Greetings from Afghanistan

Corporal Glyn Sephton for Commanding Officer

04 November 2011

Most of the team have now been here for at least 2 weeks; some are still trickling in; and B Coy have been here for 2-3 months..... so an update might be appropriate.

We've had the most terrific handover from 1 RIFLES - friendly, efficient, informative and a total pleasure. I'm sure that there will have been the odd account-holder who thinks otherwise but across the board it has been great fun catching up with old friends, as we learn about our new patch and pick up the hard-won tricks of the trade from our fellow Riflemen. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their graft over the past 6 months in general and most particularly the last few weeks; they have given us the ideal platform to take forward the security of the NES(S) AO, having fought a hard campaign over the summer months.

Our new homes are basic but comfortable enough - with the exception of a couple of check-points that really do need some focussed work before the winter weather draws in. But that is all in-hand and there is always a difficult balance to strike between being back in relative comfort in one of the larger Patrol Bases versus being forward in a smaller Check Point with slightly fewer luxuries but the huge advantage of being well away from myself, the RSM, Company Commanders and Serjeant Majors. Usually the blokes will happily vote for independence and remoteness over comfort...... Anyhow, they are all in good shape, increasingly comfortable in their new areas and settling in to their new reality.

As you may know, we also have B Coy 1 PWRR, A Coy 2 MERCIAN, and A and C Coys 2 RIFLES with us as part of the Battlegroup, as well as 30 individuals from 7 RIFLES and other TA units. They too have settled in well and we all seem to be rubbing along together extremely happily. And we have a vast, bewildering range of attachments from around the Army, Navy and RAF, as well as various civilian contractors, interpreters and the like. We have at last met our Afghan partners too - from the Army and Police - and have found that all of the focus on partnering during our training has worked. Our language skills are a bit rusty but the 'terps' help us there; what we can do is eat food and drink tea and chat about our families and home and sport and the weather - and like anywhere else, that is the key to strong relationships out here. Again we have to thank 1 RIFLES for leaving us a well-established network of links with the local community, so most Commanders have spent quite a bit of time out and about getting to know their local elders and opinion-formers, who for the most part are a friendly bunch.

I hope that the various Companies will be doing their bit to keep their pages up-to-date with some more specific news of the characters that make up this wonderful Battlegroup - and if they don't then I'll put the Adjutant onto them!

In the mean time, all the best to you all from PB2.


Tom Copinger-Symes