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T H E J H C D E L I V E R I N G J O I N T S U C C E S S O N O P E R A T I O N S

Ex Joint Warrior
CJOAX
Tests American Airborne
Exercise Leads the Way

Our
for Practical Interoperability

Ability
847 NAS Wildcat Deck Landing Training

Wildcat
to React on the
Waves
British and
American Sappers
Building Together
845 NAS on Ex
Joint Warrior 151
AAC JNCOs
Put Through
Their Paces

J O U R N A L O F T H E J O I N T H E L I C O P T E R C O M M A N D
 CONTENTS

Contents Issue 2, 2015

41
8

Capability Begins
28

With Training…
Aviation Training International Limited (ATIL) is a 50:50 joint venture
between AgustaWestland Limited and The Boeing Company. 26
14
It was formed in 1998 as a special purpose vehicle to deliver
the Attack Helicopter Training Service contract for the UK Army.
The contract was financed under a PFI arrangement. COVER STORY British & American Sappers US Exchange Pilot Visit to SPORT
Ex Joint Warrior Tests Building Together ..................... 14 846 Naval Air Squadron.............. 24 Northern Ireland
Our Ability to React .................. 12 Ex Shamrock Mayne ................. 15 Guernsey Liberation Day ................ 26 Operational Shooting
ATIL holds a unique position as a training organisation in being able CJOAX American Exercise New Name for Suffolk’s Competition 2015 ....................... 32
to provide total synthetic training solutions in the areas of Aircrew, CAPABILITY Leads the Way for Practical Airborne Engineers .................... 27 Exercise White Knight .............. 33
Groundcrew and Maintenance training. A range of equipment is Welfare Facilities Interoperability ......................... 16 Army on Show to Yeovilton Triathlon .................... 34
employed to represent the sophisticated systems that reside within an Equipped to Entertain Joint Aircrewman Course ......... 18 Suffolk Community ................... 27 Army Air Corps
aircraft of the complexity of the Apache. High-readiness Troops .............. 5 Ex Neptunes Beard ................... 20 AAC JNCOs Put Parachuting ............................... 35
Wildcat on the Waves ................ 6 Ex Merlin Vortex ........................ 21 Through Their Paces ................. 28 AAC Female Nordic Skiing ....... 36
The End of an Era ...................... 7 845 NAS on Exercise 7 Flight AAC Supports 9 Regt AAC Charity Squash
From weapons to avionics, each device allows students to familiarise Wildcat Transition ...................... 8 Joint Warrior 151 ....................... 22 Gurkha 200 Anniversary ........... 30 Marathon Endurance Event ...... 37
themselves with some of the most advanced technology in the world. The 9 Regt AAC Cycling,
equipment is based on full size aircraft systems and provides a high degree TRAINING PEOPLE CHARITY Paris-Roubaix 2015 .................... 38
of fidelity offering the necessary tactile and visual cues, greatly reducing the CHF Support the Airborne Gunners Fire Soldiers Cycle Round AAC Netball .............................. 40
need to use operational aircraft for training purposes. Constant investment Ten Tors Expedition .................... 10 Royal Salute in Colchester ........... 24 the Clock for Charity .................. 30 5 AAC Hit the Hills .................... 41
British & American Soldiers and Sailors Soldiers Raise Money to Help Yeovilton Flying High with
by the MoD and ATIL in technology insertions has ensured that the training
Artillery Train Together ............. 11 Parade Through Yeovil .................. 24 Nepalese Earthquake Victims ..... 31 Marathon Success ..................... 42
system remains one of the most up to date in the world.

Aviation Training International Limited

Coldharbour Business Park, EDITORIAL SUBMISSION DATE…
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Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4JW FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2015 online please scan the
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Email: enquiries@atil.co.uk This publication is copyright Lance Publishing Limited and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without prior written permission of Lance Publishing Limited.
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VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 3

FOREWORD
Foreword
Spring and Summer 2015 have seen the JHC continue to deliver
successfully against a fast moving and exciting programme.
W
e continue to hit key milestones
in the development of
new capabilities and those
deployed on Op TORAL
continue to provide support in Kabul;
the Puma Mk2 is performing well and
this is testament to the dedication and
hard work of all those at RAF Benson.
The rest of the Command has also been
extremely busy training for contingent
operations, this training was put into
effect during Op LAYLAND which saw the
rapid and very successful deployment of
3 Chinooks and Joint Helicopter Force
HQ 3 to India in the wake of the Nepal
earthquake. Although the Nepalese
declined to use these assets, it did showcase
the agility of our forces to react swiftly.
Elsewhere, our forces have been working
closely with allied nations to improve
PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 FOR THE COVER STORY
EXERCISE JOINT WARRIOR
L Z DZ M a g a z i n e i s a l s o o n l i n e a n d c a n b e f o u n d a t : w w w. l z d z o n l i n e . c o . u k
4 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
MeettheTeam
EDITORIAL
Editor: Sqn Ldr Mark Radbourne
E: JHC-RPS-Media-SO2@mod.uk
T: 01264 381 122
– based at Merville Barracks in Colchester.
SALES
Sales Manager: Laurence Rowe
E: laurence@lancepublishing.co.uk
T: 01536 526 662
– specialists from 13
DESIGNER
Designer: Chris Keller
E: chris@lancepublishing.co.uk
T: 01536 526 672
– commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
PUBLISHER
Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor,
Tailby House, Bath Road, Kettering,
Northants NN16 8NL
T: 01536 512 624
E: mike@lancepublishing.co.uk
interoperability; Ex Joint Warrior, embarked W: www.lancepublishing.co.uk
exercises in the Baltic and the Combined Company Registration No. 3253372
Joint Operational Access Exercise in the – Room off the ground said, ‘The facility has been
USA were all a huge success. These saw a PRINTER
broad cross-section of the JHC exercising Lance Print Ltd, 29/30 Stapledon Road,
with our allies, providing support to the Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6TD
Lead Commando Group and validating the T: 01733 390 564
Air Assault Task Force. The knowledge, E: lanceprint@lanceprint.co.uk
skills and experience gained on such W: www.lanceprint.co.uk
exercises will be key to our future success. –
I was also impressed to see the amount FURTHER INFORMATION
of adventurous training, sport and W: w ww.mod.uk/defenceinternet/
development activities across our units, in aboutdefence/whatwedo/
such a busy environment it is important we airsafetyandaviation/jhc
all make time to undertake such events. –
We now look forward to the second half PHOTOGRAPH CREDIT:
of 2015 with a busy schedule planned to Mr C A Harris of Salisbury. Merlin
build on the good work already completed. precision landing published
I look forward to seeing you in the in LZDZ Issue 1 2015.
field and at home. Good luck. –
COVER CREDIT
Maj Gen Richard Felton CBE © MoD Crown Copyright
Commander JHC
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
CAPABILITY
Welfare Facilities
EquippedtoEntertain
High-readiness Troops
New welfare facilities have been opened events such as games nights and Private Glover, one of the soldiers
up for Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) troops movie nights, it also presents a involved in the planning and delivery of
fantastic location from which to the project said, ‘The pool tables, games
display pictures of all that is good and DVDs that we have were all very kindly
Written By: Capt Nick Burdick about service in 13 AASR and 16 Air Asslt Bde. Ultimately donated. It’s a great place for people
the Red & Black Room will be a significant force multiplier to socialise and it’s perfect to meet new
T
he airborne logistics in the areas of morale, retention and team cohesion.’ people when they join the regiment.’
Air Assault Support Regiment
(13 AASR) RLC opened their new
recreation room on Thursday (11th June) in
an event attended by Brigadier Nick Borton,
The new facility will be known as the
Red & Black Room, after the regimental
colours, and will house pool tables, TVs,
games consoles and a wi-fi access. The aim
of the project has been to give the soldiers
somewhere to relax when they are off-duty.
The regimental Quartermaster, Maj Jo
McCord, who helped get the Red and Black
warmly received by all of the soldiers of 13
AASR. Not only does it provide a superb area
where they can relax, play pool and organise
FURTHER
INFORMATION
13 AASR, who have just returned from
a huge interoperability exercise with
the 82nd Airborne Division in North
Carolina, are currently preparing
to support Exercise Askari Storm
in Kenya in the coming months.
VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 5
CAPABILITY
847 NAS Wildcat Deck Landing Training
Wildcat
on the
Waves
Over the course of two weeks in April,
847 Naval Air Squadron conducted their first
Wildcat AH1 Deck Landing training from RFA
LYME BAY off the Southern coast of England.
Written By: Kerry Randall
D
eploying with four Wildcat
Battlefield Reconnaissance
Helicopters (BRH) and 44
personnel, 847 NAS established
a forward operating base at RNAS
Culdrose. The Squadron were also
6 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
joined by a team from the Air using traditional techniques, however on this
Manoeuvre Planning Training occasion the aircrew now benefited from the
and Advisory Team (AMPTAT) Wildcat’s advanced camera (EODS Electro
from the Joint Helicopter Optical System) and navigation equipment.
Command including a military This greatly improved the task of locating
lawyer from the Army Legal Service who and identifying the ship from a distance
provided realistic scenario based training. enabling the aircrew to complete their
Flying out of RNAS Culdrose to RFA training, even in difficult weather conditions.
LYME BAY, the crews conducted day and To improve familiarity with the aircraft
night, including the use of night vision systems, additional training was devised
goggles (NVG) deck landings. These sorties which involved tracking an ‘enemy force’,
involved flying out to the ship to conduct played by the local Police and Fire services
the various procedural circuits and landings, in and around Bodmin Moor. This was
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
achieved, both day and night, using the
onboard camera to locate and identify targets
building upon crew skills previously learnt
on deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Over the course of the two week
training detachment, 847 NAS flew over
80 hours and conducted over 100 deck
landings, qualifying all the aircrew in
preparation for the Squadron to assume
its Very High Readiness (VHR) role in
April this year. As the UK’s first frontline
deployable Wildcat BRH squadron, 847
NAS can now deploy on any aviation
capable ship in the Royal Navy and operate
around the world at short notice.
Lt Cdr Graeme Spence, CO 847 NAS said,
“This deployment heralds the beginning
VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK
of a new era for 847 NAS and thanks to
the supreme efforts by the Squadron
personnel, this complicated and vitally
important training evolution was
completed successfully and ahead of
time. The Squadronn is once again now
capable of operating from the sea.
The Wildcat BRH marks a significant
improvement in 847 Squadron’s ability
to operate in the maritime environment.
Wildcat BRH provides vastly improved
situational awareness to the aircrew
through a combination of its sensors, radios
and navigation equipment. This in turn will
generate capacity in the cockpit allowing
aircrew to focus more of their attention on
completing the mission successfully.”
The End of an
Era
Written By: Sgt Anderson
Tuesday 31st March 2015
was an emotional day for
667 (D&T) Sqn AAC.
T
oday was to be the last ever
flight of XZ642, our last mighty
Lynx MK7 before it was retired.
XZ642 arrived in the Sqn in
2011, after being a servant with 1, 3,
4 and 9 Regt AAC and a number of
deployments on Op TELIC, in doing so it
accumulated over 7,000 hours in the air.
The Lynx Mk7, built by Agusta
Westland has been in service with the
AAC for the best part of 40 years and is
still the proud record holder of the fastest
production helicopter in the world!
XZ642 has been a real workhorse for
D&T Squadron since its arrival, it has
deployed around the UK and Europe
supporting various trials, one of its
main tasks has been to trial different
Defensive Aid Suites to protect
the aircraft from enemy threats.
 At 11:55am, XZ642 departed Middle
Wallop for its final sortie, crewed by
WO2 Rick Boys (who still remains the
oldest serving pilot across the tri-
services, at least that is what we tell
him!), WO2 Steve Robinson and LCpl
Bobby Roberts. After two short hours,
the Lynx made its last ever landing,
where it was to be welcomed back to
Hangar 1 by all members of D&T Sqn
and Wing Commander Andy Ouellette,
the Commanding Officer of the JHC
Operational Evaluation Unit who had
made the trip from RAF Benson to mark
this occasion. Once the aircraft had been
put to bed by the Groundcrew, we raised
a glass of Aldi’s finest ‘Champagne’
washed down with a cheeky slice
of cake, not only to celebrate the
service of the Lynx Mk7 with D&T
Squadron, but to look to the future
with the Squadrons Lynx Mk9A.
LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 7
CAPABILITY
T
he new building on the North side
of RNAS Yeovilton, boasts superb
planning, briefing and office facilities
within the Joint Force Operating
Centre; the fleet currently sits at 16 airframes
with engineering split between 847 NAS,
1 Regt AAC and the Wildcat Contract
Maintainers; resources and manpower are
steadily improving and aircraft availability
is increasing and finally the team itself has
morphed from The Wildcat Fielding Team into
652 (WF) Sqn AAC, playing a key role within
1 Regt AAC. This inclusion will greatly assist
not only 652 Sqn’s ability to deliver CTT and
CTR but will also allow 1 Regt AAC to prepare
itself to become the first AAC Wildcat Regt.
CONVERSION TO ROLE
Utilising experience gained on previous AAC
aircraft types, the Wildcat Conversion to Role
(CTR) syllabus was developed. It would utilise
experience of both the Apache and Lynx CTR
courses and also bring together the work that
had been carried out as part of the Operational
Evaluation/Tactical Development of the Wildcat
BRH. On completion of the Conversion to
Type Training (CTT), pilots are streamed into
the Left Hand Seat or the Right Hand Seat.
This will have an influence on the focus of their
training, which will become very apparent to
them during the Battle Drills phase of CTR.
This involves training the individual in the roles
required from their seat; with the RHS focussing
on handling and aircraft management and
the LHS focussing on operating the aircraft
and its systems. From here they move into
Patrol Drills, where they learn to operate
as a crew and as part of a patrol, building
their skills in more demanding scenarios.
Culminating in a demanding EW exercise at
RAF Spadeadam and Otterburn Training Area,
the Wildcat BRH CTR course will challenge
and enthuse any future aviator, ensuring
they have the skills to operate the Army’s
newest helicopter to the required standard.
TRIALS
The past twelve months has yet again been
busy on the Trials and Operational Evaluation
front. The aircraft envelope has been further
expanded to an almost in service condition
and the mission systems have received the
much anticipated System Release 8 ensuring
capability is close to front line standard. GPS
jamming trials were conducted at Sennybridge
and the systems performed perfectly. Much
work has been carried out on ‘Detect,
Recognise and Identify’ profiles with EODS
and it has surpassed expectations both day
and night. This data has been used to populate
Mission Flight Reference Cards, Commanders
Aide Memoirs and the Electronic Battle Box
to assist Commanders in the asset planning
8 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
process. Crew Served Weapons trials and
training was conducted at Kirkcudbright and
demonstrated that the Wildcat can pack a
punch in the defensive and offensive roles and
proved that the integrated nature of the mission
systems has vastly improved our capabilities.
The most recent trials have seen Wildcat deploy
to Spadeadam and Otterburn to conduct
Defensive Aids Suite trials and training. One
of the big headlines to come out of all these
activities is the Wildcat BRH Tactical Operating
Manual. The six volumes cover all aspects of
operating the Wildcat effectively and efficiently.
ISTAR, Direction of Joint Fires, LMMM, Ground
ops, Comms and Defensive Aids; they can
be found within the Electronic Battle Box.
AIRCREWMEN
With CTT 1 now complete, the Aircrewmen
have moved on to the CTR phase. They arrive
qualified, current and competent as Wildcat
An Update
Wildcat
Transition
The point at where the Army Wildcat transition is now (compared
to it’s early days three years ago) is a massive achievement.
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK
specific Crew Served Weapons Operators (CSWO) on both to be implemented. With those
GPMG and M3M HMG weapon systems. A week of M3M in place, data integration will be
initial ground training and GPMG revision was then put into able to continue. The results of
practice on Kirkcudbright Ranges in November last year in that evaluation work will assist in
which over 34,000 rounds were fired. This training allows the development of Bowman Data
the Aircrewmen to defend the aircraft whilst also having SOPs for the Wildcat force and
the ability to ‘reach out’ to the enemy with the M3M. feed into other programmes such
CTR will now teach and assess the Aircraft Commander as the Merlin Mk 4 and Project
to become a Qualified Controller (Own Weapons). MORPHEUS. Bowman voice has
This enables him to direct and control the CSWO’s fire been tested and demonstrated to
onto targets. It is the final step to providing Wildcat units outside the ARF, notably 3
with the ‘teeth’ to enter the battlefield, from a crew Cdo Bde on Ex JOINT WARRIOR
served weapons point of view. The new Aircrewmen and Ex GREEN LIGHTNING
of CTT2 have been introduced to Wildcat through the where the aircraft showed off
Wildcat Training Centre’s ground school its in-built RRB capability and
programme. Early summer will see them its ability to be added to nets via over the
start their flying phase, complete their air distribution of comms info. This will be
final handling tests and join their front seat added into the CTR training for the aircrew
crews as the course progresses. By the and it is being looked at as a possible SOP for
end of the year, they will have completed when the aircraft need to operate with units
CTT2 and another group of Aircrewmen who don’t have them in their comms plan.
will have travelled down what promises
to be a well trodden and exciting path. WILDCAT MISSION SUPPORT SYSTEM
A new mission planning system has finally
GROUNDCREW arrived at 652 Sqn in the form of the Wildcat
The start of CTR has brought a fantastic Mission Support System (WMSS). And the
opportunity to adopt a new ‘Wildcat way’ of good news is… It works! The team have been
doing business which takes into consideration very busy learning the intricacies of the system
experience and knowledge of the Lynx which in turn will make the process of mission
aircraft, Theatres of operation, international planning more effective and efficient. The
collaboration, interoperability and likely previous ‘mission planner’ was nothing more
future operations. The key headlines from the than an engineering tool to place basic flight
Groundcrew is everything follows a template; data in to the aircraft. WMSS is a full mission
from the equipment and personnel to Orders planner, networked and allows multi-aircraft
and SOP’s. Everything has been scrutinised, missions to be planned seamlessly. This fully
trialled and agreed by all stake holders. This digitised aircraft now requires extensive input
means that when briefs take place for the of information to maximise its capabilities,
Aircrew and Groundcrew, the direction is very from moving digital maps with up to date
clear and promotes confidence in all students. hazards, tactical overlays and routes to
The documentation and direction is nothing the communications presets of all of the
new, but has been carefully revised to take into airfields/units they are likely to encounter
consideration the new airframe requirements. en route. This allows a massive amount of
The Groundcrew Reference Cards (GRC) that data to be templated and pre-set prior to
have been developed by 652 Sqn AAC, have loading on to the aircraft for the mission.
now been fully proven and are in production. WMSS is the latest piece of state of the art
This is the way that all CTT and CTR courses will software that facilitates this process along
be run for the next few rotations and is leading with an equally impressively trained calibre
to a standard training format, delivered by of AAC pilots, aircrewmen and signallers.
the same personnel, following the authorised The past twelve months have seen some
SOP’s, which in time will mean there will be no big mile stones achieved within the Wildcat
‘isms’ between squadrons in the future; the programme. 847 NAS successfully completing
Wildcat Force will truly be a collective Force. CTT, 1 Regt AAC Workshops receiving their
first Wildcats and a Mission Planning System
COMMUNICATIONS that now works. As with any new programme
J6 development work continues in the of this scale, the work to progress never
background of the final stages of the first CTR stops and the pace remains suitably high.
and the start of CTT 2. A number of small The next big goals will be to complete 847
successes have come together and each has NAS Conversion to Role which will see them
been fed into the CTR process. The successful deploy to RAF Spadeadem and Otterburn to
sending and receiving of Bowman data from conduct their ‘final exercise’ and the start of
the aircraft led to the identification of a number the flying phase for CTT2. CTT2 will see the
of issues which needed solutions from industry start of 1 Regt AAC on its path to becoming
(AgustaWestland and General Dynamics UK) the first operational Wildcat Regiment.
LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 9
TRAINING
T
he annual Ten Tors Expedition is
one of the biggest multi agency, tri
service, civil contingency exercises in
Britain and the Commando Helicopter
Force is ideally suited to provide aviation
support due to the nature of the Ten Tors
tasking, which requires a helicopter and crew
that can operate effectively in the Support
Helicopter role and the Search
Commando Helicopter Force and Rescue role, by both day and
Support
night, in all weather conditions.
From a military exercise
perspective, Ten Tors provides
the Ten Tors
the Armed Forces with a
perfect opportunity to practice
life-saving civil contingency
Expedition
responsibilities enabling the
military to be ready to assist
when they are called upon
during a national emergency.
TWO Sea King Mk4 helicopters from 848 NAS provided aviation
848 Naval Air Squadron, based in RNAS support with enablement of
Yeovilton, with their highly trained pilots, trooping, Immediate Response
aircrewmen and engineers, and with Tasking (IRT) for casualty
onboard medical teams, provided 1 Artillery evacuation, winching and carried
Brigade and Headquarters South West with out recces for the medical
invaluable assets that played a vital role in teams and cadet familiarisation
the success of the Ten Tors Expedition 2015. flights. A highlight for the
crews being the opportunity to
Written By: Kerry Randall meet the Blue Peter presenters who were
taking part in the Ten Tors challenge.
Flt Lt Becky Rowlands, 848 NAS
Detachment Commander said, “This was
another successful Ten Tors. Saturday turned
into a beautiful day from both a ground and
air point of view which helped in reducing the
numbers of casualties that needed evacuation.
The event provided a great opportunity to
practice many flying disciplines like underslung
loads and winching and a lot of the tasking
was reactionary, especially the patient pick
ups. From a personal point of view, it was
inspiring to see the participants dotted
across the Moor, their determination and
motivation obvious as they trudged through
wet terrain and up and down the Tors.”
The aircrew were supported by a team
of engineers and the Commando Mobile
Air Operations Team (MAOT) who provided
communications, helicopter
and passenger
handling
support.
10 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
With the infamous Dartmoor weather
being kind over the course of the weekend,
the two Sea King crews provided over
38 hours of ‘Very High Readiness’ for IRT
and CASEVAC-ed seven patients back to
medical facilities at Okehampton Camp.
This year was the final time that the
venerable Sea King Mk4 will support Ten
Tors as it is due to go out of service in
March 2016. Support to the expedition will
be handed over to 848’s sister squadron,
846 NAS with their Merlin Mk3s.
For Lt Cdr Bob Bond of 848 NAS, it
was a particularly poignant weekend as
he recalled taking part in the Ten Tors
challenge as a young Air Cadet and watching
the Sea Kings flying over Dartmoor.
Lt Cdr Bond said, “20 years ago I did Ten
Tors for a number of years and seeing the
Sea Kings flying on Dartmoor gave me the
inspiration to try and become a pilot, which I
did, and now I’m here supporting the event.”
 848 NAS and the Sea King were awarded
a Gold Medal for over 20 years of
support to Ten Tors.
The citation read,
‘After 30 years
of delivering
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
Commando British & American Artillery Light Gun, and the
Train Together
Aviation, and heavier M777A2
over 20 years 155mm howitzer.
supporting Ten 2-319th AFAR’s
Tors, the Sea First Lieutenant Gerald
King Mk4 will be Colchester’s airborne gunners have joined forces Tucke, 28 from Boston,
retired in March with their American counterparts as they train for said: “We are looking
2016. This has their role in the British Army’s rapid reaction force. to find common
been the last year ground between
that the Sea King Written By: Gareth Palmer our two systems and the way we do things - be
has supported it calling for fire, working the control points,
D
the event and uring March this year, 7th right down to the guns - so that an American
its crews and Parachute Regiment Royal Horse observer can work British artillery and British
support staff have Artillery (G Bty) was joined on observers can use an American artillery line.
been integral to Exercise Steel Sabre by troops “How they call for fire missions is different
ensuring a safe and from the US 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne to how we call fire missions but at the end of
successful Ten Tors. Field Artillery Regiment (2-319th AFAR). the day they are still sending data to a cannon
The Ten Tors Organisation would like to The exercise, held in wintry conditions at and it is processing it and it is firing. It’s the
present 848 NAS and the Sea Kings a the Otterburn ranges in Northumberland, small things but overall, not very different.
Gold Medal award in recognition of the saw 7 Para RHA live firing their L118 “Most interesting is how often the British
support and commitment to Ten Tors.’ 105mm Light Guns directed by Fire military train and how far and wide they go to
Flt Lt Rowlands added, “It is sad that Support Teams, who work with infantry to train, from all the way up here to somewhere
this was the last time that the Sea King will co-ordinate artillery and air support. in Africa. Overall, it has been an awesome
support the event but I know the event G Bty, 7 Para RHA trained with 2-319th experience, these guys are top notch.”
holds many fond memories for Junglies AFAR in January at Fort Bragg in North Ex Steel Sabre saw 1,400 gunners from
and ex-Junglies alike. Next year will see Carolina and this exercise was the reciprocal 17 British regular and Reserve regiments
the event supported by the Sea King’s visit. The two units parent formations, 16 from 1 Artillery Brigade’s train together
replacement, the Merlin Mk3.” Air Assault Brigade and 82nd Airborne to prepare for future operations.
Division respectively, both serve as their
armies’ rapid reaction forces and are working FURTHER
towards being able to deploy as a joint INFORMATION
force in response to international crises.
Gunner Lawrence Quinn, 23 from 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse
Northampton, said: “I visited the US to fire their Artillery (7 Para RHA) is based at
guns, as well as ours, and saw the variations in Merville Barracks, Colchester and
the kit. I feel this has broadened my experience equipped with L118 105mm Light
Guns. Its primary role is to provide
and I have seen the differences not only in the
a gun battery ready to deploy
equipment but in the training and the lifestyle. anywhere in the world at short notice
“It is good that US soldiers are also here to as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, the
experience the British way of doing things.” British Army’s rapid reaction force.
2-319th AFAR is equipped with the M119A3
Howitzer, a modified version of the British
VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 11
TRAINING

Ex Joint Warrior

Tests
Our
Ability
to React
16 Air Assault Brigade and other
elements of the Joint Helicopter
Command have shown their ability
to rapidly deploy to the right
place at the right time and carry
out a series of complex missions
in a range of environments.

1
6 Air Assault Brigade’s Air Assault 2 PARA BG parachuted on to the STANTA in a very short space of time are a powerful
Task Force - made up of the 2 PARA Ranges in Norfolk to assault a village. demonstration of the unique flexibility, reach
Battlegroup and a Joint Helicopter Brigadier Nick Borton DSO MBE, and agility of airborne and air assault troops.”
Force led by 3 Regiment Army Air Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, The 2 PARA BG is built around the
Corps – was tested on Exercise JOINT said: “Joint Warrior provided an excellent airborne infantry of Colchester-based 2nd
WARRIOR, the largest annual military opportunity for 16 Air Assault Brigade to Battalion The Parachute Regiment bolstered
exercise in Europe. The AATF is held at work alongside the Royal Navy and RAF in its by artillery, engineers, medics, signallers
high-readiness ready to deploy anywhere role as the British Army’s very high-readiness and logisticians. The Joint Helicopter Force
in the world to conduct the full range of formation for contingency operations. This includes Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air
military operations from non-combatant realistic and well-resourced training reflects Force helicopters providing transport, attack
evacuation operations to warfighting. the type of operations that the brigade and reconnaissance support to troops on
The exercise placed the troops on a could be called on to do, both in terms of the the ground, and is currently commanded
mission to support an ally tackling an tactical challenges and their expeditionary by 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, based at
insurgency backed by a hostile neighbour. nature. The missions that we had to achieve Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk.
After receiving its activation order, the Exercise Joint
1,600-strong AATF converged on the Joint Warrior involved
Air Mounting Centre (JAMC) in South 13,000 military
Cerney, Gloucestershire, the departure personnel from 14
point for troops heading off on operations. countries, more
Once processed, the troops and equipment than 55 warships
moved to MoD St Athan in south Wales to and 70 aircraft and
plan a mission to capture Keevil Airfield, helicopters. Taking
100 miles away on Salisbury Plain. place twice a year,
Once that objective was seized in a the training aims to
helicopter assault, the soldiers then reset test how the Royal
themselves to plan and conduct further Navy, Army and
missions. The JHF’s Apache attack helicopters Royal Air Force work
flew back into Wales to strike simulated enemy together and with
positions at Pembrey Sands and then the allied forces.

12 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 13
TRAINING
British and American Sappers
Building
Together
British and American airborne engineers
have worked together to develop their key
skills of building and repairing runways.
Written By: Gareth Palmer
E
xercise Pegasus Gaul has seen
23 Parachute Engineer Regiment
training with the US Army’s 37th a big task to get on with. We cleared and prepared a
Brigade Engineer Battalion and
173rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.
The soldiers familiarised themselves
with each other’s equipment and
techniques, before working together
to build a temporary landing strip
at Rock Barracks in Woodbridge.
The week-long training is part of
improving the ability of 16 Air Assault
Brigade and the US Army’s 82nd
Airborne Division, which both serve as
their respective armies’ rapid reaction
forces, to deploy as a joint force in
response to international crises.
23 Para Engr Regt’s Major Dave
Stead said: “The US is among our closest
allies and learning to work together
with their airborne engineers is a key
objective for the Regiment. The focus of
this exercise is developing our common
skills of constructing semi-improved
surfaces for transport aircraft to operate
from. There are three elements to that –
training to use each other’s equipment;
understanding the different criteria
we work to and merging them so a US
aircraft could fly from a UK-built airstrip
and vice versa; and then building trust
and understanding between us by
getting out and doing the job together.
“It’s going really well. Under close
supervision, US operators are finding it
remarkably easy to use our equipment
and we’re sharing experiences
and learning from each other.”
14 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
happen. It’s been a good experience
to work alongside the Americans who
really are the same soldiers as us,
just wearing a different uniform.”
23 Para Engr Regt and 37 BEB have
already worked together this year on the
Combined Joint Operational Exercise at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The two-
month long exercise culminated in a
simulated mission in which 1,900 British
and American troops and their equipment
parachuted into a troubled
Airfield construction is a region to work side-by-
key skill for the rapid reaction side to restore stability.
role, enabling further troops 37 BEB’s Sergeant First
and equipment to be brought Class Patrick Stundahl, 36
in to develop a force’s from Mississipi, said: “We’ve
capabilities. Building a landing strip from bonded together really well
scratch involves clearing vegetation and across the two exercises.
PICTURED:
topsoil away with diggers and bulldozers; CJOAX was about the British Airtpr Cooke controls
levelling it with a grader to stringent length, coming over to operate on our the rate of fire
width and gradient standards to enable aircraft to take terms, and this is us working
off and land; and then compacting it with a roller. with British equipment and RIGHT:
LCpl Wright crests a
Sapper Martin Bell, 24 from Pontyclun in South Wales, procedures. It’s all about sand dune to close
said: “To do a full runway is a long job, but I like having building a relationship now with the enemy
so that if we go on operations
Ex
full landing strip in Kenya last year and it’s rewarding together we already know
to see a Hercules land and know that you made that all about each other.”
Shamrock
The attached Royal Engineers of the RIGC
Geo Troop showed excellent marksmanship
Mayne
on a particularly challenging Live Firing Stand
with Spr Greenhalgh dropping targets and
and the competition Airtpr Cooke delivering fire control orders to
all members of the conserve ammunition. All go in the fictional
team were tested. AO the enemy had been successfully repelled;
After gaining immediately after the team were instructed
top marks for kits to deal an IED. Moving into a 4Cs operation
checks and orders, the section began taking sporadic fire from
the team started very an increasingly adventurous enemy again.
5 Regiment AAC were given an opportunity to well and managed The section reacted quickly and a point of
practise their Basic Close Combat Skills (BCCS) and to catch the ROYAL fire was established, LCpl Byrne controlling
compete with other units based in Northern Ireland. IRISH team in short Delta fire team on a daring hill sprint and
order. However, it fire team attack combination which took
Written By: Lt Mike Askey wasn’t long before contact drills were being the enemy completely by surprise.
© SAC Egan Ground Photographic RIGC (NI)
tested with Airtpr MacDonald calling “Enemy A lengthy TAB concluded the event as
E
x SHAMROCK MAYNE organised pre seen” and the section smoothly moved we arrived at the final objective where we
by 1 SCOTS consisted of a number into a defensive posture. Despite putting delivered a final debrief and kit check, again
of stands akin to Ex CAMBRIAN in an excellent account for themselves the achieving top marks on both. Constant praise
PATROL. The variety of soldiers ‘local police’ guide unfortunately became was given and ‘best one of the day’ was a
and their roles in 5 Regiment saw a team of an early casualty, leading to an emotional recurring theme. The patrol team were awarded
groundcrew, signallers, REME technicians CASEVAC for all. The ground crew within the Silver standard, with only one team from the
and RIGC Geo Engineers train together the section indentified several potential ROYAL IRISH achieving Gold. Determination,
for a number of months leading up to the Helicopter Landing (HLS) Sites but were aggression and pure grit propelled the team
competition. Skill set and experience levels waved off; another 4km of uphill effort to a respectably high standard; we will have
varied, however through training received later, and a suitable HLS was confirmed. our sights clearly set on Gold next year.
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 15
TRAINING
CJOAX
American Airborne Exercise Leads
the Way for Practical Interoperability
During April and May this year, soldiers from both the USA and UK’s very
high-readiness forces have been training together at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
as part of the Combined Joint Operational Access Exercise (CJOAX).
Written By: Capt Nick Burdick
T
he exercise has been aimed at
developing the ability of troops
from 16 Air Assault Brigade to
work within the US Army’s 82nd
Airborne Division. Both formations serve as
their respective armies’ rapid reaction forces.
The 82nd Airborne Division also provides
backbone of the US military’s Global Response
Force, a crisis response task force that 16
16 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
Air Assault Brigade could be called upon to support in the future. Lieutenant Colonel with American airborne forces. The
The exercise highlighted how the UK’s VHR brigade could support a Mike Shervington, relationship we are building on this exercise
deployment of that force with it’s unique capabilities and experience. the 3 PARA BG’s is nothing new, we are simply dusting off the
Some 900 troops from the 3 PARA Battlegroup and the RAF worked Commanding Officer, history books and writing a new chapter.”
alongside soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team to learn about each said: “The world is The exercise saw British soldiers earn US
other’s operating procedures and equipment an uncertain and Army parachute wings by jumping with the
before taking part in a final exercise. The training menacing place and if we can create an allied American T-11 parachute from a United States
culminated in a simulated mission in which 2,100 force comparable to 70 years ago it offers Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft. American
troops, including the whole British Battlegroup, our political leaders a strong tool to use. soldiers also earned their British wings the
and their equipment parachuted into a troubled “Across its history, 3 PARA has done four same way but this time jumping from an RAF
region to work side-by-side to restore stability. combat jumps, of which three were in partnership Hercules that supported the exercise.
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TRAINING
Joint
Aircrewman
Course
Born out of a requirement to provide a more bespoke
course to fulfil the Single Service requirement for specific
helicopter platforms and roles, the new JAC evolved.
Written By: Flt Lt Gary Rogan
T
his is only the second course of its
type to have been completed at the
Defence Helicopter Flying School
(DHFS) based at RAF Shawbury in
Shropshire. Established in 1997, DHFS offers
a training facility which is unique within
the world of Defence Helicopter Training,
especially so with the recent addition of
specific Joint Service Training of Aircrewmen
for the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and the
Army in addition to the already established
training for the Royal Air Force.
The course content within the available
Modules was specifically sculptured by
the AAC for two L/CPLs to enable them to
achieve a standard where they could be
awarded their Aircrewman Brevet and be
posted to 651 Sqn AAC, to fill a specialised
role on the D4K Islander aircraft.
Let’s look at the JAC is finer detail. The
course comprises of a Ground School (GS) Phase
18 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
and a Flying Phase. pilots and is based on a single
The Ground School engine helicopter where the
Phase is sub-divided following systems are learnt:
into four further Airframe Construction, Electrics,
phases or elements and is ten weeks long if you Engines, Transmissions, Fuel
are required to complete all four phases. As and Hydraulic Systems, Radios,
mentioned earlier Single Service requirements Avionics and Navigation
will dictate which phases are necessary. Instruments, Main and Tail
Rotor Systems, to name a few
GROUND SCHOOL from a long list! Needless
PHASE ONE to say, lots to learn and yes,
This lasts two weeks, is based at DHFS and there is an exam at the end!
is designed to align the students from the
RN, RM and AAC to the input standard PHASE THREE
for Phase Two. During this phase they do This phase lasts two weeks and is
a maths reinforcement package to ensure titled, Rotary Wing Lead In (RWLI).
a level of ability that aids comprehension Again this is based at DHFS
of forthcoming subject matter. They also and is specific to certain roles.
cover all of the commonly used phrases, It covers a number of crewman
abbreviations and principles that are specific associated subjects
assumed as a given within the learning and role related knowledge
techniques used in the next phase and such as aircraft Loading and
onwards through their training Restraint, Dangerous Goods,
revision of helicopter technical
PHASE TWO systems, support elements to
This lasts four weeks, again based at DHFS. helicopter operations, radio
This is completed alongside the student voice procedures and lectures
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
on Joint Service formations, basing and
equipment. The course includes theoretical
and practical exercises of Internal loading
of cargo and external carriage of cargo
and underslung equipment procedures
and limitations. Also included are Weight
and Balance mathematical calculations to
ensure the correct trim of the aircraft and
that it conforms to safety requirements. In
order to ensure this, they are taught how
to calculate floor loading pressures and
contact areas within the aircraft floor.
*Certain roles such as RN (Maritime
Role) and AAC only have to complete the
first week of this phase and this therefore
cuts out most of the practical lessons.
PHASE FOUR
The final Ground School Phase lasts two
weeks and is only for those who need to
complete the Ground School specific to the
Griffin Helicopter, which has two engines and
hence there are some significant differences
in its systems and how they inter-link.
THE FLYING PHASE
Consists of four Modules with a fifth (Crew
Served Weapons) in the development
process. All four modules currently last a total
of 30 weeks. The modules are as follows…
MODULE ONE: BASIC SKILLS
12 weeks in duration, is common to most roles
and includes; Airmanship, Voice Marshalling,
Underslung Load operations, Confined
VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK
Areas, landing on
Sloping Ground,
an introduction
to Navigation
techniques, Night
Flying including the
use of Night Vision
Devices (NVDs) and
an introduction
to Instrument and
Tactical Flying.
MODULE TWO:
NAVIGATION
Seven weeks in
duration and is a mix
of ground training,
simulators and
practical. The basic
element is completed
on the Squirrel
Helicopter with
further reinforcement
of skills learnt
completed within
the framework of
other modules.
MODULE THREE: MOUNTAINS Engine Rotary Wing (MERW) course, which
AND MARITIME is only completed by RN Commando
(Including Search and Rescue techniques using Helicopter Force (CHF) and RAF crews.
the aircraft rescue winch). This consists of an
intensive introduction to operating over water So now you have a feel for the elements
and in the mountain environment. During the of the Ground Phase and Flying Phase
five week course, the student learns how to Modules you can understand that some
operate as both the winchman and of these were not absolutely necessary
the winch operator. A good portion for L/Cpl’s Jay Blay and Will Gilligan.
of the learning takes advantage of Because of their intended posting to
the synthetic training facilities using 651 Sqn AAC they were only required
a purpose built winching simulator. to completed Phase 2 and half of Phase
The final discipline they 3 of the Ground School and Flying
encounter is mountain flying. Modules One and Two before the
They experience this firstly in the award to their Aircrewmans’ Brevet.
cabin where they are required to Their Graduation Ceremony took
provide clearances from terrain place at DHFS on 14th May 2015. They
as the aircraft flies around valley were awarded their Brevet by Brigadier
floors and bowl shaped areas Cash, Dep Cmdr Joint Helicopter
within the higher terrain. Working Command (Desig). Before the ceremony
together with the pilot they select their families were invited to visit the
and brief suitable landing sites, training facilities and experience a
whilst understanding the various familiarisation flight in a Griffin Helicopter.
weather effects that influence When asked, what did you enjoy most
flying that are unique to the about the course? L/Cpl Will Gilligan said: “I
mountain environment. Finally, preferred the flying elements. The Ground
they are then placed into the School was hard work but I understood
front of the helicopter where they that I had to learn the subjects first.”
carry out the role of a co-pilot; L/Cpl Jay Blays’ comments were:
assisting the pilot with navigation. “Overall the most overriding feeling was of
a great sense of achievement to be one of
MODULE FOUR: TACTICAL the first few through this new course. The
AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES most challenging part for me was getting
Currently, Module 4 is the ‘old grey matter working’ so that I
completed as part of the Multi learned the checks and procedures!”
LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 19
TRAINING

ExMerlinVortex
The final phase of the Merlin
Conversion Course took
Land Force elements in various operational
taskings in addition to course based tactical
place last week on Salisbury scenarios to test the students flying skills.
Plain for eight Commando Exercise Merlin Vortex is the culmination
Helicopter Force students, of the students flying training which
as they deployed on tests their tactical flying abilities. The
Exercise Merlin Vortex. students deployed to a semi austere
field environment, away from their Main
Written By: Kerry Randall Operating Base in RAF Benson.
This course, No. 23 has two
This type of training puts the students
under pressure in a more challenging
environment, similar to what they may
face on operations, and provides more
realistic training for both the Merlin
OCF students and the tasking units.
With an impressive 100% availability, the
Merlin crews flew approximately 15 hours a day
in direct support of tasking from Land Forces.
One of the taskings for the students

O
perating out of Rollestone Camp; two
Merlin Mk3 helicopters, four trainee crews
and a support staff of over 40 personnel,
supported 3 Commando Brigade and other
ab-initio students, as well as six
Sea King convertees, but all the
students completed the same
demanding flying training.
was load lifting out of Bickleigh Barracks,
Plymouth, in support of 42 Cdo RM, in order
for 20 Royal Marine troops to complete their
Landing Point Commander qualification.
Lt Cdr John Wilson, Officer Commanding
Merlin OCF, said, “We are here to operate
with and support troops, so training with
live troops is vital for the student pilots and
aircrewmen. Deploying to field exercises like
Merlin Vortex is ideal for us to train and to

Ex
provide training for the units we support.”
The next step for the Merlin students
will be moving to their front line
Squadron, for most this will be 845 Naval
Air Squadron, where they will undergo

Neptunes
further front line training to achieve
which could range Yeovilton, who did an excellent job in extremely their Certificate of Competency and
from extraction of UK challenging weather and terrain. Always calm accredited as Aircraft Commanders.
personnel from a crisis and professional on the air to ground radio, Lt Pete Crease, Merlin Student said,

Beard
area, to air assault on despite the conditions, as Marine Gallagher “The Merlin training has been a great
Commando an enemy location. observed (whilst being lashed by horizontal challenge and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

MAOT on This information is

Dartmoor
Life on Commando Mobile Air Operations Teams
(MAOT) is always busy, but rarely dull, with a
constant stream of tasks supporting Joint Helicopter
Command (JHC) detachments around the world.
sent back to the task
hail), “It sounds nice and warm in that cockpit!”
The final phase of the exercise had
I’m very much looking forward to deploying
on Exercise Black Alligator, in the USA, in
force using satellite teams inserting by helicopter to the south the summer to learn more advanced flying
comms to inform moor, followed by a night yomp into hidden techniques, such as dust landings, it will
the aviation assault Observation Posts covering locations where also be the first time I have flown abroad.”
plan. The teams will hostages where being held. Their mission The Merlin Operational Conversion Force
then be directed was to provide intelligence on the situation will relocate to RNAS Yeovilton in July to rejoin
to set up landing and in particular identify potential Helicopter 846 NAS who moved earlier in the year.
aides, only visible Landing Sites (HLS) and rope-down points near

T
he last two years have seen teams
deploy on operations in Afghanistan,
the Philippines and Sierra Leone,
as well as exercises in Norway,
Albania and the Middle East. This is in
under Night Vision Goggles used by the
aircrew, and provide terminal guidance to the
helicopters on their clandestine infiltration.
Set within the context of a Lead Commando
Group (LCG) intervention in a foreign state,
the target buildings, to enable a simulated
hostage rescue operation. With enemy forces
reinforcing the area, the teams had to conduct
a covert extraction to an emergency pick-
up point, however thick fog resulted in no
Farewell to…

addition to the Very High Readiness standing
commitments. It was a welcome ‘break’ then
to have a two week period of local training
on the indomitable Dartmoor training area.
The aim of Exercise NEPTUNES BEARD was
Exercise NEPTUNES BEARD consisted of
rolling patrols within the rugged high moor,
moving from Okehampton to Wilsworthy
and finally the Ringmoor area. This was an
excellent vehicle for not only honing fieldcraft,
Brig Sexton
helicopter so a further yomp was required
to the next RV for a road extraction.
With a mix of weather, demanding terrain,
realistic scenario and excellent aviation
support, this proved to be an outstanding

B
sharpening the tactical field skills required to but developing the junior members of the period to consolidate the field skills that will On Wednesday 24 June, rigadier Sexton now moves onto
operate as part of the covert recce force that troop in leadership skills, from planning and be essential the next time the Cdo MAOT are Brigadier Neil Sexton, study at the Royal College of Defence
deploy in advance of the main force, inserting by briefing complex tasks to night navigation called into action. Deployments to Slovenia, Dep Commander JHC, Studies. Brigadier Cash joins the
parachute, small boats or other means. The job during a period of nil moonlight. the USA ,Western Med and Arctic over handed over the reins JHC on promotion following his
of the MAOT recce teams is to identify suitable The exercise was supported by both the next six months will further refine this to Brig Andrew Cash. time as Regimental Colonel AAC.
helicopter landing zones for the specific mission, Sea King and Merlin aircraft based at RNAS unique capability within UK defence.

20 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 21
TRAINING

The transit from Plymouth to the operating but also very enjoyable. We did everything from

845 NAS on
areas allowed the detachment a four day period deck landings on small foreign vessels to tactical
to bed-in to ship life, whilst also establishing low-level night navigation with troops on board. The
routines and consolidating the various skills coastal landscape of northern Scotland was breath-
that contribute towards being proficient in taking and made the flying all the more enjoyable.”

Exercise Joint
the maritime environment – including deck Concurrent to the intensive and rapidly-developing
landing by day and night (conventionally exercise scenario, the detachment shouldered the
and with night vision devices), winching, responsibility for an array of tasking which helped

Warrior 151
emergency approaches, ship-controlled
approaches and vertical replenishment-at-sea.
The period also saw an opportunity to
share some of the ‘Junglie’ expertise in
the planning and execution of amphibious
In April this year a detachment of 4 Sea King Mk4s and 83 personnel ops with aviation counterparts from the
from 845 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) of the Commando Helicopter Force other Services, with 18 Sqn RAF providing
(CHF) embarked in HMS OCEAN for Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 151. a detachment of two Chinooks and 656 Sqn
Army Air Corps providing a detachment of
Written By: By Lt Simon Jones service in March 2016. The responsibility of providing two Apaches which later surged to three.
the specialist airborne insertion and tactical transport In addition to flying crews and engineers,
multi-layered and meticulously-planned
scenario commenced. In short-order, the
facilitate the smooth running of the wider exercise.
Soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from all partaking
nations were diligently moved between the Ships,
landing sites, and Forward Operations Bases, all of
which were kept supplied with vital stores throughout.
The Junglies, along with SAR specialists 771 NAS, also
provided the Amphibious Task Force with 24/7 SAR cover
and maintain a compassionate and casualty evacuation
crew and aircraft for any personnel requiring
straight into an assault on the objective. immediate transport to the mainland.
The missions were a resounding success JOINT WARRIOR 2015 saw another

J
OINT WARRIOR to the Royal Marines is being handed over to 845’s sister CHF also made a vital contribution to the Air Group was given initiating orders to and all scenario objectives and targets successful embarkation for the ‘Junglies,’
represents the very squadron, 846 NAS with their Merlin Mk3s. The Merlin amphibious planning cell by providing most start planning the main amphibious assault were achieved. 845 NAS inserted over who met the task with their usual
best opportunity will give the ‘Junglies’ an improved load lifting and of the key personalities to the Amphibious to take place at the end of the exercise. 120 Royal, Dutch and Belgian Marines into professionalism and gusto. The lessons
for CHF to conduct range capability which will mean they can deliver more Task Force Air Group Head-Quarters (ATF Whilst half the crews carefully planned the various landing sites all over the Galloway identified from previous embarkations had
targeted and realistic training Royal Marines, with more equipment, further inland. AG HQ) including the 845 Commanding mission, the other half conducted ‘WADER’ peninsula. It proved to be excellent training been well assimilated, whilst the experience
for amphibious operations – HMS OCEAN sailed from Plymouth on 7th April; Officer, Operations Officer, Training Officer, drills - helicopter embarkation training - for for aircrew, ground troops and engineers provided a number of further lessons for
the role for which the Force onboard were four Sea Kings Mk4s and a SAR Sea Air Engineering Officer and Logistics Officer. the benefit of the ground troops, many as well as HQ and planning staff. fine-tuning future exercises and operations.
was originally conceived. King Mk5 from 771 NAS and they were joined by two With the Ship entering the exercise of whom were new to the environment. The final two pilots to graduate from The junior pilots and aircrewman, who
JOINT WARRIOR this year Chinooks and two Apaches just before sunset. areas off the north coast of Scotland, the As the Amphibious Task Group reached the training pipeline onto the Sea King will be the mainstay of CHF for the next
was, however, more than just an the main area of operations on the 19th Mk4 were both embarked as part of the generation, were able to expand and
annual amphibious exercise for the Sea King April, the missions began in earnest. 845 845’s flying crews. Lt Tom Lofthouse said, consolidate their maritime skill-set which
Mk4 community. It was the final time that NAS and 18 Sqn RAF began to insert Royal “My first detachment on the front-line will stand the ‘Junglies’ in good stead in
the venerable Sea King Mk4 would take part Marines ashore; either into covert landing couldn’t have been better. The range of their capacity as the corner-stone of the
in JOINT WARRIOR as it is due to go out of sites for a subsequent ground attack or flying that we conducted was demanding UK’s amphibious aviation capability.

22 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 23
 PEOPLE

Bands Playing,
Airborne Gunners Fire Colours Flying
Royal Salute in Colchester and Bayonets
Written By: Capt Nick Burdick in all its finery to the public. We’ve
Fixed as Soldiers
Airborne gunners have fired a
been rehearsing through the week and and Sailors Parade
Through Yeovil
the men enjoyed performing for an
Royal Salute in Colchester to mark appreciative crowd who joined us to send
The Queen’s Official Birthday. their congratulations to the Queen.”
The guns fired were 105 mm Light Guns, Written By: Kerry Randall, CHF PRO

W
ith several hundred the same type used by 7 PARA RHA for
spectators watching, a its operational role in the Air Assault Task The Freedom of the Borough to have the support of the local community
battery of six guns from Force, which is ready to deploy anywhere of Yeovil was exercised as 500 and an event like the Freedom Parade gives
Colchester-based 7th in the world at short notice for operations Sailors, Royal Marines and us the opportunity to show our thanks.”
Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery ranging from disaster relief to war fighting. Soldiers paraded through the The Mayor of Yeovil Cllr Mike Lock
(7 PARA RHA) fired a 21-gun salute in The guns will again be on public display Town of Yeovil in Somerset. said; “I am pleased and honoured” that
Castle Park at noon on 13th June. at the 16 Air Assault Brigade and Colchester the Commanding Officer of HMS Heron,

R
Lord Petre, the Garrison Show on Saturday July 4th. oyal Naval Air Station Yeovilton was Commodore Jock Alexander had chosen
Lord Lieutenant The show demonstrates the equipment and skills of 16 Air Assault granted the Freedom of Yeovil in 1962 today to commemorate the two anniversaries.
of Essex, was the Brigade, the British Army’s rapid reaction force, and culminates in a and with this great honour the right to Both days are key dates in our nation’s
Inspecting Officer combat demonstration by 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. parade. The Freedom of the Borough is history and they remind us of our freedom
as the Queen’s Running alongside the Show will be the PARAS’ 10 endurance an ancient privilege which dates from the time following the end of the Second World War.”
representative challenge and Active Essex, the County Sports Partnership for Essex, when standing armies, abroad the countryside, “The relationship between the town
in the county will be hosting a schools’ and families’ QuadKids athletics competition were often feared by townsfolk. To be given and the air station is stronger than
and The Band and the opportunity to try a number of different sports. the right to enter a town and parade in this ever and, as chairman of Yeovil Town
of The Queen’s way was considered a sign of great trust. Council, I will continue the practice of
Division performed. The band gave The right of the Freedom of the Borough of my predecessors of keeping in regular
both a formal marching display before Yeovil has been exercised by HMS HERON, on Army Air Corps, who relocated to RNAS Borough of Yeovil as they march through contact with the Commanding Officer and
the Royal Salute and an informal many occasions, most recently in 2010, showing Yeovilton in 2014, joined their RN and RM the streets of the town ‘with bands playing, offering my full support and assistance to
performance at the park’s bandstand. the close links between the Air Station and colleagues in the parade for the first time. colours flying and bayonets fixed’.” the air station in whatever way I can.”
Major Roy Taylor, Battery Commander the Town that have built up over the years. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of “I am very proud of the close bonds we The parade is one of a number of events
of F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery, said: On the 3rd June 2015 the people of HMS HERON, the march was led by the have formed with the people of Yeovil over commemorating the 75th Anniversary
“This is the fourth time my Battery has Yeovil saw service men and women of HMS Commanding Officer, Commodore Jock the years. Many of my people have made of the establishment of RNAS Yeovilton,
had the honour of firing the Royal Salute HERON - better known as RNAS Yeovilton Alexander OBE Royal Navy. He said: “The their homes in Yeovil and the local area. in June 1940, which will be the theme
in Colchester. It is a great honour and - parade once more through the town Service men and women of HMS HERON Wherever they are in the world, the men of this year’s International Air Day, to
an opportunity to show the Battery centre of Yeovil. Soldiers from 1 Regiment will be exercising their Freedom of the and women of RNAS Yeovilton are proud be held on Saturday 11th July.

US Exchange Pilot
in his recently released book After presenting a copy of his book to
‘Surprised at Being Alive’ - on a 846 NAS, Robert said. “It has been great
wide range of aircraft including to visit 846 and 847 Naval Air Squadron to

Visit to 846 Naval Air Squadron

Written By: Kerry Randall, CHF PRO
Retired United States Army Major,
Robert Curtis, returned to RNAS
Yeovilton to visit 846 Naval Air
Squadron where he served as a US
exchange pilot from 1983 to 1985.
Pictures: © Cpl Andy Reddy RLC
Mk3 aircraft, Robert also enjoyed a tour
of 847 NAS and the new Wildcat AH1.
Robert said, “I thoroughly enjoyed
my time with 846 Squadron and loved
flying the Sea King, it will be sad to see
her retired. The new aircraft operated by
CHF are a marked change, most definitely
the Sea King Mk4, Robert served see the new Merlin and Wildcat aircraft,
with the US Army, the US Army and to hear the enthusiasm of the pilots
National Guard, the US Marine for these aircraft is wonderful.”
Corps and the
Royal Navy. Robert also has
980 hours of combat flight
time in Vietnam as the Aircraft
Commander of a CH-47C.
Robert’s book tells of his
thrilling helicopter exploits
with four Armed Services,

aircraft for the computer generation!” including the Royal Navy,

A
fter a meeting with the
Commanding Officer of
846 NAS, Lt Col Derek
Stafford, a tour of the
new building and the opportunity
to take a look around the Merlin
While serving with 846 NAS, Robert
had combat assault training in Egypt, the
Netherlands, numerous locations throughout
the United Kingdom and extreme cold
weather training in Norway. With over
5,000 hours – “mishap free” as he says
bringing together stories and
memoirs from over 5000 flying
hours and from many different
countries, the book brings to
life the dangers and thrills of
life as a helicopter pilot.

24 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 25
PEOPLE
Guernsey
Liberation Day
Celebrations
Written By: Lt Tom Lofthouse
On Saturday 9th May the Commando
Helicopter Force took part in a flypast
to commemorate the 70th anniversary
of the Liberation of Guernsey.
A
Sea King Mk4 of 848 Naval Air Squadron
and a Merlin Mk3 of 846 Naval Air
Squadron took to the skies escorting
the motor cavalcade into Guernsey’s
capital, St Peter Port, to help families, friends and
visitors to Guernsey once again celebrate that
most priceless commodity of all – freedom.
Thousands of Islanders turned out on the
streets of Guernsey to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of its Liberation from Hitler’s
occupying forces on Wednesday 9th May
1945. The weekends events included an
outdoor church service with accompanying
military parade, a visit from Her Royal
Highness the Countess of Wessex and a huge
street party and market in St Peter Port.
CHF last supported the Liberation
celebrations for the 65th anniversary and this
visit was also a particularly significant event for
the Force. It displayed the new and old aircraft
operating together in formation during the
Force transition from the Sea King to the Merlin.
During the visit the Sea King also spent
a day tasking with the Guernsey and
Alderney Royal National Lifeboat Institue,
providing valuable training for all parties
in practising boat and hi-line transfers.
Lt Tom Nason of 848 NAS said “The training
with the Guernsey and Alderney Lifeboat
service was hugely beneficial for both the
lifeboat crew and indeed ourselves. To then
be able to participate in the flypast to help the
thousands of Islanders celebrate Guernsey’s
Liberation was an absolute privilege; my
parents live on the island and were spectating
which made the day even more special.”
Secretary of State for Defence
Visits Brunei
The Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon MP, visited Brunei Garrison.
D
uring his visit he took some
time to meet 7 Flt AAC
who are based in Brunei to
provide a rotary lift capability
26 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
New Name for Suffolk’s
Airborne Engineers
Written By: Capt Nick Burdick
Suffolk’s airborne engineers are to be
renamed 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment in be held at Rock Barracks
recognition of their history and current role
within the British Army’s Airborne Forces.
T
he unit, formerly
named 23 Engineer
Regiment (Air
Assault), was
established in 2003 but
can trace its roots back to
the beginnings of airborne
operations during the Second
World War. In May 1942, 9
(Airborne) Field Company
RE – now part of 23 Para
Engr Regt as 9 Parachute
Squadron RE - was stood up to provide
engineer support for the newly formed
1st Airlanding Brigade, serving in Italy
and at Arnhem. The Regiment currently
serves within 16 Air Assault Brigade, the
British Army’s rapid reaction force.
Lieutenant Colonel John Clark MBE,
Commanding Officer of 23 Para Engr
Regt, said: “Our new name reflects the
proud airborne heritage of our three
Parachute Squadrons and is fundamental to
consolidating the Regiment’s identity and
ingraining the right ethos within our soldiers. which confirmed their readiness to serve
It may seem like a simple change, but ask any
member of the Regiment and you will be left
in no doubt that the addition of ‘Parachute’
to the name is an honour to be proud of.
“The role and composition of the
Regiment will remain unchanged, with
to the British Forces stationed there. Mr
Fallon was shown around the Bell 212
Helicopter whilst the crew talked him
through the capabilities of the aircraft.
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK
our sappers trained and
equipped to deploy by
parachute and helicopter
to provide close support
combat engineering to 16 Air
Assault Brigade, the British
Army’s rapid reaction force.”
In June a parade will
in Woodbridge, which has
been home to the Regiment
since 2006, to formally
mark the name change.
Lt Col Clark said: “We
look forward to celebrating
the name change when
the Regiment reconvenes
after a busy spring which
has seen our sappers
taking part in major
airborne exercises in
the USA and UK. It will
also be an occasion to
mark the achievements of
23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) in
Iraq and Afghanistan, which we take
forward as part of our new identity.”
The Regiment has three squadrons,
of which two are Woodbridge based
Regulars and one Reserve. 51 Parachute
Squadron has recently returned from
a seven-week-long exercise at Fort
Bragg in North Carolina to build
interoperability with their counterparts
in the US Army; while 9 Para Sqn
participated in Exercise Joint Warrior,
with the Air Assault Task Force. Both
exercises are supported by sappers
from 299 Parachute Squadron Royal
Engineers, the Regiment’s Army Reserve
squadron, which has detachments in
Wakefield, Hull and Gateshead.
Army on Show
to Suffolk
Community
Written By: Capt Nick Burdick
From the Apache attack
helicopter to combat engineers
operating underwater, the
British Army has been on
display at the Suffolk Show.
B
oth Regular and Reserve
Soldiers based in Suffolk put
on a military show for civilians
at the annual agricultural
show held at Trinity Park in Ipswich.
The military displays included a role
demonstration by a Wattisham-based
Apache attack helicopter, divers from
Woodbridge-based 23 Parachute
Engineer Regiment playing underwater
noughts-and crosses and Reservist ground
crew from Bury St Edmunds-based
6 Regiment Army Air Corps showing
how an Apache is armed. The Army Air
Corps’ hot air balloon was also on show
to give a bird’s-eye view of the event.
Major Jamie Milnes, of 6 Regt AAC,
said: “As a reserve unit based and
recruiting in the county, the Suffolk Show
is a key opportunity to engage with, and
thank, our local community for the splendid
support we receive. It allows us to put on
a show for the public to demonstrate the
skills of our people and the impressive
equipment and capabilities they provide.
“We’ve had crowds of people
coming to the stands and everyone
has enjoyed having the opportunity to
talk to soldiers face-to-face to find out
more about the military in Suffolk.”
The Suffolk Agricultural Association,
which organizes the event, had donated
400 family tickets to military families
based in Essex and Suffolk.
LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 27
 PEOPLE

A
irtroopers and Lance Corporals
from across the Army Air Corp
travelled to Northern Ireland to
participate in the course, for some
the first experience of the Emerald Isle – and
were fortunate enough to experience the
pleasant weather conditions during their stay.
21 potential JNCO’s arrived at FS
Aldergrove on the night of the 16th March
completing the mandatory briefings and admin
before getting their heads down in anticipation
of day 1. The course started in traditional
fashion with a PFA followed by a set of briefs.
Subjects included administrating, welfare and

AAC JNCOs
discipline; all critical
skills that a JNCO must
swiftly come to terms
with. Group discussions
TOP LEFT:
were a valuable tool
2 Section
in almost all subjects breaches the

Put Through
allowing the prospective final objective
JNCO’s a forum to voice
ABOVE:
opinion. Each evening a
LCpl Hartley
section delivered their formulates
presentations on Corps his plan

Their Paces
history, a high standard
of presentation was
delivered and most
were presented with
considerable pride in
their parent squadrons
or regiments.
The classroom
Written By: Lt Mike Askey 5 Regt AAC Trg Offr based start to the course had a number of
green events throughout the programme,
5 Regiment AAC hosted an Aviation PNCO CLM course 16th to 27th with an AFT and section battle lessons hinting
March this year. The course qualifies Lance Corporals to hold their at things to come. The course deployed
rank. The course is designed to teach potential junior non-commission early Friday morning to Magilligan Training
officers the skills with which to perform in their new found rank. Area located on the north coast. A rapid
deployment saw the course shake out,
apply cam and begin their battle lessons.
Operating out of a harbour location for
the first two nights the students got to grips
with practical navigation with a day and night
navigation exercise. While the relatively flat
training area seemed like an easy area to
navigate around the course quickly found
many ditches, sparse wood blocks and
field boundaries to compete with! Battle
© SAC Egan Ground Photographic RIGC (NI)
lessons were conducted with a clear
aviation theme; clearing a HLS, providing
protection and controlling aircraft into
land. A complex set of casualty drills saw
the course demonstrate their skills.
Sunday night brought the now clearly
fatigued course into a patrol base
location, a much needed morale boost
after late night harbour contacts. The
LEFT:
Capt Davenport
takes IDF on
the HLS
BELOW:
LCpl Boulby
assaults the
enemy position
patrol base itself is equipped with night
and day cameras, fully functioning guard
room and… showers - an ideal location to
train an Army Air Corps soldier deploying
on operations. Moving into a three section
rotation of Quick Reaction Force, Patrols
and Guard Force the course quickly
stepped into their command appointments
dealing with a variety of scenarios. low passes to simulate aviation support,
A rolling scenario had the troop working those in command appointment having to
with the local security force to secure the fight to get their orders across. Clearing the
area of operations. Each scenario brought the enemy from the surrounding fields they held

course closer to their end state of defeating
the tenacious local warlord, even if the enemy
seemed to be a 24 hour hassle. The scenario
gradually progressed through simple meet and
greets with local police through to ambushes,
mass casualty drills and reconnaissance patrols
on potential enemy positions through to a
dawn attack on the final enemy position.
The course culminated in an insertion TAB
PICTURED:
LCpl Betty spots into an FRV with Gazelle aircraft providing an
the enemy added command and control twist – flying
a final stand in an isolated building – swiftly
cleared using skills they had learnt on the
course a testament to their progression.
After a hard fought exercise End Ex was
called and bacon rolls were served and a
presentation for the Student’s Student and
Best Student were awarded. LCpl Clarke
received the Student’s Student award for
his efforts. LCpl Hodson receivied the
well earned Best Student Award for his
professional and determined approach.

28 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 29
PEOPLE
7 Flight AAC
Supports Gurkha
200 Anniversary
Written By: Capt Mike James
7 Flt AAC, co-located with 1st
Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles in
Brunei, have added the Gurkha
200 anniversary logo to their
Bell 212 helicopters which have
supported the Resident Gurkha
Infantry Battalion since 1994.
M
aj Pete Farrimond, OC 7
Flt AAC said ‘The Flight
has had a close bond with
the Brigade of Gurkhas
throughout its history, from the Malayan
Emergency, Borneo Confrontation,
Hong Kong through to today.‘
Adding ‘We are proud to play a small
part in recognising and supporting
this important anniversary and the 200
years of Gurkha service to the Crown.’
7 Flt AAC provides day/night
MEDEVAC, trooping, movement of
materiel and heli-abseil tasking in support
of British Forces Brunei and exercising
units. It is the Joint Helicopter Command’s
specialist Jungle Aviation unit and is
permanently based in South East Asia,
able to support regional Humanitarian
and Disaster Relief Operations in
addition to its standing tasks.
The Flight has recently been
involved in a number of key exercises
and has aided the Bruneian Fire
Department (Bomba) in fighting
forest fires in the local area.
Maj Pete Farrimond said ‘The small
Flight is a critical enabler for the resident
RGR Battalion, Training Team Brunei and
exercising units. It maintains a high flying
rate in support of over ten major exercises
each year, operating in the demanding
jungle environment. It has a strong
relationship with the Gurkhas, which I
hope continues long into the future.’
30 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
CHARITY
Soldiers Cycle
Round the
Clock for Charity
Written By: Gareth Palmer
A team of Wattisham-based soldiers
© wavebreakmedia, www.shutterstock.com
will be riding round the clock to raise
money for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
T
he six-strong chain gang from HQ Company,
7th Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers are aiming to cycle
500 miles on exercise bikes in two 12-hour
stages outside local supermarkets. The first leg was
cycled at Sainsbury’s in Ipswich today (17th March) from
8am to 8pm, with the second instalment taking place
at Morrisons in Hadleigh on Thursday (19th March).
The endurance
challenge was the idea of
Sergeant Steve Parnell.
the company and raise money for ABF The
Soldiers’ Charity. It’s the Army’s own charity, run
each, and are having to keep their speed
at 22 miles per hour throughout to stay on Soldiers Raise Money to Help
The 31-year-old from
York said: “I’m a keen
cyclist and wanted to do
by soldiers for soldiers, and it understands our
needs. I know quite a few people who’ve been
helped by it and wanted to do my bit for them.
course for the distance. What’s really kept
our morale high has been the generosity of
the public - people have been putting £20
Nepalese Earthquake Victims
an event to both build “It’s been quite tough going, but we’re all working notes in the bucket, but even the smallest Written By: Capt Nick Burdick
up team spirit within well together. The guys have been stints of 30 minutes chink of loose change lifts your spirits.”
Colchester-based soldiers have taken part in a week as well who’ve got
of physical challenges to raise more than £8,000 to no homes and no
help victims of the recent earthquakes in Nepal. food but who are
still trying to make
1
6 Air Assault Brigade’s logistics specialists 13 a living out there. It’s good to
Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic know that the funds we have
Corps, has a number of Gurkha soldiers raised will help those people.”
amongst its ranks, who have pulled together to With the fundraising total
raise funds to help those who have lost everything. still to be finalised, more
The fundraising kicked off with troops than £8,000 has been raised
racking up the miles on rowing machines to support relief efforts by the charity
and exercise bikes while collecting from HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal
shoppers at Tesco at the Hythe last Tuesday in the Sindhupalchok and Gorkha valleys.
(5th May). On Thursday (7th May) the Fundraising for Nepal will continue
soldiers continued with a treadmill run at the 16 Air Assault Brigade and
outside their headquarters at Merville Colchester Garrison Show, being held
Barracks, taking it in turns to run for an on Abbey Field on Saturday 4th July,
entire 24 hours. Concurrently, other troops with a collection to support Colchester
carried out exercises such as weight lifting Nepalese Society’s relief efforts.
and step exercises to simulate climbing
the equivalent height of Mount Everest. FURTHER
The final event was a race on the 8th May INFORMATION
between 13 AA Sp Regt RLC’s Colchester-
based squadrons to pull an ambulance round The core role of 13 Air Assault Support
the barracks in the quickest possible time. Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (13 AA
Event organiser Sergeant Jigmi Lama said: Sp Regt RLC) is to supply and distribute
“We had three teams out here today made materiel, food, fuel, ammunition and
spare parts to 16 Air Assault Brigade,
up of the Regiment’s different squadrons.
the British Army’s rapid reaction
The route was 3km, it was signify the height force. The regiment specialises in the
of Mount Everest. As we were running, movement of supplies by helicopter
soldiers from the rest of the brigade were and aeroplanes, including air despatch.
cheering for us. At the same time, it felt like
they were cheering for the people back home
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 31
SPORT

the ten days competition. Limited snowfall

meant that conditions were icier than usual,

Exercise creating a tricky

White
surface to learn
on. Despite this,
the excellent
instruction from
the Swiss Ski

Knight
School enabled
all the skiers
to improve
within their own
capabilities. The
town of Verbier
provided much
entertainment to
balance the busy
As part of the AAC and RAC skiing schedule and the opportunity to
annual alpine skiing Exercise, 5 experience Christmas and New Year in such
AAC sent a team of six to Verbier a setting was fantastic. Given the relative
to train and compete across inexperience of our team, we competed
four disciplines; Slalom, Grand with success; winning top AAC Team, best
Slalom, Super G and Downhill. AAC Individual (Capt Rob Hewison) and
coming third overall out of fourteen teams

T
he team ranged from complete
novice to experienced, but all were
challenged physically and mentally
over the four training weeks and
from across the RAC and AAC – a brilliant
achievement. Looking forward, we hope
to build on this success, taking a larger and
even more competitive team in 2015/6.

Northern Ireland of the SARTS system. Typical! We finished the

first day in a respectable 9th place overall.

Operational Shooting
After another night of NAAFI rehearsals,
we started the Sunday with the Short Range
Rural Contact Assessment. This shoot involved

Competition 2015
a lot of running between firing points from
300m down to 100m. A few of the team were
unable to identify the correct targets (they
know who they are!) so as you can imagine the
score was not the best! Luckily for us there
Written By: Sgt M Simpson This shoot started with a 100m dash to the firing was another technical glitch and our scores practice this shoot and soon realised that figure
point followed by various targets appearing were not recorded. We were told that we 11 targets at 600m are not the easiest to see.
On the weekend of 9th to 10th May, at different ranges up to 300m. It came as bit could re-shoot the match later in the day. The last match of the day was the Fire Team
5 Regiment AAC entered a ten of a shock because due to range availability We then moved to the Fire Team Close Falling Plates Match. This match is exactly
man team (and myself as the non- during the previous training week, no one had Combat Match. This match involved operating what it says it is. Ten plates at 200m first team
firing team captain (NFTC)), into realised how small a figure 12 target looks at as a fire team and moving between various to knock them all down wins. Unfortunately
the Northern Ireland Operational 300m! That being said we finished the match in types of cover from, 100m down to 25m. Airtpr in true Northern Irish tradition the weather
Shooting Competition (NIOSC), held a respectable 5th place (out of 13 teams) with Stefan “Rambo” Bodle was one of the teams turned against us and the team found that
at Ballykinler Training Centre (BTC). SSgt “Gaz” Stewart, LCpl “Princess” Denny LSW gunners (and the teams’ morale!) and after water causes the SUSAT to quickly steam
and LCpl Pegram all scoring highly the first phase of the shoot had spare ammo. He up, therefore, along with other teams we

T
he competition is designed to promote
weapon handling, marksmanship, fitness and
expose soldiers to demanding, enjoyable and
operationally relevant shoots. The competition
consists of ten matches in total, ranging from static
long range defence shoots to close range shoots.
The team arrived at BTC on the Friday night. On
completion of settling into the accommodation we
proceeded to the NAAFI, for a team meeting. Prior to
arrival I had produced “cheat sheets” for the complex
matches and we soon had enough empty coke cans
to “rehearse” the upcoming day’s matches.
After grouping and zeroing in the morning we moved on
to our first shoot of the competition, The Defence Match.
and finishing within the top 20.
After getting over the initial
shock, we moved to the next shoot
which was the Advance to Contact
Match. This started with a 500m
run, to be completed in less than
3 mins, and then shoots starting at
400m going down to 100m. The
team did very well and achieved
one of the top 3 scores for the day
which helped to boost confidence
in the team. However we were later
told that this match would not be
counted due to a technical failure
had been told by the range staff that because
he was a designated gunner he could switch to
automatic, which he did without hesitation and
was soon advancing down the range “brassing”
up targets, hence the nickname Rambo!
Next was the dreaded Section Advance to
Contact Match. The match started with a 2.4km
run carrying full kit to be completed in less
than 18 mins. Prior to starting the run phase we
were approached by BFBS who asked if they
could film us; we agreed on condition that they
only film us at the start! The shoot phase of
this match started at 600m for the gunners and
500m for the riflemen. We had been unable to
were quickly eliminated in the first round.
The competition was won overall by last
year’s winners 253 (Reserve) Med Regt, with
5 Regt maintaining their position of 9th place
from the first day. Two members of the team
finished within the top 50 out 138, SSgt
Stewart (Wksp) 11th place and LCpl Pegram
(Geo Tp) 48th place; well done to both.
The competition was well supported
by all departments within 5 AAC. The
weekend was thoroughly enjoyed by all
and I am confident that with this continued
level of support, next year 5 Regt will
finish much higher in the table.

32 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 33
SPORT
Written By: WO2 (SSM) Tim Couzens
As the words ‘How hard can it be?’ left my mouth, I knew I
would regret them, and sure enough as Capt Rob Gittoes
gave the standard response, ‘Prove it then!’ I knew I couldn’t
back down. So, the second Yeovilton Triathlon it is then.
T T
he event was an electronically
timed Novice race, suitable
for first timers, and a Sprint
race for every other racing
snake who wanted a shot at the title.
EQUIPMENT
I decided that if I were going to do this I
needed to look the part…on the start line
at least. I signed out a road bike from the
QM’s and borrowed a Tri Suit - a good start
at no cost - then suddenly realised that I had
become part of the MAMIL (Middle Aged Man
in Lycra) clan and was still not comfortable
with this look. Having spent the last 15 years
cursing packs of sponsored cyclists around
country lanes, impeding the progress of us
tax paying motorists, I felt hypocritical.
TRAINING
The training didn’t go as well as I hoped with
it being more of an ability test. I identified
the required distance for a Novice Sprint
Triathlon (400m swim, 20km bike and 5km
run) and confirmed that I could complete
them. Swim test, all good, although 400m
seems a long way in a pool. Riding a road bike
was fairly new but I had ridden a mountain
bike before so how different could it be?
The cleated shoes and clip-in peddles were
new to me and we didn’t have the greatest
of starts, however I soon got the idea when
I picked myself up from the ground after
forgetting to disconnect my feet from the
bike. The run was the only part I was fairly
happy with, so no practice required.
All I had to do then was put it together
in one event. Somewhere in the back of my
mind was a nagging voice saying ‘practise
the transitions’. This was completely
ignored - how hard could it be to get
changed? I’d been doing it for years!
RACE DAY, 20TH MAY 2015
The day loomed and I was ‘prepared’, that
is, I registered on time. I was placed in wave
34 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ
one, which was for the full-on novices. With
registration complete, it was time to prepare
kit and equipment ready for the transitions.
Looking around I realised that there were
many people here taking it very seriously and
lots of tactics being talked, but also a few
complete novices, looking just as lost as me.
There is good safety in clueless numbers.
At 1300 we were a-go and wave one
pushed off from the side for our 16 lengths.
Swimming suddenly became more difficult
THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS
than I remembered. Every four
minutes another wave enter the
pool and obviously individuals
departed to the transition for the
bike. At just under 10 minutes I
dragged my waterlogged body
out of the pool, noting that
swimming is not my strong point!
My transition to bike was
slightly more casual than some
of the top competitors but it did
leave me time to catch a breath
and contemplate the move to
cycling. I opted to put my cycling
shoes on before mounting the bike
but saw the top guys attached
them to the pedals and then carry
out some form of shoe gymnastics,
getting their feet into the shoes
while cycling; I didn’t trust my
co-ordination for this ‘feet’ of skill.
The cycle was very pleasant and
as it was only my second outing on
a road bike it was still a novelty and
enjoyable. I wasn’t overtaken but nor
did I overtake. The ride took me about
42 minutes for 20km, not too shabby.
On returning to the transition area I
succeeded in getting my feet out of the shoes
whilst cycling so I could speed up the process
ready for the run. The transition this time
was much slicker taking only 46 seconds.
Army Air Corps
and more commonly
formation skydiving.
So far this year we
Parachuting
have competed in
the United Kingdom
Skydiving League
(UKSL) where teams
from all over the
Written By: LCpl Wright UK compete in three separate competitions,
ABOVE: LCpl Jodie for each competition the winner gets ten
Beckingham from 2 Regt So far 2015 has been a busy year points and so on. At the end of the three
AAC Novice Female Winner for skydiving. March saw the meets the overall winner is announced.
annual AAC skydiving Accelerated At the first meet in May the AAC Team
Free Fall (AFF) expedition managed to take gold by a huge margin. This
to California, where 12 new put us first in the UKSL and subsequently
skydivers gained qualifications. resulted in first place in the European Skydiving
League (ESL) which is a different league
hese trips are essential as it is the altogether that takes into account scores
best way to encourage new people from all leagues in the whole of Europe.
into the sport. It also helps more Other competitions planned this year
experienced skydivers to develop include the Armed Forces Parachuting
their skills and practice for the competitions Championship (AFPC) and the UK Nationals.
throughout the year, many of which are Historically our team has done very
taught by a team of coaches from the AAC. well at the AFPC and we hope to achieve
© Juanan Barros Moreno, www.shutterstock.com
For people who can’t attend AFF gold. We are all very proud to compete for
Expeds for work or financial reasons the Corps in the UK Nationals and we are
there are Static Line courses which are working hard to take home a medal!
ran every week at the Joint Service
Parachute Centre Netheravon (JSPCN)
This is where students are taught to exit
the aircraft in a stable position attached to a
static line. In May, the AAC took ten students
to Netheravon which was very successful
and achieved a good number of jumps.
This year the AAC have put together a
formation skydiving team. We are competing
in disciplines such as Accuracy, Free Flying
It now became very clear why
triathletes practice the transitions from
bike to run - it is Hell on Earth!
This was an extremely uncomfortable
first mile and a bit of a shock if you are
not expecting it. Your legs are very tight,
they do loosen up but it takes a while to
get into your stride. A 5km loop was the
designated distance around the local
countryside. The long straight towards
the end gave the runners the chance
to see the later competitors finishing
their ride as you completed the run.
The final turn into the finishing straight
was a good feeling, hearing the music and
seeing the finishing tunnel. A burger wagon
wouldn’t have gone amiss but at least water,
an open bar and free soup was on offer!
All in all a great experience and highly
recommended for anyone to have a go.
You don’t need to be a 20 year old racing
snake (if we have such a thing any more). I’m
a 39 year old first time triathlete with little
training and I got round successfully, so give
it a go - what have you got to lose?
VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 35
SPORT

was a complete novice having never been on Many of the teams from Hochfilzen
snow in any form and Airtpr Karen Akehurst also travelled to Ex SPARTAN HIKE as
had at least been alpine skiing, which aided well as some new faces. The course
her ability to pick up the technique. The here guaranteed to be more gently
ladies were truly thrown in at the deep end undulating and the team captain, Lt
by entering straight into Ex NORDIC WHITE Casey Fuke had promised the ladies
FIST in Hochfilzen, Austria the RA, RAC and it would be much easier. On arrival
AAC Nordic Championships with very limited at Serre Chevalier, France we were
experience. 2 Regt AAC also put forward a bitterly disappointed to see no snow!
very strong male team and it was the first time The course organisers overcame
that the AAC had both a female and male this by creating courses in ‘the Coll’
team at Ex NORDIC WHITE FIST in years. about 20 minutes drive up the valley
On arrival in Austria we had three days to a higher altitude. With the higher
to teach and master two different types of altitude also came a much colder race
Skiing as well as learning how to handle and and the shooting aspect of the race
shoot the Biathlon Rifle before the races separated from the skiing element record given the
started; no mean feat. Classic and Skate are with the ranges situated in the lower 9 Regt AAC Charity Squash gruelling nature

Marathon Endurance Event

the recognised skiing techniques and both part of the valley. With limited space of the event. An
require different to create 10-15km race courses the event like this has

AAC Female Nordic Skiing

skis that need to be track became winding with very tight so many people
waxed each night. turns and very congested as multiple Written By: Cpl Paul Ryan involved and
The team showed loops had to be skied to cover the relies on a swept
determination in distances. This was not the ideal In May 2015 members of the 9 Regt AAC Squash team up support team
For the first time in two years the Army Air Corps put forward a Female Nordic and Biathlon Ski Team the first few races, conditions promised to the team but raised money for a local charity by taking part in a to ensure that
consisting of six females; four from 4 Regiment, one from 9 Regiment and one from 6 Regiment AAC. competing against their spirits were not dampened and charity “squash marathon” fundraising endurance event. everything runs
experienced skiers they all gave every race maximum like clockwork.

L F

© Dmitry Kramar, www.shutterstock.com

Written By: Lt Casey Fuke t Casey Fuke has participated in three – even the novices from other teams had effort which was warming to witness. undraising was in support of St The Regimental Squash Team members
Ex Spartan Hikes (The Nordic and at this point been skiing for several months The team members picked up a Michael’s Hospice, a local charity supported the day by ensuring that all
Biathlon Divisional Champs) 2009-2011 at training camps in Norway. The steep few medals in the AAC category at that supports thousands of children opponents arrived on time and were
and Airtprs Collette Walsh and Alison inclines and descents were intimidating to Ex NORDIC WHITE FIST competing and families in the North Yorkshire fully briefed on what to expect. They
Kerr had participated in 2014. The other three even the most experienced skiers and the against each other. Airtpr Akehurst area throughout terminal illnesses. The also conducted fundraising, erected
females were Novices to the sport although world cup track claimed a few injuries over won three gold medals at Ex SPARTAN event was held at the Army Foundation banners and supplied refreshments for
Capt Joanna Vann had a lot of Alpine and the course of the week but our team used HIKE in the Female Reserve Category College, Harrogate; the facilities are the 26 players who took part. On top
touring experience which helped when getting it as training and experience for the next for cross-country, Biathlon and the second-to-none in the Army. There are of this, they played warm-up matches
to grips with Nordic Skiis. Cpl Sasha Chilvers level of competition at Ex SPARTAN HIKE. combined category and Lt Fuke six glass-backed squash courts and state against the opponents before (and
qualified comfortably for the Army of the art gym equipment as well as a sometimes after) they had played Maj
Championships which was pleasing brand new sports hall and a swimming Green. Some of the support team actually
given the time away from Nordic and pool. The Regimental Team members played over 20 matches themselves!
with minimal time on snow that season. supporting the event were Maj Green, More about the charity: St Michael’s
It was invaluable experience WO2 Sharp, Cpl Ryan, Cpl Readshaw Hospice exists to help people with terminal
participating in the earlier events as and Cpl Squire (see photo above). illness to live and die well. This is done
there is a lot of detail to organise, in The event has been attempted by offering specialist care, comfort and
particular weapons, ammunition and the previously, in 2013, and so we knew it could support, free of charge, to patients and
associated Diplomatic Clearances. This be done. However, Maj Green said he had their families. The vision is of a community
year Lt Fuke will captain the team once managed to erase from his memory just how where everyone gets the care they need
again, taking another six females to demanding it was the last time. Throughout to live their last years, months and days
compete and with plenty more planning the day, Maj Green played squash matches with respect and dignity. The event was
time and funding already granted we against 26 opponents, back-to back, over a a huge success, raising over £600 for the
are able to train in Norway before ten hour period. In total this amounted to 83 charity. There is still time to donate by
hitting the competitions in 2016. games! He won 74 and lost nine - not a bad simply texting: SMSM91 £5 to 70070.

ABOVE: From left to right: LCpl

© Katarzyna Wojtasik, www.shutterstock.com

Squire, WO2 Sharp, Maj Green,
Cpl Ryan, LCpl Readshaw

36 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 37
SPORT

The morning of Day 2, the day before our
challenge, we had all agreed it would be wise
to get out on our bikes and find some of the
Pave section (cobbles) so we could experience
how they felt before the big day. In typical
Woodhouse fashion, we headed directly to the
9 Regiment AAC Cycling Trouee d’Arenberg,
windy and face-muddying Paris-Roubaix. It
wasn’t too long before the group naturally spilt
into its micro groups, although with 3 feeding
stations on route, and surely a few punctures,
we all agreed it would be a day of passing each
other by and leap frogging. I found myself
with WO2 SSM Kenny Wayman, someone I

Paris-Roubaix 2015
a 2.4km 5 star rated had ridden with before and knew we were
(the hardest) sector suitably matched for this kind of race. Our
of Pave; with the sun pace was strong and consistent and the miles
shining brightly, the were soon beginning to drift by with relative
section didn’t actually ease. Just in front were Maj Woodhouse, Maj
Fresh from cycling the full length of the Outer Hebrides in September 2014, look too bad to the naked eye. However, the Goodier and Lt Col Cook and just behind were
a group of keen cyclists led by Maj “Woody” Woodhouse signed up for the second the wheels hit the cobbles, it rapidly Lt Pantoja and Airtpr Harvey. Somewhere else,
iconic sportive, Paris-Roubaix, that was to be held in France in April of 2015. became apparent just how uncomfortable unbeknown to anyone, were Sgt Brummit
and technically REME and Sgt England REME. I must say at
Written By: LCpl Paul Ryan sourced, ferry bookings made, the nominal roll was finalised, transport difficult the 28 Pave this point we were also lucky enough to have
procured and accommodation arranged. The tasks were shared out within sections were going two support crew, consisting of WO2 Mulkeen

T
he sportive, known as the “ Hell of the group, and completed with relative ease, and finally on the 9th April, to be. These cobbled
the North” failed to dissuade anyone, we had the people, the kit and the bikes leaving Dishforth and heading for roads should not to
with many people brimming with Dover, via a pick up of the team YO, Lt Emily Pantoja. With all members now be confused with
confidence after completing the on board we headed for the ferry port. Managing to squeeze onto an earlier the gentle cobbled
six day Scottish epic; however, the smooth ferry, we found ourselves in France ahead of schedule, cruising to our final streets you may find
coastline roads of the Hebrides would soon be destination of Cambrai. Maj Woodhouse, via a very friendly French Lt Col, in a quaint Yorkshire
replaced by the world famous, bone shaking had procured us some accommodation within an old French Fort; a room village; these were
pave sections of the Paris-Roubaix…. large enough for all of our camp cots, bikes and kit and with semi warm more of an ancient
So, as with all exercises or expeditions, lots showers. After the initial set up of beds we headed into town for a evening Roman road built for
of administration was undertaken, funding was meal and a few refreshments, typically jumping into the first place we saw. horse and carts to
travel along! Large
protruding singular bricks, greatly uneven
and extremely difficult to navigate through
with no “good line” really available. However,
with everyone completing the section we
moved on and found another few, less severe
and with a lower star rating and gave them a
bash; still fairly horrid, but nice in comparison
to the Arenberg! At least that was number
18 of 28, so we would be hitting that fairly
late on in the race. With approx 20 miles in
our legs and another swing back down the
Arenberg, we all decided we had enough
experience and practise and were grateful
that it would come as a big surprise to us
all on race day. The supermarket was our
next destination before heading back to the
restaurant to fill ourselves with lots of pasta.
Day 3 saw an early start; we rose at 0600
to ensure we all had plenty of time to get
ourselves sorted and on the transport by 0700.
The start line was only about 45 minutes away
and we could start between 0700-0900 from
the little village of Busigny. We had planned
to arrive early to avoid the really slow riders
© Radu Razvan, www.shutterstock.com
and Airtpr Moore. They met us at feeding
stations to ensure we could refuel sufficiently,
and generally helped us in our challenge.
Moving on, as the groups split, we all had
our own experiences; myself and WO2 Wayman
were lucky enough not to suffer any punctures
throughout the race. Most people had changed
the normal road tyres for ones more suitable,
generally wider, for comfort and stronger to
avoid punctures over the 28 Pave sections.
Time was flying by
and before we knew gusting winds still with us, we moved on at a steady pace, more often settle for creeping through traffic and in the
it we arrived at our than not, overtaking rather than being overtaken. Myself and the SSM SSM’s case, one final crash. With the traffic
first feeding stop at were chatting away nicely and cruising along, passing by small towns clearing, we turn right into the velodrome and
the 42km mark. We now with many more local people out of bed and shouting words of pass under the welcome banners into the noise
took on a little energy encouragement, mostly “Alle, Alle Alle!” Passing the 120km mark, approx of the crowds and supporters and begin our
but were swiftly back 75 miles, we are now within touching distance of the final feeding station, victory lap. We take the high line around the
on our way. By this at this point I think it would be fair to say that although we have plenty banking of the velodrome (neither one of us
point we had already left in the tank, the wind and sometimes the slight inclines are now not has ridden in one before so decide to milk it!)
completed 5 Pave as easy as before. We approach feeding station 3 at 130km, and with the and come off the banking and cross the line
sections and were weather now slightly improving our morale is high and we stop, chat to together posing for our finishing photo, the sun
raring to tackle the the support crew and take on our final bit of energy ensuring that it gets even came out to make it even more special.
next 22; rain still us over the finishing line and into the world famous Roubaix velodrome. Both grinning we congratulate and thank
drizzling down, we Leaving the feed station, we know we only each other, now stiff we slowly dismount and
ploughed on through several villages and down have 40km to go, and more importantly only head to see if any of group have finished.
the rural country roads, averaging anywhere 7 Pave sections. The crowds are getting larger We find Lt Col Cook, Maj Goodier, and Sgt
between 18-24mph on the road sections. The and the cheering louder; the finish line is fast Brummit have just finished and hear the
Pave sectors are regular but vary in distance, approaching. the Pave sections count down dreaded news that Maj Woodhouse suffered
anything from 700m to 3km in length. Each on the signs, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say an irreparable mechanical failure and couldn’t
is awarded a star rating of 1-5, 1 being the seeing singular numbers instead of double finish with only 30km to go. We all feel sorry for
easiest, 5 being the most difficult, and are figure wasn’t a pleasant sight. We are now him as he has trained the most, is the strongest
what makes the Paris - Roubaix the iconic race into the last few sections, shorter in distance rider and put the whole thing together – there
it is and, although in my opinion fairly horrible, and with plenty of adrenaline now rushing is no justice and I pretty much immediately
when you do “get it right” and get that one through our bodies. The SSM and I are feeling hear he’s already roped Maj Goodier into
good line, maintain your cadence and speed strong and grinning at each other like kids, completing it again in 2016! The remainder

mounting up at the start line at approx 0750.
Within the group we had riders of different
abilities, but all with the determination, fitness
and endurance to finish the 170km. Last toilet
stop, quick photo and we were off, leaving
behind the jostling crowds and blasting music
of Busigny. The weather hadn’t been as kind as
the previous day (grey, overcast and raining),
this was to set the scene for a typically wet,
and finish them, the feeling is pretty good.
With the dreaded Arenberg now complete
and behind us, we approached feeding station
2, and the 81km mark. We stopped for 20
minutes, took on energy in the form of bananas,
cereal bars and the odd bit of flap jack, took
a quick toilet break, refilled our bottles with
carb and electrolyte drinks and mounted up.
Another 50km and 9 Pave sections awaited us
until our final feeding station. Rain showers and
knowing we are into the last few miles and that
nothing can stop us hitting the velodrome. We
make a turn into what we know is one of the
final climbs, the roads are now smooth and
we have completed all the pave sections, no
more cobbles and I cant say I’m sorry about
that! We turn onto the final approach road to
the velodrome and were disappointed to see
that its laden with traffic. I was hoping for an
explosive ending to the race but we had to
of the team all safely cross the finish line, Lt
Pantoja has had much more of a traumatic
time than we did, multiple punctures, a few
crashes and riding solo for most of it, a tough
task but shows true Paris -Roubaix spirit. It was
a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, a fantastic
challenge for any cyclist and more importantly,
completely achievable. A privilege to be part
of it, and although I’m not signing up just yet,
I’d never say never to doing it again.

38 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 39
SPORT

M
onthly organised walks have
taken place in the Kingdom
of Mourne where RIGC (NI)
staff have had the opportunity
to hone their navigation skills and learn
about new aspects of walking, such as
confidence roping, whilst taking in the
spectacular scenery of the Mournes.
Regardless of weather, each walk has been
Written By: L/Cpl Kirsten Alexander successful and has been enjoyed by all and
even in the drive over to County
As a break from drawing contours on maps Down; it isn’t hard to see why.
and taking pictures of the ground, personnel The Mourne Mountains are a
from RIGC (NI) have been trailing up hills recognised area of outstanding
looking at actual contours and gaining an natural beauty where dozens of
appreciation for conditions on real ground. glaciated sculpted peaks have
been uniquely squeezed into an area
extending approximately fifteen miles.
There are six peaks over 700 metres above
sea level with Slieve Donard the highest at
853 metres, which have been hit six times
in the last two months alone by different
teams within the RIGC (NI). The mountain
range itself is crisscrossed with a multitude
of tracks and paths making it perfect to
navigate but it would take years to explore
fully. Just a couple of kilometres from the
famous Bloody Bridge lies the hidden
Silent Valley which is not just spectacular
to see but is also essential as it holds the
main water supply to Belfast, covered by
the magnificent twenty-two mile Mourne
Wall which took eighteen

5AAC
years to build by hand. The
crescents of granite topped

HittheHills
peaks enclose the kingdom
of Mourne making it the
most dramatic mountain
range in Northern Ireland.
Any newcomer to
the area will be able to
navigate successfully with
proper planning which
will subsequently finish in

AAC Netball
The participation of Netball in the
Army Air Corps has increased this
year which has been wonderful to see.
Written By: Lt Casey Fuke
popular sport for spectators in comparison
to the UK. Proud parents watched as their
daughters marginally beat both of our
teams. Word had spread quickly around
the town and the next day we were getting
questioned and bantered by the
an enjoyable, safe day on the mountain.
Team. This was a very tough match and rapidly As any hillwalker knows, the day on the
the number of goals conceded against us grew. hill is not actually finished until tea and
Unfortunately we did not win a match during cake are being enjoyed and the Mourne
the tour but we developed a lot of valuable Mountain benefits from being next door
netball skills. Throughout all the matches the to the tourist area of Newcastle where
Bajan ladies put up stiff competition and always energy can be replenished after an
welcomed us and thanked us warmly. There was arduous day on the hill – this also provides
also time during the tour to visit the famous fish an appetising alternative to the ration
market, enjoy a trip on a Catamaran and swim packs provided by the cookhouse.
with turtles as well as chilling out in the Boat The most important thing to remember
Yard with swimming, swings and volleyball. when out on the hills is that the party is

W
e are approaching the start of the next
season and Inter-Corps Competition where
selection for the Army team takes place.
In September 2014 ladies from across the
Corps came together to train in Middle Wallop getting
great coaching and dedication from Ann Coffey and
Ex England Netball player Capt Joanna Vann. All this
was in preparation for our Netball Tour to Barbados.
In October 2014 17 AAC ladies boarded their flight to
Barbados. The Hotel apartment was located on the sea
front with a few restaurants in the vicinity and the outdoor
Netball court, which doubled up as a basketball court,
just a ten minute walk away. Each morning we began
training around 0830, the public court had no shade so
we finished training before lunch and before it became
too hot. The benefit of having everyone in one place was
invaluable and it had been difficult to achieve with busy
work commitments in the UK. In the training sessions we
focussed on key skills and developed our teamwork.
The first match we played was on the second night, so
with little chance to select players for their positions we
were being watched by the locals play against two U16
National development teams. In Barbados, Netball is a
locals: “Are you the team that
got beaten by the development
girls last night?”… Urrr Yes.
With more training and
matches, experimenting with
different configurations of players,
the team grew stronger and
began to develop the vital skill of
non-verbal communication and
spatial awareness; each person
knew where the other players were
going to back them up and where
their strengths lay. We filmed
our matches and for many of us
it was the first time we had ever
used video analysis as a training
tool. It was extremely useful in
enabling players to see where
they had created good space and
opportunities, and where they had
made poor decisions. The tour
culminated with our final match
against the Island’s University First
The AAC entered one team in the top always governed by the capabilities of the
division of the Inter-Corps championships weakest member – stay safe on the hills and
thanks to a strong performance last year in be aware of dangers. Always carry a map
the second division as well as a B team in the and compass (and know how to use them)
second division. We surprised ourselves initially and above all, enjoy the day. The Mourne
by beating some of the renowned top teams Mountains are a giant playground and are
such as the Royal Logistic Corps second team easily accessible to go and play in.
and the Royal Signals. The top spots were
taken in the end by the RLC and AGC but we
came 3rd and were extremely proud to have
surpassed our expectations; all the training
together had certainly paid off. The B Team
also did very well coming second to the Royal
Engineers who will now move up into the first
division. We have now set precedence and have
ambitions to come at least second this year.
The AAC had a few individuals selected
for the Army Netball team selection; Lt
Rachel Durrell, Lt Casey Fuke and Airtpr
Lucy Roberts, who was unable to compete
in the Inter-Corps Championships but
was selected to play for the Army B team
in the Inter-Services Competition.

40 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS VISIT: WWW.LZDZONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ / ISSUE 2 2015 41
SPORT

Yeovilton Flying High

with Marathon Success
Making the Yeovil Marathon
a true community event,
POAET Bryn Phillips, You could be
in the Algarve,
organiser and race director,
invited two schools; Milford
Junior School and Charlton
The first ever Yeovil Marathon Horethorne CofE School, to
took place on Sunday 14th design the finishers medal.

relaxing in the sun...

June at the Royal Naval Air
Station Yeovilton with over 230 Written By: Kerry Randall
competitors taking part.

T
he rules laid down were
Written By: Kerry Randall minimal, but the design
had to fit inside a disc

O
rganised by POAET Bryn Phillips,
of 845 Naval Air Squadron
Commando Helicopter Force, the
marathon was a great success
with participants competing not only for a
personal best race time but also for the title of
the winner of the first ever Yeovil Marathon.
The winner of that coveted title went to Tim
Hawkins with a fantastic time of 2 hours, 47
minutes and 21 seconds. Tim was presented
with his medal by Abigail Garrett, a student
at Charlton Horethorne CofE School, who
won the competition to design the medal.
Tim said: “It was great to win. I took the
first part of the race a bit too fast and suffered
for the last five miles. But overall, I held it
together well and it’s absolutely fantastic
to win the first Yeovil Marathon, especially
with Yeovil being in my home town.”
The marathon was held through the Yeovil
Town Road Running Club and all money
raised going to the Royal Navy and Royal
Marines Charity and the Yeovilton Military
Wives Choir, with the total standing at over
£3,000 with donations still coming in.
POAET Bryn Phillips said: “It was
fantastic to see everyone off the start line.
After all the hard work it was quite an
emotional moment, but we’ve raised
a huge amount of money for the
RNRMC and the Yeovilton Military Wives
Choir and the families have enjoyed the day
so it’s been a great success. Now to start
the planning for next years marathon!”
The marathon was sponsored and
supported by a number of companies from
around Somerset; Agusta Westlands, Tony
Pryce Sports, Sodexo, Yarlington Homes,
Symonds and Sampson and Aztec Media.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the
volunteers who were willing to get out of bed
so early on a Sunday morning, our sponsors,
everyone who took part and the families
who supported them.” Added Bryn.
The second Yeovil Marathon will
take place on the 12th June 2016
so plenty of time to get training
- Fly Navy, Run Yeovilton!
60mm in diameter and
have a Naval Aviation theme.
 The race directors picked a
design from each Year Group and put
them in to a final round of judging
to establish the overall winner. Each
design from each Year Group picked
won a prize, with the overall design
winner being given an extra prize.
 Abigail Garrett, a student at
Charlton Horethorne CofE School, was
chosen as the overall design winner
with her excellent ‘Fly Navy, Run
Yeovil’ design. Abigail said she was
very pleased and excited about seeing
her design on the real medal.
Situated on the top floor of a three storey block the apartment has its
own residents’ swimming pool. It has the advantage of being away
from the bustle of the town centre but within walking distance (10
minutes to the marina and another 5 to the town centre).
It has a twin bedroom, open plan kitchen and lounge. The kitchen has a 4-ring hob, oven,
microwave, toaster and washing machine. There is a family sized bathroom. The lounge
has a sofa (which converts into two more single beds) and a table to seat four. A TV, DVD
and CD player are also available. Both the lounge and bedroom have patio doors which
open onto the balcony offering views over the swimming pool and across Lagos.
There is ample car parking space in front of the building.
www.algarveestatemanagement.co.uk
apt meia
PRICES:
Nov to Mar £190
Apr & Oct £255
May & Sept £290
June £330
July & Aug £410

To book accommodation please contact Judith Hall on 01536 711884

Apartments can also be booked very competitively at judith.hall6@btinternet.com

42 ISSUE 2, 2015 / LZDZ THE JHC DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS