helicopter trying to rescuecasualties was under fire. LanceCorporal Wilson ran 50 metres acrossopen ground to attack the enemy anddraw fire away from the helicopter.

Lance Corporal Wilson made it toprotective cover when an Apache attackhelicopter arrived at the scene to givecover as they pulled back into a nearbycompound. The injured comrade LanceCorporal Wilson had risked his life forwas rescued.

After climbing onto the compoundwall, Lance Corporal Wilson helpedlaunch a counter-attack and neutralisethe enemy threat.

He said: When I came to eventuallyI was a bit dazed and I moved forward abit more and I was able to get eyes on theenemy, the actual sniper that was givingus grief, and I got some rounds down andhe was on the back foot.

Thinking back to that moment whenhe risked his life, Lance Corporal Wilson

said its all part of the job:You knowyoure going to get shot at and you knowdangerous things are going to happen.How you react changes depending onthe situation. Everyone knows how

dangerous its going to be.I do believe that any other soldier in

my shoes would have done the same thing.Being at the Pride of Britain Awards

was a world away from his experiencein Afghanistan, yet Lance Corporal

Winning smile: Lance Corporal Matthew

Wilsonwas given the Pride of Britain

Military Special Recognition Award

Pictures:DailyMirrorPrideofBritainAwards

Wilson dedicated his award to his fellowsoldiers:I feel like I do deserve it, but Ifeel that this is an award for everyone, allthe guys I was with. Its like I m doing itfor them not just for me.

Lance Corporal Wilson received hisaward from singer Katherine Jenkinsand comedian Michael McIntyre. MissJenkins said:Im humbled by men andwomen who go to Afghanistan. Ive beenthere and I go for a day; theyre there formonths and months. To do somethinglike that is insane and beyond what wecan really think about. I think Matthewsawesome, he deserves all of thisrecognition.

Mr McIntyre added: Its anabsolute honour to meet Matthew whoIm completely in awe of. I feel a bitembarrassed because I dont deserve

to be here and it doesnt make sense.Im a very lazy fat man and he is a heroicman who fights for his country and runstowards gun fire, gets shot in the headand then gets up.

Honoured: Lance Corporal Matthew Wilson

with Katherine Jenkins and Michael McIntyreDF


20/32


MEDICAL RESERVIST

DOCTORS ORDERSARMY RESERVIST COLONEL HEIDI DOUGHTY EXPLAINSHOW HER MILITARY EXPERIENCE HAS BENEFITED NOT

ONLY HER CAREER BUT ALSO HER EMPLOYER

Holding down one job for mostpeople is a challenge. For areservist, holding down a job andfulfilling their military obligations

is par for the course. The UKs ReserveForces play a vital part in our nationsdefence and are expected to take part intraining, deploy on operations and, forsome, hold an appointment within theMinistry of Defence.

Colonel Heidi Doughty is a doctorand a reservist. She is a blood specialistwho spends half of her working life as aconsultant in transfusion medicine for NHSBlood and Transplant, a Special Health

Authority dedicated to saving and improvinglives through the wide range of servicesthey provide to the NHS. NHS Blood andTransplant provides a safe and reliablesupply of blood components, diagnosticservices and stem cell services to hospitalsin England and North Wales and tissue andsolid organs to hospitals across the UK.

For the other 50 per cent of her time,Colonel Doughty is a consultant advisorin transfusion to MOD. Her role has seenher travel to many countries, includingAfghanistan and Iraq.

Although a reservist, Colonel Doughtyexplained that her position isnt exactly

run of the mill: Im slightly unusual in thathalf of my job is paid for by MOD as part of anovel contract to provide specialist servicesby NHS Blood and Transplant.

Reservists have played an importantrole in the Defence Medical Services (DMS)for many years and are represented in most

jobs and at all ranks, including at a seniorlevel. Colonel Doughty said: There are anumber of senior doctors acting as medicalconsultant advisors who are also reservists.We work closely together with our regularcolleagues to deliver the best for patients.

Reaching the heady heights of a seniorMOD doctors appointment hasnt come to

Mercy dash: lessons learned in Afghanistan

have been transferred to the NHS

(picture shows training excercise)


21/32


Colonel Doughty overnight. She joined theOfficer Training Corps (OTC) in 1981 andsigning up to be a reserve was a no-braineras far as she was concerned: I come froma military family, my mother, father andbrother were all regulars. It was very much

a part of my childhood and something that Iwas very familiar and comfortable with.

Having started to study medicine inLondon, it just struck me as somethingof an interesting thing to do while I was astudent. In med school you tend to spendmost of your time with other medicalstudents whereas actually the OTCallowed me to meet and work with peoplefrom all sorts of backgrounds as well aslearn new skills.

Colonel Doughty left the OTC to jointhe then Territorial Army in 1984 whichsaw her start her military medicine careerat the same time that her civilian careertook off. She said: As a junior officer yourereally trying to just secure your basicmilitary skills, but, as you become moresenior in your own civilian profession,you can increasingly apply those skillsand knowledge to military medicine andcertainly since about 2002 my military roleand my civilian role have been very similarand work well together.

Change is being witnessed throughoutthe UK Armed Forces and greateremphasis is being put on the Reserve

Forces. The aim is that, by 2020, reservistswill be a fully integrated component of theWhole Force and will routinely deploy aspart of all military operations.

Colonel Doughty herself has been onseveral operations. In 2002 she worked for amonth in Kabul in a small team as part of anISAF initiative to rebuild medical servicesfor the local Afghan community.

Her project was to support the localblood service with equipment, educationand help to identify their further needs.There were so many knowledgeablepeople who couldnt apply their trainingdue to their circumstances, having littlein the way of electricity, running wateror consumables. There you have skilleddoctors, nurses and laboratory technicianswho need specialist support from theinternational community. I think it makessense that there is going to be an increasingrole for reserves within that humanitarianrole, she said.

As well as environmental challenges,Colonel Doughty had to ensure that she andher team were culturally sensitive whileshe was in Kabul. I think, so long as you

go in being mindful of their situation andrespecting them both professionally andpersonally, doctor to doctor, nurse to nurse,I think you can cross all sorts of cultural andlanguage barriers. You have that shared

background and shared focus on doing thevery best for your patients.

The following year Colonel Doughtywas part of a field hospital deployed to Iraqfor four months as part of Operation Telicwhere she was a haematologist working aspart of pathology team in a tented militaryfield hospital. More recently she has beeninvolved in setting up specialist projects inAfghanistan and Iraq and further developingthe military transfusion services.

Her experience on operations hasproved to be a rewarding experience thathas left her with a deep sense of pride.In addition, she said:Im very proudof the partnership work where weveworked closely together with others to

improve services. For instance, my civiliancolleagues and the military transfusionteams have worked together to providesolutions, whether its blood to thebattlefield or producing new capabilities.

Creating that partnership and sharingknowledge is very satisfying. Watching yourteams grow and deliver and bringing thatpartnership between military and civilianhealthcare providers alive is inspiring

Over the years, Colonel Doughty hasseen several military medical lessonstransferred to the NHS which have changedtheir way of working. One such lesson is theuse of transfusion in trauma.

DMS has revolutionised the way thatwe support the critically injured, not justthe way we resuscitate them, but the waywe use blood in resuscitation, and thatssomething that has certainly come intocivilian practice.

I also think weve learned a lotabout using blood in the pre-hospitalenvironment so we can safely transportblood by helicopter. For example, if we havea civilian medical team attending someonewho is critically injured and cannot be

quickly taken to the hospital, we can nowsupport them with blood using the practicallessons learned in military practice.

Colonel Doughty has also learnedother skills from her military career which

are transferable to her civilian workplace.Colonel Doughty believes that the traininga reserve receives is useful not only forthe individual, but is also beneficial foremployers: The quality of training thereserves receive would almost certainlybenefit most people in terms of teamworkand management skills. In addition, theexperience of successfully working underpressure in difficult environments gives yougreater confidence in both your careers.

I think the attitudes that most peopletake away from having been exposedto both the reserve training and theexperience gained bring incredible benefitsto the civilian workplace. So long as bothparties understand what is required and

people give appropriate notice, then I thinkthere are enormous benefits for employersand individuals.

With nearly 30 years of reserveexperience under her belt, Colonel Doughtycan look back on a very varied and colourfulcareer with satisfaction. She said: Itsbeen fabulous and its been very varied.Sometimes its been quite challenging buton the other hand its been rewarding andIve made a lot of good friends.

Looking to the future with both herNHS and MOD hats on, Colonel Doughtystill has plenty of plans. In terms of myArmy career, Im finishing three years inmy appointment as a defence consultantadvisor. I want to continue supportingdefence both as a blood specialist but alsosupporting other areas such as recruitingand veterans care. Whether they areregulars or reserves, I think its just anextraordinary community of people.

Royal Navy, Army and RAF Reservesare recruiting now for exciting new rolesin Defence. Find out more at www.gov.uk/

joining-the-reserve-forces

Healthy life balance: Colonel

Heidi Doughty has been an

Army reservist for 30 years

DF

If youre generally healthy and aged17 or over, do something amazing....give blood. www.blood.co.uk


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BATTLE BACK

BATTLE BACK RETAIN CAPTAIN PIETSCH TROPHY, BEATINGUS WOUNDED WARRIORS. REPORT BY LORRAINE MCBRIDE

Faldo, Nicklaus, Montgomerie, Els,Norman, Trevino and Langer are

just some of the golfing superstarnames that grace the World Golf

Hall of Fame in St Augustine, Florida. Lastmonth though, the venue prepared itself for

a very different brand of hero.Ten golfers from the British Armed

Forces Battle Back initiative flew acrossthe Atlantic to defend the Captain PietschTrophy against a team from the Wounded

GOLF, GUTS AND GLORYWarrior project - the US equivalent ofour Help for Heroes, albeit on a much largerscale. They raise funds and awareness forthe plight of injured Service personnel.

The term putting your body on theline has long been a sporting clich, and

the teams at the Slammer and SquireCourse on 11 September have certainlyhad their lives shaped by personalsacrifice and adversity.

Battle Back team manager Lieutenant

Colonel Tristan Crew explained thatthe Pietsch Trophy is the woundedservicemans version of the Ryder Cup, andno less fiercely contested.

Tristan said: Its very competitive andgetting more and more so. This year it was

extremely professional.Many Battle Back players are injured

servicemen from operations in Iraq andAfghanistan, but they also select militarypersonnel who have an illness or injury that

Team triumph: Battle Back defeats

the US Wounded Warrior team


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takes a lifetime of adjustment. Or as Tristansaid; So if youve had a minor ankle sprain,you would not qualify. He cited teamcaptain Chief Technician Keith Davies, whosurvived a brain tumour, and said the teamruns the whole gamut from the seriously illto the seriously injured.

But while the nature of injury andillness varies enormously, it is clear thatas least as much courage, dedication, rawtalent and determination runs throughthis team as through the reigning RyderCup team.

Asked to describe the importance ofgolf in their rehabilitation, Tristan said in aheartbeat: Absolutely huge. It is arguably

Battle Backs most successful sport.Tristan is grateful to Help for Heroes

and the Endeavour Fund for sponsoring thetrip. As a physiotherapist at Headley Court,Tristan reels off the physical benefits that

golf can bring. If youre swinging a clubwhen your balance is already compromised,walking the course or getting in and out ofbunkers, its obviously tough. But the moreI get involved with golf, the more I see thepsychological benefits that are just as, if not

more, important.It builds self-esteem and confidence

and the handicap system means thatplayers can compete against able-bodied ordisabled individuals, so its competitive atevery level.

Tristan believes that it doesnt takelong for players to get hooked. Golf ishugely addictive. When you play, all youthink about is getting that little white ballaround the course and it gives your mind amassive break from the worries of day-to-day life.

Back to the action,this was the third timethe teams had metin the history of thecompetition, with thestandings at one apiece.Battle Back was theholder of the trophy aftera thrilling encounter in 2012and Tristan said that the BattleBack teams preparationcouldnt have gone better.

With confidencehigh, the three-day

tournament startedwith the four-ballformat. The BattleBack team madeshort shrift of their

US opponents, taking the first day 4-1.Day two saw the teams compete in

Greensomes, which sees golfers in teamsof two using one ball.

Chief Technician Keith Daviesdisplayed masterly captaincy, selecting

the perfect pairings to ensure that BattleBack would be unbeaten, posting a4 - scoreline.

With an 8 - 1 lead, the Battle Backteam just needed 1 points to retain thetrophy. The final day (singles matchplay)saw the Wounded Warrior team post threeof the first four points on the board, butMajor Bernie Broad held his nerve and tookthe winning putt.

The final day was won again by BattleBack 6-4 which set the overall final score at14 - 5.

A fantastic performance, theteam are obviously delighted, saidChief Technician Davies, adding that

theyre now setting their sights on thereturn fixture at Walton Heath Golf

Club in Surrey in September 2014.Between hours of hard-fought

golf, the Wounded Warrior programmealso provided an educational dimension,laying on seminars on nutrition and goal-setting, but nothing diluted the goal ofgolfing success.

Battle Backs delighted teammanager said: To post this kind of

victory is credit to the commitmentand professionalism of this teamof golfers. Im very proud of what

theyve achieved here andthroughout the year.

Iron will: Major Bernie Broad

sunk the winning putt

Above par: Lieutenant Colonel Tristan

Crew manages Battle Backs golfers

Pictures(exceptmain):CorporalRichardCaveRLC

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ACROSS

7.________ 13, another popular filmdirected by 9 Down (6)8.Take That star who will release a soloalbum in November (6)10.Manages with limited resources (5,2)11.Actress who plays Princess Diana inthe new movie Diana(5)12.Childrens playthings (4)13.Large marine mammal with ablowhole on top of its head for breathing(5)17.Novelist who wrote Uncle Toms Cabin(5)18.And 14 Down. Rock group which hadMark Knopfler as its lead vocalist andguitarist (4,7)22.Country subject to a chemical weaponsattack earlier this year (5)

23.Crime writer whose best-knowncharacter is Chief Inspector Wexford (7)24.Australias new Prime Minister (6)25.And 2 Down. Rock group whose newalbumAMentered the charts at No 1 (6,7)

SUDOKU CHESS

Fill in the grid so that every row, everycolumn and every 3x3 box contains thenumbers 1 to 9

Solution tothe September2013 puzzle

SOLUTION (NO PEEKING)TOPICALCROSSWORD

14.See 18 Across15.Life, _______ and the pursuit ofHappiness, a well-known phrasein the United States Declaration ofIndependence (7)

16.Exact copy of something (7)19.Egyptian city near two dams across theNile (5)20.Crustaceans with pincers (5)21.Unpleasant sleeping sound (5)

We all feel under pressureat times; at work, at home,

and certainly on the chessboard. This pressure doesnot discriminate. It affectsbeginners and masters alike

but it is how we deal with it that matters.In terms of chess it brings out the very

best in some people playing better underpressure than if there were none. Forothers it reduces them to a nervous wreckat the board, with sweaty palms, twitchinglegs and a rapid fire heartbeat.

Pressure affects our judgement andsubsequently how we make decisions again not just at a chessboard.

Time pressure is a huge factor inchess. One can sit for several hoursnursing a position only to blow it all in thelast five minutes. This is tantamount to acriminal act and it hurts for days and weeksafter, but at least it can happen to youropponent also.

Study the position (right) from thegame Shimanov-Kamsky from the 2013FIDE World Cup. White just played thehorrible 20.Rf2 here. Kamsky (underpressure) replied 20Ng3, which was an

astonishing blunder. He had two betteroptions give me one (or both) of them fora nice chess book prize kindly donated byChess & Bridge, London.

Send your answers to me at [email protected] please.

The answer to Septembers problemwas 1Qxh2+! (full marks also for 1Qg2+)2.Kxh2 Rxf2+ 3.Kg1 Rf1+ 4.Kg2 R(8)-f2mate. The winner will be announced.

Winner of Augusts problem was AlanNelson, 14th Regiment Royal Artillery,Larkhill.

Compiled by:Carl Portman

DOWN

1.Large extinct elephant (7)2.See 25 Across3.Glenn, whose hit films include FatalAttraction, Hamlet and101 Dalmatians(5)

4.Narrow walkway used by models (7)5.Tall, narrow champagne glass (5)6.Roger Federers nationality (5)9.Director of the 2013 film Rushabout F1drivers Hunt and Lauda (3,6)

PUZZLES


Across

7.Apollo8.Barlow10.MakesDo11.Watts12.Toys13.Whale17.Stowe18.Dire22.Syria23.Rendell 24.Abbott25.Arctic

Down

1.Mammoth2.Monkeys3.Close4.Catwalk5.Flute6.Swiss9.RonHoward14.Straits15.Liberty16.Replica19.Aswan20.Crabs21.Snore


25/32


26/32

THIS ISNT just anotherbook about aircraft, militaryor otherwise. Even theauthor acknowledges as areference book its neithercomprehensive nor necessarilyuseful. But contained withinits 300-odd pages are goldennuggets of information asdiverse as the story of Icarusand the required signals to parkan airliner. There are also Blue

Peter-style projects such ashow to make a bottle rocketwhich will appeal to children.I particularly enjoyed thehow high do things fly table.

It is written with verve andenthusiasm, and illustratedwith shed-loads of pictures,including a chapter featuringthe insignia of the worldsair forces. Again from theauthors perspective, the onlyreal criterion for inclusion[in the book] was whethersomething was interesting- and as subjective as thatis, I guarantee youll find

something that will catch youreye. And with that in mind, itwill make an ideal Christmasgift for the enquiring mindswithin your family.

A 2011 poll nominated Bill Slimas Britains greatest general.Had the modest Slim been alive,he would have been amazed.Of all the plaudits heapedon him, the one he valuedmost was the affectionatenickname bestowed by histroops, Uncle Bill. Not justan armchair general, he wasseriously wounded twice inGallipoli and Mesopotamia and

awarded the Military Cross in1918. Promoted in the SecondWorld War, he was sent toBurma to command the FirstBurma Corps. Through sheer

leadership, Slim drove theenemy out of Burma to snatchvictory from the jaws of defeat.Slim rose from lance corporal tofield marshal. He lifted moraleby simply spending time withsoldiers and could convey highideals in simple language,often in Gurkhali. Where hesucceeded most was to makeeveryone from the highest rankto the most lowly soldier feel

they were an integral part ofa great war machine. That hesucceeded is a mark not justof a supreme tactician but ahumane, charismatic leader.

By Steve Corbett,Casemate UK, 16.95

By Russell MillerOrion Books, 25

By Rowland WhiteBantam Press, 20

BELFASTDIARIESA Gunner in NorthernIreland 1971-74

Uncle BillThe Authorised Biography ofField Marshal Viscount Slim

The Big Bookof Flight

BOOKS


taken beyond that on thestreets of Belfast.

This book also givesreaders an insight into howlife can change in the blink ofan eye. In one incident, two

soldiers travelling in a LandRover were shot and seriouslywounded when a gunmanambushed an army patrolnear Belfast. What adds tothe injustice is that when thecrew climbed into the LandRover, soldier Fred Jamescame out to find that his mateBrummie had jumped into theseat he always used and hewouldnt budge for anyonedespite Freds pleas. As theyapproached a junction, shotsrang out, and when Fredturned around to see what washappening, he took two shotsin the back.

Bitter Fred ended upparalysed from the waistdown and never walked again.Perhaps unreasonably, healways blamed Brummie, butthis illustration sums up theinexplicably cruel randomnature of fate that was thehallmark of deployment in a

war zone.

WITH CHILLING reality, authorSteve Corbett conveys theadrenaline, fear and violenceof being shot at and caughtin the middle of a riot, thugsscreaming for your blood,

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DF DF

faced in the line of duty oftenunder a vicious volley ofrocks and bottles. It wasthose pressures that causedhim to fire his riot gun for thefirst time in anger, but, as

he explained, with no lastingregret.

I never gave a thoughtto what injuries I may haveinflicted on him, but to behonest I wasnt botheredeither. I didnt want to be inIreland, and he was making itclear I wasnt welcome.

The author hasdocumented his recollectionsof his tour in Northern Irelandduring the Troubles. Joiningup at just 17, Corbett wasstill in his teens when he wasposted to Andersontown.The irony that many soldierslost their lives over 30 years,mainly at the hands of thevery people they were sent toprotect, is not lost.

We made mistakesand we sometimes lashedout in retaliation whilebeing subjected to extremeprovocation, writes Corbett.Everyone has their limit of

patience and many of us were

in 1970s Northern Ireland.Over 220 pages, the formerarmy gunner impresses thepressures, exhaustion, sleepdeprivation and endlesspatrols that he and comrades


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28/32

One lucky reader will win a two-night stay for two atLlangoed Hall, Mid Wales, including dinner

WONDER OF WALES

Seclusion, service and style all mergeat Llangoed Hall in Brecon, which iswhy the hotel continues to win newfans and accolades following a majorrefurbishment.

So successful was the recentrefurbishment, coupled with exceptionalcommitment to the finest hospitality,that the AA chose Llangoed Hall asHotel of the Year, Wales 2013/14. At thesame time the hotel was awarded the AAInspectors Choice with four Red Stars.

READERS' OFFERYou can enjoy a B&B stay between 1November 2013 and 28 February 2014from 49.50 per person based on twosharing mid-week and from 62.50 basedon two sharing Friday/Saturday. Offerexcludes Christmas and New Year and issubject to availability.

TERMS AND CONDITIONSThe prize must be booked in advanceand taken by November 2014. The stayincludes dinner on one evening with abottle of house wine and daily breakfast.

TO WINEmail your name, address and phonenumber to [email protected] by 17November. Put Wales in the subject line.

The endless fiery battle between the highheavens and burning hells is raging anewwith Blizzard Entertainments epic dungeoncrawler Diablo III, now out on PlayStation 3.

Twenty years have passed since thePrime Evils were defeated and banishedfrom the world of Sanctuary. Now, you mustreturn to where it all began the town ofTristram and investigate rumours of a

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To celebrate the console

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TO WINWho wouldn't want to win a Playstation

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Food has also played a major part inthe hotel's success and head chef NickBrodie and his team create dishes fromthe finest local produce, flavoured withherbs picked from the hotels organickitchen garden. www.llangoedhall.co.uk

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28 | WWW.GOV.UK/MOD | OCTOBER 2013