A Coy Head Quarters- PB2

December 2011

Due to popular demand (mainly from my parents!), Company HQ are starting a blog entry.  I am afraid it will not be nearly as ‘gucci’ or sexy as the Platoons’ as our lives are somewhat less glamorous, but equally as important.  Company HQ is made up an array of people from across the Battalion and the wider army, we have a core of A Company guys aided by attachments from 2 RIFLES, 5 RIFLES, MERCIANS, The Royal Signals, The Royal Yeomanry, The Intelligence Corps, the Royal Artillery and the AGC. I am afraid this entry will mostly focus on introductions and the subsequent Blogs can centre on the banter and general abuse that we soldiers seem to thrive on!

At the top of the tree are the Company Commander (OC) Maj Ben McGuire and the Company Serjeant Major (CSM) W02 Terry Rafferty who rule the roost.  These two run the company, direct the efforts of the Ops Room Staff and run the battle on the ground during Company level operations. The Staffs’ (or Ops room Monkeys are we have been coined) job is to ensure the day to day smooth running of the Company with the Stores lads (CSjt Paul ‘Batteries’ Conville, Cpl Nick ‘Uncle Nick’ Shuttleworth, LCpl Adam ‘Evo’ Evans and Rfn Ian ‘Oaky’ Oak) working extremely hard to keep all the kit and equipment serviceable and fighting the system at every step to get as many stores as possible to the troops on the ground.  The Operations Room (or Ops Room) is a constant hive of activity with the Battle Captain CSjt Mike Lindgren from 5 RIFLES running the show and keeping the signallers (Cpl George ‘Sami’ Saumaibulu, LCpl Cosmos Mareya and Signaller Geof ‘Beechams’ Bonnet (Royal Signals)) busy (not that they have much time off with the demands of keeping all the radio equipment functioning).  Sjt Dave ‘Big Shag’ Lloyd heads up the Company Intelligence Cell with his much loved blend of rigour and West Country humour, ensuring his team of Cpl Glen Low, LCpl Tom Mumby (Intelligence Corps) and Rfn Aeron ‘Jona’ Jones continue their excellent work of supplying the company with top quality intelligence.  We have the Fire Support Team (FST) (Capt Fraser ‘Mac’ Macpherson (Royal Artillery), Lt Godfrey ‘Godders’ Crition (Royal Yeomanry) and Bdr Barry ‘Baz Moore (Royal Artillery but a Rifleman in a former life) who provide with all our Aviation and Artillery requirements.  Last and certainly not least there is the Tolay Advisory Team (TATT) (Capt Terry ‘Tori Ali’ Williams (2 MEXICANS) and Sjt Steve ‘Stevie Amanullah’ McMullin (2 RIFLES) who provide the vital link between the company and our Afghan comrades of the Heavy Weapons Tolay, 6th Kandak of the Afghan National Army.  As Company 2iC I have the dubious pleasure of co-ordinating the whole merry bunch as well as planning future operations and managing the day to day running of the Company when the OC and CSM are out on the ground.

The daily routine is one of long hours of meetings, planning and typing endless reports to our lords and masters in Battle Group HQ with very few of us getting the chance to enjoy any natural light. Beechams (named for the cough medicine after he managed to get a cold when it was still 30 plus degrees outside) is winning the race to be the palest man in the Ops room although we are all running him close. Since the temperature has plummeted recently (we had ice inside the showers this morning!!) we have now taken to huddling around the kerosene heater that has appeared in the ops room!  The highlight of the day is without doubt the evening conference, which has become an essential part of the social calendar, when everyone produces the latest goodies they have received from home and try to out do each other with never ending culinary treasures.  There have been some outstanding contributions so far including flapjacks, cookies and cakes to name but a few. Due to the long hours (the average day is about 0800-2200) we have spent a lot of time together and have really developed a very good bond.  There are constant bets being made over pretty much anything with cans of pop the main currency.  The constant war against mice has started to get competitive with a score board in place and the tactics becoming ever more scientific. We have even set up a barber shop with ‘Big Shag Lloyd’ pimping out LCpl Mumby who made the error of admitting he was a qualified barber! The banter flows thick and fast although there are early signs appearing of the onset of cabin fever!  Almost every sentence is now done in song and I reckon that before long we will be able to compose an Ops Room Musical to rival the CP PERKHA nativity play….

Still we can’t complain, compared to the lads in the CPs our life is very cushy!  The chefs in PB2 do a fantastic job of keeping us ‘festively plump’. Most of our tents now have heaters in, although the Kerosene supply is jealously guarded by ‘Batteries’ Conville, and a bad day is when the shower heaters stop working and we have to have a cold post gym shower! Luckily we have the G4 fairy to sort it out.  Speaking of the gym the number of people going has grown despite the massive drop in temperature (you will notice how soft we have got as all we do is complain about being cold!!!) and we are all determined to come back in good shape despite being desk jockeys.  And it also provides a much needed excuse to escape for some fresh air!

Finally, as I am sure you are all bored stiff by now, the festive season has come to the Ops room which has been turned into a winter wonderland with all the decorations that have been sent over.

Keep checking back for more 2 Rifles updates.