A Coy Blog from 1 Platoon, Lt Jones, CP SHAPARAK

December 2011

Lt Jones: The past two weeks have been weeks of constant progress for 1 Platoon and attachments in CP SHAPARAK, both inside and outside the wire. Our knowledge of the ground and population in 1 Platoon’s area of responsibility has become thorough enough now that we now brief the Company intelligence cell on changes in dynamics, rather than the other way round; thus giving them the chance to analyse the changes thoroughly and brief the whole Company on them.....

Moreover, our influence is spreading over the population who are receptive to the security we are providing them until the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) can begin to look after the area on their own. We even have some locals who give information about the Taliban willingly, because they know that ours is the right side to take.

This, along with the incredibly proactive and mature approach of the Riflemen of 1 Platoon on the ground, has led to great success in actively pushing away the Taliban from our area, by severely limiting their freedom of movement both in the day and at night. The boys have all enjoyed the opportunity to take the fight to the enemy during night patrols, and I particularly think they just enjoy the opportunity to plaster cam cream on their faces and do some ‘proper squading’, as Sjt Jakeman would say! Having now spent one month patrolling our patch, we are truly dominating it for the benefit of the locals, and for the ANSF, who in the past two weeks have begun to do regular partnered patrols with us; the transition of authority is already beginning, and is having a great effect on the population.

We have noticed one real change while out on the ground, although it isn’t to do with the population. Due to the farming cycle having come round to irrigation, some of the fields around our area have become absolutely bogging, so that going through them is very slow. This has led to the Platoon creating new formations and tactics to combat the terrain, although this change is only a temporary one, with the fields drying over to form a hard baked layer on the surface within a couple of days. Before those two days are up, though, the fields still take on a thieving personality, and have seen Riflemen digging for their boots!

But enough of 1 Platoon’s exploits out on the ground – a huge amount of work has gone on inside the CP, whenever not on patrol. As a priority of work, Sjt Jakeman and Cpls Jones and Price have been overseeing the drastic improvements to the defences of the compound we live in, to the extent that the CP is worlds apart from the one we took over a month ago. This is not just my own biased opinion. Locals on the ground have commented on the impressiveness of the new man made defences that have stopped the Taliban wanting to ‘have a go’. At any time of day, a bird’s eye view of the CP will look more like a building site full of fit, motivated, hard working individuals – no coffee breaks here; just hard work that makes us all embrace CP SHAPARAK as our home.

Furthermore, in addition to the work on the CP defences, LCpls Massey, Isaac, Gatting, and Myers have been in charge of further mission critical improvement projects. Second to that, changes are made to the CP that simply improve the living conditions: proper ablutions built, unnecessary walls collapsed, new brick laid flooring put in, kitchen updated, the list goes on – and all of this conceptualised and realised by the chosen men of CP SHAPARAK, with the basic tools and equipment in location. All individual skills have been brought out, from Rfn Barker’s experience as a ‘brickie’, to Rfn Staddon’s expertise with machinery taken from his farming roots; from Rfn Feather’s uncanny ability to produce some extremely tasty bread (and even teach the Platoon Commander a thing or two in the kitchen!), to Rfn Edwards’ artistic talents being employed along with Rfn Brook’s in making panoramic sketches for the sentry positions; and let us not forget the constant entertainment provided by Rfn Pearce’s singing, Rfn Denton’s cockney rhyming slang, and Rfn Doe’s unbelievable ability to make light of any situation. All in all, the chosen men of CP SHAPARAK have created such a solid bond together that, while all bringing different traits and benefits to the table, we live, breathe, and sweat together as one unit, 1 Platoon.

Lt Jones

1 Platoon

A Company

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