Task Force Helmand Engineer Group News Letter

Edition 11 15 August 2011

Commanding Officers Foreword

I hope this latest Newsletter finds you all well and surviving the seemingly never-ending School Holidays. You have my sympathy; I know from experience that commanding 600 Sappers in Afghanistan is a walk in the park compared with keeping our 3 loving siblings amused for over 6 weeks! I promise you HERRICK 14 wasnt deliberately timed to end just after they have all gone back to school - honest! Anyway, youll be pleased to know that everything continues to be going exceptionally well out here. With only 5 weeks until we handover to 35 Engineer Regiment we remain extremely busy but firmly on track to achieve everything we set out to achieve during our 6 months in Afghanistan. This foreword gives a brief flavour of some of the work I saw and the men I met during my travels around Central Helmand over the last few days. 1 4 Catching up with SSgt Newbury and the rest of 1 Troop, 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron in Patrol Base Lashkar Gah Durai was a real eye-opener. They have made a massive difference to that once extremely austere location during the 3 months they have been working there. Better protection, better living conditions and better facilities, it is unrecognisable from the Patrol Base they inherited. Hugely impressive, their collective achievement has been staggering and could not be more appreciated by the Infantry, Armoured Corps and Gunners that live there. They move to Combat Outpost Oulette in the Upper Gereshk Valley in the next few days and I have no doubt that they will work similar minor miracles up there. I also had the time to visit Maj Davies, Lt Jackson, SSgt Barker and the men of 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron in Patrol Base Attal. The transformation there has also been herculean; it has doubled in size, been upgraded in just about every respect, and now, significantly, can be used by a Combined Force Headquarters. Both of these infrastructure developments will prove vital as the HERRICK Campaign moves forward and both will have a significant part to play in the transition of security responsibility long after we have left Afghanistan.
Leaving FOB Shahzad with the J3 Ops Offr, Capt Witko (on day-release from HQ TFH!) and the Top Cover Gunner, Spr Lockey (well his legs anyway!)

Inside this issue:

Regimental Headquarters 54 Commando HQ & Support Squadron 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron

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59 Commando Squad- 21 ron Support Commando Sappers in AfghanistanWrist Bands 27

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Commanding Officers Foreword(continued)

My next visit took me to Nad-e Ali District; 59 Commando Squadrons area of operations. In Forward Operating Base Shawqat I met up with Capt Pearce and Lt Robinson who gave me comprehensive briefs on what Op BAM and Condor Troop had been up to; in short, a lot! Next I met up with WO2 (SSM) Hamilton and Sgt Amey from 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron who gave me a detailed tour of the work they are about to complete. I was hugely impressed, as was the Commanding Officer of 45 Commando who I had a long chat with before I departed for Forward Operating Base Shahzad, home of 42 Commando. In Shahzad I was met by 3 Troop, 59 Commando Squadron, principally Lt Clark and SSgt Brown. Their guided tour of the infrastructure work they had completed was again massively humbling; the men really have delivered outstanding performances in extremely demanding conditions. It was also good to have a chat with Sgt Thapa, Cpl Reynolds and his men during the course of my brief visit; as always they were in extremely good form and looking forward to their next challenge up in Ops Box Burma. This brief account of my travels provides only a snap-shot of the huge amount of work that is going on out here. It cannot mention everything, but be assured that everyone in the Engineer Group is delivering vital support to the Afghanistan campaign and is making an individual and collective difference on a daily basis. It really is impressive and humbling and you should continue to be extremely proud of them all. However, as I have said many times before, I firmly believe HERRICK 14 is a team effort. Without the support of the Rear Ops Groups and all of you, our families and friends, we simply couldnt be delivering as comprehensively as we are doing out here; it is absolutely vital and continues to be hugely appreciated. Time continues to fly and we are now beginning to see light at the end of what has been a very long tunnel for all of us. I very much hope you are all feeling that way too. I hope you all enjoy whats left of the summer. Take care of yourselves; well be on our way home soon. United We Conquer.

De khuday pa amaan CO

24 COMMANDO ENGINEER REGIMENT OPERATION HERRICK MEDALS AND WELCOME HOME PARADE THURSDAY 6 OCTOBER 11
24 Commando Engineer Regiment will be conducting our Medals & Welcome Home Parade on Thursday 6th October 2011 and are inviting all friends and families of the Regiment to celebrate this occasion. The day will consist of a Medals Parade followed by a buffet lunch and then the Regiment in its entirety will march through our home village of Braunton. The day will culminate with a social function on RMB Chivenor.

Timings for the day:

1030 1100 hrs 1120 hrs 1125 1300 hrs 1315 1415 hrs 1500 1545 hrs 1600 2000 hrs Families and Guests arrive at RMB Chivenor All Families and Guests seated for the Medals Parade Medals Parade RMB Chivenor Buffet Lunch Regimental Welcome Home March through Braunton Regimental Social Function & BBQ

Children's activities and Regimental displays will run throughout the social function.

Transport will be provided to and from the married quarters to the Medals Parade and then onto and back from Braunton. For further information contact Duty Welfare Officer, Sgt Paul Southwick Monday Friday, 0800hrs 1600hrs on (01271) 857713 Please keep in touch through Task Force Helmand Engineer Group Facebook Page Click on link

Task Force Helmand Engineer GroupFacebook Page

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54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron New OCs Foreward

Firstly I would like to say greetings; I am Maj Craig Michael and have come in to replace Maj Karl Parfitt as the new OC 54 Cdo HQ and Sp Sqn. I arrived from a staff job which has had me deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan for the last six months. I have served in various units throughout the Corp and this will be the first time with 3 Cdo Bde. I am married to Lesley and we have two children. Over the last two weeks I have noticed that the Sqn is set up extremely well and has made a great name for its self across the various units it works with; something that both the Sqn and the families back home should be proud of. The Sqn works hard to achieve everything set in its way and all is completed with the professionalism and energy that engineers are renowned for. The main focus is still on support to the other Sqns, as well as the plethora of other activities we have to maintain. Life for all continues to be hectic and the tempo will increase as we prepare to move towards the finish line. The Sqns morale is high and more importantly everyone can now see the light at the end of the tunnel as work begins on the preparation to come home next month. Overall no real change to what I understand is the standard way of life. Additionally I would like to pass on my thanks to the families back home who constantly provide morale and support to the Sqn. The smiles that letters and parcels produce are a pleasure to see. I look forward to meeting you all when we return and getting to know you over the next two years. Finally I will end by saying it is an honour to be able to be given the opportunity to command the Sqn and I can only hope that we go from strength to strength over the next few years and remain a unit to be reckoned with. Maj Craig Michael, OC 54.

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Resources TroopThe long, long, long journey so far!

Well as we are all heading closer to our hand over and end of tour, the work doesnt seem to end, the work has been coming in thick and fast with lots of demands coming in for tasks, kit being returned from tasks, receipts coming in and making sure we have all of the stores we hold in the correct locations ready for a slick handover. Its going to be hard long days but it very achievable with our elite Resources Troop. We have said goodbye to Spr (Nick) Rhodes who has been able to get home a little early for R and R to be with his fiance Caroline for the birth of their first child Harry, so a massive congratulations to them and all the best for them from us lot over here and bring on the sleepless nights for them. We also saw our Troop Commander Capt (Troopy) McCloud and Spr (Big Dog) Udeogu go on R and R, have fun and we shall try not to miss you too much. We have the arrival of LCpl (Yam) Penn as well, which has made a big difference to the fitter section, keeping everything organised and well maintained. He has also been entertaining the lads with his exceptional guitar skills in the tent (our troops very own rocknroll star). To finish off one of our troops fitters Spr (Mickey) Parsons had volunteered a team into a football competition, where they were able to keep the shirts of the teams they drew to wear, they got Stoke City. For a team selected at the last minute, they were on fire, winning three games and drawing one which saw them to the final against Newcastle, this is where all the problems began. With Big Dogs diving dramatics and the team captain Mickey scoring an own goal, which indecently cost them the game, smiles everywhere though as a lot of money was raised for Help for Heroes (there are still people wondering if Mickeys own goal was accidental or deliberate as he is an massive Newcastle fan I guess we will never find out). We dont have long to go and the work will be hard now but we will be home with our loved ones in no time at all, thank you for all the support we are receiving from everyone back home. Spr (Thomas) Humphries.

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3 Armoured Engineer Squadron PB ATTAL: The light at the end of the tunnel!

Op BAMclose to starting to taste the fruits of success

Well were into the final straight here at PB ATTAL and things are quickly coming to a conclusion. With the last of the big jobs coming to their long awaited end, the lads are finding themselves doing more and more landscaping and tidying up jobs. With the Board of Officers looming over us in the not too distant future and our subsequent rip out of ATTAL and then theatre soon after that, morale is creeping skyward. Gone are the overnight concreting tasks, miles of HESCO walls and endless elevated sangar erections. Some of the little perks are starting to show as well. We recently finished emplacing the containerised toilets and showers and managed to get two days of glorious showers and flushing toilet before Cpl Browns plumbing was put to ruin by an unknown assailant! Some devious individual, probably an infanteer took it upon himself to trash the plumbing and put an end to our first sight of comfort for nearly 3 months. Having now moved into the new accommodation, life has improved 10 fold. The perks include: No longer waking up covered in 3 foot of dust; rola-track flooring; brightly lit tents; the ability to walk to the kitchen without your feet and legs being covered in what can only be described as moon dust! At the writing of this article we are mere days away from plumbed in showers and flushing toilets. Christmas has definitely come early for the Troop. But the lads are really looking forward to being able to rip out of theatre and get back home. With the days ticking down till we fly out, morale is beginning to sky rocket at the prospect of being home and able to indulge in the simple comforts of being home. QM 3 AES, Capt Andy Cooney.

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26 Armoured Engineer Squadron

OCs Foreword
It has been all change in our part of Helmand with a new Danish Army contingent taking over. Team 12, made up of a mixture of regulars and conscripts like their predecessors, seem just as keen and professional and are a sound reminder that we too will be finishing our time in Afghanistan next month. Remaining busy until the last day in theatre, the Squadron begins two large scale construction tasks in the next few weeks as well as another ground clearance operation by the armoured Trojan tanks. This will see us literally passing tools over to 37 Armoured Engineer Squadron mid way through the builds and letting them finish the good work started by our forward Troops. I know that many of you from Hohne will be back in the UK over the school holidays, and hope you can make the best of the mixed weather. The arrival of post to theatre remains as erratic as ever and so I would not recommend sending any more parcels of letters after about 1st September as they may well not arrive in time, although eBlueys still continue to arrive into Camp Bastion.

RSOI Training for Armoured Engineers

CP RARGAY
Rargay School was built as part of a local education project but was never completed. It was, however, in the ideal location for an ISAF Check Point (CP) and as such 2 Troop were given the task of turning the school into a defendable CP location. It was thought that if we had not taken on this location the Insurgents would have due to the perfect firing points on to PB RAHIM.

Beautiful HESCO work at CP RARGAY

Cpl Kev Harvey issued orders and the section came to life. One of the first tasks was to clear the site where the first HESCO Sanger was to be placed. It sounds easy but this piece of real estate was already taken by the best built concrete building in Helmand
Cpl Harvey's Sect at CP RARGAY

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province. No problem as we had Spr Jamie Leathard who had a 100% record of breaking every piece of plant he had ever operated or been near on Op HERRICK 14.

With the building gone it was time to start with the HESCO. The base layer went in well but it was very time consuming. At first light the second layer was bounced out into position. The only problem was the plant did not have the reach to fill the HESCO, no problem we will use the Self Loading Dump Truck (Protected) (SLDT (P)), oh yes thats Piles of aggregate for HESCO at CP RARGAY right its been off the road since the day we arrived in theatre. Nothing else for it then, we will do it by hand. By around 2300hrs the second layer of the HESCO was full, giving good arcs of fire over the green zone and Helmand river. All through the morning the radio traffic had been busy. There were some very irate insurgents as when it got dark there was a small concrete building and when they awoke the next morning there was the first two layers of a HESCO Super Sanger and lets just say they wanted it gone. With warnings that they were getting in to position and strangely even after 4 and a half months those first few rounds pinging over your head still makes you move with some motivation. Stand too, stand too!!. All I could see was SSgt Lee Buckland picking himself up from the floor and heading for the Troop Wolfhound and after much debate of who would man the turret SSgt Buckland was in place on the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). Fire control orders were given from the roof of the building by the Platoon Sgt and all hell broke loose for the next 4 hours. After several bombardments of 81mm Mortars rounds and 30mm from Apache the insurgents decided enough was enough and anyway, we had some HESCO to be getting on HESCO blast protection wall erected inside the main outer wall with.

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For the next few days the pattern was the same. We would build some HESCO, the Insurgents would shoot in and around our general area and we would return fire from our newly built Sangers until air assets arrived to restore quiet and calm, leaving us free to build. With the threat side of the build now complete relative normality returned and there were surprisingly few hold ups just the normal three times a week where Spr Jamie Leathard would break the plant. With the task completed we all returned to PB RAHIM knowing we have made a real difference for A Coy, 3 MERCIAN, who can now sleep at night without fear that their location will be over run. You dont need SLDT(P)s to build Sangers, it just takes a little time by hand. by Spr Allison

The HAB-A-THON at Patrol Base (PB) RAHIM

One of the large scale construction tasks during Op HERRICK 14 has been the upgrade all accommodation at PB RAHIM. The task was to replace canvas tents and sunshades with purpose built Hardened Accommodation Bunkers (HABs) made by our old friend Mr HESCO. Compared to tents, the HABs are much safer and will protect those inside if the base was to be fired on by the insurgents. The HABs also have a better air conditioning system, which allows a greater level of comfort for those inside. To accompany all who live in PB RAHIM, 12 HABs would be required to be built. The task fell to General Taff Jordans section to build the HABs and fortify to location, whilst still allowing A Company, 3 MERCIAN, to operate and live in the base. This RSOI Training for Armoured Engineers involved a great deal of moving about for the infantry, as tents would have to be stripped to allow the HABs to be built. Each HAB would take two days to build and with higher priority tasking such as Check Point RARGAY, the task would have to be done a little bit at a time. Needless to say, the HAB-A-THON as it became known is now complete and was finished with no issues. A Company, 3 MERCIAN are now fully moved in and have made themselves at home in their new accommodation, however, after building 12, Cpl Jordans section never wants to see another HAB again..

The Hardened Accommodation Bunker at PB RAHIM

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The out load of another Hardened Accommodation Bunker begins

The Hardened Accommodation Bunker at PB RAHIM LCpl McCammon and Spr Mooney putting up the HAB roof structure at PB RAHIM

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The Upgrade of Check Point (CP) KALAY

Basic ANA stand to position

CP KALAY is a small check point which provides security for one of the main roads in Helmand Province, known as Highway 1. It is manned by Afghan National Army (ANA) and their mentors from the 9/12 Lancers whose job it is to guide, train and advise the ANA on their operations. A Section from 1 Troop was tasked with a very basic upgrade of CP KALAY which would see it made a slightly more comfortable place to operate from for both the ANA and the Advisors.

The move from 1 Troops main base at Lash Durai was commanded by Cpl Rees and saw the Wolfhound, Husky and Medium Wheeled Tractor (MWT) trundled down to site. One of the main tasks was to provide decent toilet and washing facilities. These had already been prefabricated at Lash Durai by Spr Jewell, so it was literally a case of digging soakaways and screwing together the timber structures. The next job was to sort drainage and fill in the open sewer and internal burns pit. This was completed easily with the help of LCpl Genner and his MWT and had the added benefit of making it far safer to walk around the CP at night without the added worry of falling into any smelly holes. With the environmental health type tasks complete, it was time to build a few stand to positions, where if necessary the ANA could fire over the walls of the CP in its defence in addition to the normal sangars. The final task was to remove a tree line which was blocking line of sight to one of the connecting CPs on Highway 1. This was achieved with ease using the MWT, however LCpl Genner had an argument with a drainage ditch and lost. Thats Cpl Rees looking serious with the MWT another fully paid up member of the 26 in the background Armoured Engineer Squadron, Op HERRICK 14 Medium Wheeled Tractor display team then..

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31 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Talisman) OCs Foreword.

The unrelenting Afghan summer temperatures continue to test our mettle here in Helmand. No amount of training can prepare you for the oppressive heat and fine dust which seems to find its way into everything. Yet the soldiers continue, unabated, to deliver on our commitments as the Route Proving and Clearance Squadron. This weeks articles focus very much on the activities that take place inside Camp Bastion. These are the key enablers that allow the troops to get out of the door and support the forward locations. Even outside the cycle of operations, they have come up with fresh initiatives to raise money for charity, inter-troop competitions and build on the strong sense of identity we enjoy in 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron. This ethos is replicated back in Hohne where the Rear Operations Group, partners and families of deployed soldiers have ensured no-one ever need feel alone and that activities designed to bring the team together are in abundance. Thank you for your support. Sam Stuthridge OC 31 Armd Engr Sqn

Talisman Turns Top Gun

Saturday 6 Aug saw the mighty TALISMAN Sqn take to the volleyball court again to flex the pecs and pay homage to the greatest movie of all time. Half the squadron was involved in the volleyball tournament and the remainder took part in an inter-troop 5a-side football competition. With the early afternoon sun beating down, the scene was set for an afternoon of athletic heroism from all involved, with the current champions of the volleyball court, SHQ, looking to retain their crown of glory. Over on the football pitch things could not have been tenser with Troop pride on the line. The teams were battling hard for wellearned points, knowing that nothing but 100% would do to attain the bragging rights of the Sqn. 2 Troop were favourites for the tournament and they started well with a victory over 1 Troop. SHQ kept a clean sheet in an opening match worthy of a Wembley appearance against the LAD team despite ending in a 0-0 draw. The third match between 3 Troop and the Artillery team also finishing with an equally boring score of 0-0.

The 2IC makes professional goalkeeping look easy

This set the trend for the SHQ team with 4 of the 5 matches ending in draws until the final game when they were eventually undone by some truly premier league style football from 2 Troop. 2 Troop, after their victory against SHQ, lifted the invisible trophy for the event and were crowned champions of the 5-a-side pitch after an unbeaten run of 5 out of 5 matches. Meanwhile back in baby oil central, AKA the volleyball court, things had started well for SHQ with the team winning 2 of their 3 opening games however 1 Troop were still left to beat. With some very unique serving skills from Spr Pearce-

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Spr Pearce-Crawford's unorthodox levitating serve!

Crawford, 1 Troop proved to be too strong for the rest of the competition and went on to win the bragging rights on the volleyball court or so they thought. After the competitions came to a close the OC gathered the Sqn together to announce the winners. It was at this point he went on to declare that the sports day had been a fun event and did not actually count in the Sqn volleyball standings and therefore SHQ were still the champions and were yet to be dethroned!!!! It was good to let our hair down and enjoy some team sports while at the same time maintaining Squadron esprit de corps!

Since the events of Saturday, SHQ have been challenged several times for the title of Volleyball Kings of the court and have still to be beaten, even our C-IED counterparts havent been able to overthrow the sheer skill and pure fluke that has blessed the team in the last 5 months. The only thing we need to work on now is being able to pull off the dog tags, aviators and jeans look without looking like a group of 1980s throwbacks, oh, and beating Spr PearceCrawford and his amazing levitating ability.

The Life of a Fleet Manager

What I can say about being a Fleet Manager is that it involves paper work, paper work, and more paper work. What with 21 Day checks, Docs, Demands, 1005s, 1002s, 1045s, 1043s, 932s, 6534s, 6530s, 2029s, 1033s, 1004s, 741s, 601s, 201s, fuel and mileage returns, and ATUDS we were surprised that there was any paper left in Afghanistan. It was a dark day for the Amazon jungle when it was decided that a Fleet Manager should exist. A typical day will involve starting work at 0800 hrs after a bit of Troop PT in the early morning. Walking through the door and there is the lovely 1002 (vehicle availability sheet) staring you right in the face which must be kept up to date daily. Once done, then its time to check the docs for any servicing/checks that needs to be done on the wagons (who am I trying to kid, in reality its kettle on and lets have a chat for half an hour then start the paperwork). Ok, now to dish out the jobs on vehicles, easy you might say however finding the manpower is a job in itself. It was easy at the start of tour when people would see me coming and think nothing of it, now however, as I walk around Bastion, I see Sappers darting for cover like rabbits in the lights of a hunter. Suddenly, there is no one available as they all think I am there to SPAM them, but there is no escaping the eyes of the Fleet Manager. We are at our busiest just before and just after each operation. This is when we as the Fleet Managers have to make ready all the relevant documentation for the vehicles to legally drive around Afghanistan. This is the bane of our lives as the blokes have to perform 21 day checks, this involves an ECM inspection (ECM is voodoo magic and is performed by a Shaman). This is followed by a REME vehicle inspection, then, and only then, is it allowed to go outside of Bastion. It would be nice to have vehicles return to Bastion in a similar state as they left but this is extremely rare due to the arduous terrain and constant threat of enemy action in Helmand Province. If the vehicles are damaged then more innocent howler

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monkeys of the Amazonian rainforest go homeless as we require more paper for fault reporting!!! The end of the month it is our busiest time. This is when we politely ask not to be disturbed but this normally goes unanswered and that makes certain members of the office quite angry. Cpl Spruce has been known to throw inanimate objects at all sorts of visitors! It is a mammoth paperwork task which can take hours in most cases, occasionally interspersed with cups of tea. Its amazing how many ways there are to fill out the same piece of paperwork. The lads always manage to show us new and fancy ways to do this and as always its down to the fleet managers to decode / translate and then file for future reference. Sgt (Andy) Hamilton is a new addition to the Fleet Managers office having been sent out to cover the role of TQMS which he is doing with an Iron fist. When his photo was taken he was asked how he was doing and his reply was living the dream. As we approach the last third of our tour, there is a bit of refurbishment being done in the form of shelves being erected for stores by our resident Shop fitters Cpl (Dave) Williams and LCpl Todd. I think the shelves should be up to the task ok as long as we only store feathers and helium on them. Although it is a busy job it has made the tour fly by and all in the Fleet managers office Cpl (Jay) Preston and Cpl (Goose) Spruce are now ready to call it a day and hand over to the replacements arriving here in September. This is only 43 days and a wake up away. Although we dont normally count the days; we do make every day count! By Cpl (Disco Dad) Brown, Cpl (Goose ) Spruce, Cpl (Jay ) Preston and Sgt ( Andy ) Hamilton.

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TALISMAN Fabrication Ltd

Whilst deployed here on Op HERRICK 14, myself (Spr Collishaw or Stevie J-lo) and 2 other Fabricators, Spr Connell (Davy) and LCpl Tomlin (Tomo), were called away from our jobs as TALISMAN Mastiff drivers by the Engineer Resources Work Shop to embark a task of constructing some culvert denial structures for use on some of the routes in the Green Zone. They stand taller than 1.5m in height and over a metre wide and deep, so we quickly realised just how big a task this was going to be. With great reluctance from our Troop Commanders we were released from our troops to start our new jobs. On our arrival in the workshop, we were greeted with open arms by SSgt Gyros Williams, who wasted no time in showing us around and setting us straight on to task with Spr Page, AKA Grandad. With being told that we had only days to finish the job and days turning into hours, we quickly looked over and assessed the drawings, scratched our heads, donned our gloves and got to work right away cutting the necessary materials needed to complete the task. This started with 120 galvanised pipes at a metre long which also needed to be ground down. To save time Spr Collishaw welding his pipe measuring every pipe, we created the Stick of Power, a guide at exactly a metre long. With Bruno Mars in the background (again!) and the cutting well under way, we went our separate ways to complete our individual tasks of measuring up, grinding, lining up and welding together. Over the next few days, the structures rapidly took shape, dominating the workshop space and giving some idea of how effective they will be when installed. Designed to be used as a denial tool, they weigh a ton and will certainly not be easy to remove. Three days into task and all the housings for the pipes were constructed, with the pipes being inserted by Grandad, and the flanges being attached to the front. Unfortunately, Tomo was recalled to the Squadron to deploy with his TALISMAN Troops out on the ground. Not to worry, Davy and I kept our heads high and proceeded with the job in hand. It took us six days to complete all four structures. We then moved on to build the grills which are placed in front of the structures to prevent any tampering. It took us a little while to get our head around the angles, but again, once sorted we quickly set about prepping all the materials and constructing the frames. This has been a great opportunity for all three of us to back to our trade skills as it has been at least two years since the last time we did any form of welding. With Davy also being a welder before he joined up, he was able to pass on some of his knowledge and trade secrets. The task has been challenging and fulfilling as we know it will be put to good use, helping out the security forces without creating any undue discomfort to the locals.

Spr Connell behind his own bars

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31 AES - AKA The 4 Musketeers

LCpl Leighton pretending he is an Engineer

Greetings lads and ladies. We thought it was time we introduced ourselves and gave you an update as to what Gods chosen men within 31 AES have been up to. So who are we and what do we do? Well, simply put, we are the people who keep the big toys your husbands play with in working order and make sure they are ready to be used at play time when ever that may be. We achieve this by liberal use of, super glue, araldite, black nasty (Black tape), brute force, the REME hiss, and on the odd occasion, when the postal system works, a genuine spare part. As to who we are; the Boss is (well he thinks he is the boss) Sgt Vinny (yes I am growing my hair and getting dreadlocks)(Mc Nab) Payne, the 2 i/c is Sgt Chris (the popsicle, its too hot and I am melting) McGarry and the actual workers are LCpls Tom (I will soon be airborne, so know your place hat) Nixon and Liam (I am a

PTI, so I have the best guns) Gowen. We have said goodbye to LCpl Leighton as he was posted, as his wife was pregnant and we thought he should probably lend a hand with the move!!!!! The boss (Sgt Payne) is the oldest person in the Sqn (and maybe the world). That said he does ok and it did not take too long to install the wheelchair ramps and stair lifts to get him in and out of the vehicles. I have heard he also makes a whole night of sleep, only going to the toilet half a dozen times!!

Most of the team together

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LCpl Nixon and Sgt McGarry

Life in camp involves a daily routine of darts practice, morning brew, Facebook update, your husband telling us he has broke something, us hissing and giving him the REME ooohhh needs spares mate. Another game of darts, lunch, gluing or taping the said broken thing, Op Bronze for 45 mins a day, afternoon brew, quick check that there are no more broken things, knock off, football manager, trip to the gym, and then congratulate ourselves on another incredibly busy day and that we have truly conquered all the problems that we were presented and made a massive contribution to the Sqn effort. When the Sqn goes out to play, one of, and on a number of occasions, 2 of the musketeers will accompany the Sqn. Clearly the reason why we go is to fix the things that your husbands break while they are out to play. This means a lot more hissing, shaking of the head and the

Vinny (McNab) Payne out on Ops. Yes, even Afghanistan has wheel chair access for the OAPs in the Sqn.

occasional tut if the thing they have broken is really big. To help us do this we even have our own vehicle, affectionately known within the Sqn as the S*$t truck, which makes me the, well you can guess. The truck is normally full of the previously mentioned glue, tape and string. With this we can normally fix most problems we come across while we are out. In all seriousness, the lads have grafted like ten men, which is the size of fitter section we took over from. We have deployed on every Op, been involved in every incident of note or importance that has occurred, and also always managed to get the Sqn out of the door with everything they have required. It has been an absolute privilege to command and more importantly work with the other 3 chaps. So from the 4 Musketeers, we thank you for all your parcels, best wishes and we cannot wait to get back to wet, cold Bergen and begin throwing copious amounts of Magners and Becks down our throats. 60 days to go, Just 60 days and making every one count!! By Sgt Vinny Payne and the team

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39 Armoured Engineer Squadron OCs Final Foreword

Another couple of weeks completed for 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron. Having recently taken over command of the Squadron, I am in awe at the professionalism and dedication shown by all. To date, the Squadron Sergeant Major and I have had the opportunity to touch base with 7 Troop, and visit 8 Troop at their base location. Both Band of Brothers are working extremely hard, regularly completing difficult tasks under demanding conditions. I was particularly impressed at the level of comradeship and cooperation within both Troops. As we enter the tours fourth quarter, 39 Squadron constantly rises to the challenge of supporting two dynamic Battle Groups, providing excellent engineer support at all levels.

7 Troop
This week 7 Troop have been out and about in Lashkar Gah stripping out a military bridge and replacing it with a non equipment bridge. This has freed up essential equipment to be used elsewhere and at the same time provided local nationals and ISAF with a permanent piece of infrastructure that allows freedom of movement. Staff Sergeant Gallagher of 7 Troop explains how the task went:

The new OC 39 AESMaj J Thompson

NON EQUIPMENT BRIDGE (NEB) Heavy sighs and choice words echoed around the tent in the patrol base as the duty alarm awoke us at 0300 hrs for what was about to become a real test of Combat Engineering. Corporal Sammy Stones was the chosen section commander for the task and was really up for the challenge, well anything beats filling elevated sangars by hand. The move down to the bridge location was as smooth as clockwork and the search of the bridge site by Lance Corporal Webby Webb uncovered no nasty surprises for the Section, so it was time to see if the previous days rehearsals would pay off. The first job was to recover the existing 5 bay medium girder over bridge that was in place. As the ramps and decking pieces were removed one by one, it became evident that this was going to be more than a simple strip and build. Once all the decking and ramp sections had been removed it was time to drag the remainder of the bridge onto the home bank so that it could be dismantled, Sapper driving miss daisy Cox made short work of that and before long the bridge was on its way back to our base location. The removal of the military bridge uncovered a sturdy bridge made using local materials and methods which showed good engineering skills, but our being in awe of the local skills that built the bridge were short lived as Sapper Cox used his light wheeled tractor to destroy the timber and mud structure. Then under the watchful eye of Corporal Stones the ground works for the new bank seat beams were duly dug. By now the locals in the area were paying a lot of attention to what we were doing and it seemed most of them had an engineering degree and offered lots of advice free of charge, or was it just a decoy so the kids could steal our stores?! But thanks to our American surveillance friends with their eye in the sky, all the kit was quickly recovered.

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The bridge itself was made from reinforced steel girders, which were a gut wrenching lift for the guys to man handle into position. The day was pushing on, our big yellow friend in the sky was taking no prisoners and the men were starting to feel the strain, I believe it was around this time our Territorial Army contingent, Sapper Stocksy Stocks decided he didnt want to join the Regulars and the thought of returning to Ladbrokes was a safer bet. All the rehearsals had paid dividends and the build could not have gone any better. All that remained to do was the decking and curbs, we were on track for an earlier than scheduled finish, so with two nails in his mouth and four behind each ear, Sapper Iceman Cross declared war on anything wooden; making short work of the decking whilst Sapper Joe Menenzes made good the approach to the bridge, allowing us to declare the bridge open. Another hard shift and a job well done by 7 Troop, 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron. G Gallagher, 7 Troop Staff Sergeant

7 Tp Bridge Strip

7 Tp Medium Girder Over Bridge Strip out

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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

9 Troop Move Homes Again

This week elements of 9 Troop have moved from their usual home in Combined Force Lashkar Gah to instead work with the 1 RIFLES Battle Group in Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj South. The lads mission was to build a new check point that would expand the protected community and the influence of the Afghan government. The following is an account from Sapper I love Christmas Duties Wilkinson: Thankfully for everyone concerned this update wont have any howling nicknames added courtesy of the camp dwellers in Bastion. A Section compromising of Lance Corporals Rossi Ross, Brum Connon, Bruv Dale, Sappers Wardy Ward, Scouse Thomas, Keeber, Knoxy Laqekorro and myself moved up to an existing location in the 1 RIFLES AO to construct a new check point. The first task was to quickly sort out our own shelter from which we would operate. After establishing our digs we began the hot task of unloading stores, much to our surprise the Infantry multiples from 1 RIFLES were keen to help, something we have not seen during our 5 months operating in Lashkar Gah. Once the kit was sorted, we were ready and raring to go for a move at first light onto our objective. Unfortunately our objective, a compound that we were going to turn into a check point, was also the venue for a 2 day wedding celebration. Not wanting to upset the locals we were keen to protect, the Operation was postponed and 48 hrs later we made our move. The task was carried out under the direction of Staff Sergeant Mick Eastwood who found time to show off his skills in the light wheeled tractor; we levelled the ground and also had the joyous task of shovelling a stupendous amount of dusty goat dung out of the compound (that had just been used to host a wedding?!), much of which was subsequently coughed up through the night. With the ground works done and the stores in loaded, it was time to begin the 9 Tp CP Kahmana, lads handy work construction of the two expeditionary elevated sangars that would provide the Infantry with the ability to defend the compound. The Section cracked on whilst myself and Bruv tried to fix our self loading dump truck that had hydraulic issues an all too common fault. We managed to use it for a while, using a 2 man tag team to operate the system, but when we needed to move if forward to help the lads with the sangar, the stabiliser legs gave up the ghost, so we joined the Section for the sangar build, which quickly lifted morale as Bruv started one of his legendary whinging sessions. The following day we recovered the dump truck and morale was high; however the laughs soon stopped as without the hydraulic

9 Tp CP Kahmanan Planning at CP LEVERETT

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arm of the dump truck we had to fill 2 elevated sangars by hand, using 1600 sandbags for each one. A soul destroying task that seemed to last forever, but morale did rise on the odd occasion, like when we found out that the hardest man in the Troop Knoxy, had the not so hard first name - Ernie. Whilst we worked on the check point, the remainder of the Troop were working hard putting in culverts and make the route to the check point passable to our vehicles. Staff Sergeant Eastwood was back in the light wheeled tractor, yes hes still got it after all these years and Sapper Smeagle Brelsford provided additional support in the medium wheeled tractor. The Section made short work of the job, installing aqua pipe culverts, once the route was upgraded it freed up more hands to start work on the construction of the helicopter landing site. Thankfully with the arrival of the road party, more hands made light work and spirits were soon very high. They were even higher when we found out the lads had brought ice cold water with them. With the whole Troop working on the check point it wasnt long until the list of jobs was complete and we were able to cut away having completed a job well done. By Wilko LJ Wilkinson 9 Troop Driver

8 Troopthe next instalment

We are moving ever closer to the end of our time in Afghanistan, conversations about our movement back to Germany increase, but this is against a background of hard work. The Troop remains fully committed to improving the facilities and living conditions for the Infantry companies within Nahr-e-Saraj (South). Winterisation has been the name of the game over the past weeks, which is odd given its the height of the summer. But if we dont get the work done now, many of the forward location will be unbearable to live in during the winter. The work has often involved covering a large area with aggregate, something which had been met with mixed responses within PB2, the 1 RIFLES Adjt is not a fan, his favourite running route was turned into a boulder field. This in turn led to heart ache for the lads; Sapper Cheee I love aggregate Romans had to switch from IC stone laying, and undo his hard work by removing much of the stone, allowing the runners in PB2 to get their route back. Across in A Company 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles AO, weve been making friends with our Nepalese comrades. After Corporal Walton had settled himself in, fired up the kettle and had a brew or three, the lads set about improving the Check Points in the surrounding area. Unfortunately in one location, Corporal Walton managed to find numerous flaws in Troopys plan to build on what turned out to be a sponge like flood plain; however the lads as usual found a solution and left behind a position that was a bit more secure and comfortable. The focus of the Troop is now on ensuring we complete our outstanding tasks and setting 29 AES up for success before we depart. Although we are all aware that there is still a lot of hard work to do before we head home, the lads are up for the challenge, with everyone being proud of what they have achieved so far. T Foote, 8 Troop Commander

Life on the Immediate Resupply Group (IRG)

Life as the engineer attachment to the IRG started for me at the beginning of May. The IRG consists of elements of the Royal Logistic Corps and 1 RIFLES Battle Group, working together with attached arms to resupply Nahr-e-Sarejeh South; picking up food, rations and a variety of stores from Camp Bastion, moving them forward to Mobility Operating Base Price (MOB Nice) and subsequently on to more forward Patrol Base locations. As the engineer attachment I mainly focus on the collection of engineer stores from our Squadron Quarter Master. This has involved moving everything from elevated sangars and check point stores to water purification equipment and bridge parts. As well as being busy on the road for large parts of the day, we had the advantage of being based out of Mobility Operating Base Price, which causes a certain amount of jealousy amongst the other lads who claim working the IRG is the best job in the Squadron. Along with my driver Sapper Olly Aitken, we have kept the 8 Troop lads based out of Patrol Base 2 fully supplied and therefore very busy. Ive now left the IRG and am working with 8 Troop on a variety of tasks across the AO. For me working on the IRG was very different to what I had expected to do in Afghanistan, I generally enjoyed my time, especially the perks of being based out of MOB Nice, as anyone would, but I am also glad to be back with my Troop and Section completing the engineer tasks for which I have trained.

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59 Commando Squadron RE

LCpl Stainthorpe59 Cdo writer in residence

Hello once again to all you fine folks back home. Unfortunately for you poor lot I, LCpl Chris Stainthorpe, has been given with the responsibility of submitting this instalment of the fortnightly news letter. Im sure the last provided many yawns and even in some cases sent you completely to sleep. Hopefully this one will have the same effect! Well, by some seemingly unimaginable feat the weather seems to be getting hotter again which, despite the relative comforts of aircon here on Bastion is a pain in the Still this will not douse the morale of the SHQ (Squadron Headquarters), QMs (Quarter Master/Stores) Department and our many characters. Fat Rodders (LCpl Boone) whilst laying off the Harmonica for the time being, has developed new tactics in which to drive us all mad. He simply calls his own name out and then looks around as if some third party shouted it and then giggles to himself. Hilarious Im sure youll agree, just be careful your sides dont split. Chief Clerk (Sgt Toni Wingebag Scoins) has her imaginary Magic 8 Ball which she shakes when you ask her a question and then replies with a suitably sarcastic answer. Very imaginative and completely original not! Cpl Taff the Hat Harrison has his ever increasing feminine side causing both amusement and in some cases awkwardness. All I have to add to that is hes Welsh; if he can be attracted to sheep then I suppose men are an improvement. LCpl Tommo Hawk Thompson has his relentless quick wit which seems to amuse him more than anyone else mostly; but hey, whatever you need to get by out here. And Myself LCpl Vainpants Stainthorpe, obviously Im a ridiculously funny guy with endless amounts of charm, wit and sophistication. Quite simply I provide most of the morale wherever I may find myself; frankly without me, Im sure many would have simply broke down on this tour. And if you believe a word of that then youre very sadly mistaken and youve clearly never met me. Well if you havent fallen asleep already, then Im both impressed and clearly somehow getting infinitely more interesting. Our sincere thanks go to you all for your continued support and effort keeping us sane, and looking after things for when we get home. We all appreciate the hard work you put in whilst were away and Im sure you will all be rewarded suitably upon our safe return! Good bye from me and from everyone here; we look forward to seeing you all again soon. By LCpl Stainthorpe.

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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

1 TroopThe Fighting First

7 man team from The Fighting First after Patrol. From the right: Spr Leslie, Spr Appleton, Spr Travanti, L/Cpl Wilsher, Spr Hoggins, Patrol Commander and Spr Beveridge.

Well firstly Id like to apologise on behalf of The Fighting Firsts Troop Commander for us not having a newsletter last month. Supposedly hes an ICT graduate yet was unable to figure out how to use the USB stick to print the newsletter. Hopefully hell be a bit more successful this time round. Well its been a progressive couple of weeks since you last heard from us with a few interesting events. Weve had to say goodbye to LCpl Paris Courtney as he leaves us to complete his second phase of trade training, and we say hello to his replacement, an old member of the troop, Spr Dan Watson. Weve now moved from our home Wahid, where we upset a few Estonians by owning the gym, and have now landed ourselves in a bit of a downgrade, called CP Salaang. Rest assured the lads have made it as homely as possible with attempts at washing lines and hammocks hooked onto every possible pole; a shanty town is an understatement! Our main tasking for Salaang was a Helicopter Landing Site (HLS), along with other small tasks such as a washing areas, a shelter for a generator and a few other small repairs. The lads with no hesitation cracked on with the smaller tasks in groups with Spr LezLeslie, LCpl Ipkiss Stanley, Spr Dan Watson and Spr SAK Kirk completing a shelter for a generator. Concurrently Spr Sharpshooter Beveridge and Spr Hogs Hoggins cracked on with repairing the toilet doors whilst LCpl Wide Boy Wilshire and LCpl Block Devenish designed a new wash table for the checkpoint. With works in place the lads as usual have let the checkpoint know the Fighting First are here with weights being dumped into the gym followed by men descended from the Gods and, pretty much taking over everything. Standard! A few new rules have been enforced by the Troop Staffy, Staff Dinger Bell, to make times a little more interesting. The rule

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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Tannings not on the agenda today!

is simple - no breaking wind when in the gym, galley or during briefs. The punishment, youre asking? If caught in the act then the person(s) are to fill one bay of mill 5 hesco (1.5ft x 1.5ft x 1.5 ft) by hand with the other hand behind their back. A task that may seem easy enough to the unknowing; but, to us in the know, its not an easy one after a hard days graft. In great style, only a few hours after enforcing the rule himself, Staff Dinger Bell found himself, with one hand behind his back filling a bay of Hesco; Karma. Anyways thats the general goings on with the troop at the minute; but, before I end this letter I shall finish off with the main event of the month. On the 7th of August 6 members of The Fighting First volunteered to accompany the Royal Marines based at Salaang on a routine patrol. These members were LCpl Wide boy Wilsher, Spr Keil Appleton, Spr Lez Leslie, Spr Quagmire Travanti, Spr Sharpshooter Beveridge and Spr Hogs Hoggins. The brief the previous night explained that the area we were to patrol into was known to have a pocket of insurgents operating in it. With this information in mind the lads didnt bother packing lightly with Tony carrying his rifle with UGL (Underslung Grenade Launcher), Keil on the General ( 7.62 machine gun) Lez, Trev and Bev with light machine guns and Hogs with the same as Tony just not a rocket launcher. The patrol set off just after 5.30am; crossing through 7ft maze fields and boggy ground; through a collection of compounds until we finally reached the one we would stay at. Basically we took-over the compound, got the lads with the guns on the roof and kept an eye out for good old Terry. An hour passed and still no sign. I personally was gutted and Im sure the other lads were too, so we gathered our clobber and set up to move back out to Salaang. As we moved out of the compound 100m later we were parallel with another compound and without any warning there was a distinct sound of 3 sharp cracks. Terry had made his biggest mistake! Before we knew it, the contact was over and then the noises came; the patrol commander screaming if everyone was ok and the order to apply new magazines and link. Everyone was fine and had grins from eyebrow to eyebrow; no surprise there! Straight away we moved off into cover, re-grouped, formed a plan and decided to search the compound hoping to find the culprit. We moved through a series of compounds and alleyways with weapons in the shoulder ready for another attack. When we reached the compound from which we were fired upon we detained 2 male adults, whilst simultaneously manning the roof tops and clearing the area. Nothing was found so we headed off once again back to the checkpoint. Not the easiest task after the adrenaline wears off and the sun decides to put its hat on. All in all a complete success and a moment well never forget. Well that just about does it from The Fighting First. Id just like to say a big thank you to all for your support and please keep the parcels and letters coming. You really do make a difference - 6 weeks till we are back so start prepping now; its going to be messy!. By Spr Leslie, 1 Troop The Fighting First.

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Task Force Helmand Engineer Group

Condor TroopA day in the life of a 'Newey'!

The team and the gates

As we have moved into the last third of tour Condor Tour remain as busy as ever. The troop continues to be split across the AO completing a series of tasks. Cpl Walton known to all as Johnboy, and his section headed to a Whisky companys HQ called PB CATINA to improve their protection and living accommodation. Cpl Arun Patches Cofax completed a similar task at PB PIMON, turning it from something resembling a shanty town into a patrol base to be proud of! I was put within Aruns section for this task which I was quite happy about; Pimon has an EFI (drinks and confectionary shop) as well as wireless internet. When we got there however we realised just how much work was in store for us! On arrival we set up our living area and then we proceeded with the usual preparations, waiting for our aggregate to turn up and check all our stores. Once the stores were accounted for it was time for a spot of sunbathing and a couple of drinks from the EFI; the Afghan contractors who deliver stone and plan work to their own timings, being a day late is not unusual! The next day the aggregate and plant turned up, so, with a small team assembled of "Scouti" (Spr Harrower), Spr Sam "big teeth" Kille, L/Cpl FJ Sherpa and L/Cpl Deepak Rai, the work began. The work at PIMON involved the re-structure of a large part of the camp and began with the galley (kitchen) and various other tents moving, inducing confusion and whining from Royal (Royal Marines) in equal measure! By the time it was all moved it was just after dark but work didnt stop there; it was time for Spr Dipash Gurung to work his magic with the digger to level the area and put an aggregate base down to stop flooding in winter. By the next day this was complete and we started to move the galley tents back. This was going well until the biggest tent decided to give way in the middle and snap all the poles. We thought it was quite funny but the chefs werent laughing! After finding some new poles the tent was put back up; you have to keep the chefs happy out here! The next few days continued at a furious pace and soon enough the new HAB (Hardened Accommodation Bunker) was in place at the expense of our valiant plant operator Dipash who managed to drop a pipe on his hand. Dont worry; it was fine after a trip back to the med centre at FOB SHAWQAT. The work continued with long days but the tasks were quickly ticked off; new barriers where put in place at the entrance, an area for the ANA (Afghan National Army) was cordoned off, as well as improved sleeping areas and a shiny new set of front gates, made by the two chippies Spr Mark " Jeremy Beedle" Beedie and Sam Kille. Obviously the gates could not be finished without the help of the two plumbers, myself and my twin Spr Ricky "Ritchie" Christie. It was now time for L/Cpl Rob Graham, Spr Chris "boyband" Ward and Ricky to go off to do another task which just left 7 of us to finish off. Our biggest job was to finish of the HAB roof, a reasonably simple job of filling the roof with aggregate and putting

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3 Tp Check Point Chiron, the build concludes

ply board on top of the framework. This was going well until I fell through the ply board destroying a little of the work we had just done; but, it was quite funny so no one seemed too bothered! The other half of our small team finished a spot of fencing before returning to SHAWQAT for Sam and Deepaks R and R flights. So there were 4 of us; we had a few big jobs left to do but needless to say in true Condor spirit we smashed it! By Spr Carlo Ciarciaglini, Condor Troop

The Tribe roll with yet another CP upgrade; the SHAHZAD pantomime continues.
We are reminded on a daily basis by the vertically challenged, spherically headed, river vole featured Troop member of the countdown left till UK touchdown (52ish days); and Spr Harry Ramsdon out and about the inevitable alcohol fuelled carnage that will descend on various destinations around the globe. By this comment youd be led to believe that both the Troop was winding down and the tasks were tailing off. Youll be thrilled to know that neither of these beliefs are reality. As per usual we continue to travel the scenic, rural oasis that is Nadi-E-Ali; rectifying previous engineering builds, aiding the Cold Hand of Justice (ANP) to take over the many ISAF CPs, and generally squaring away Royals admin thus making it a more hoofing and less honking experience to operate and live. The Tribe; low on numbers due to a number of tactically late R&R slots and not feeling the love at PB Shazad anymore due to differences in opinions, were last week dispatched to expand CP TOLO overlooking the Nahr -e- Bughra (NeB) canal. Needless to say the tasks in hand were by now second nature to the troop: locals helping the stripping out of old defences and compensating the Sheriff for the honour of working so closely with the now renowned Tribesmen; fresh on the beat goffer monster LCpl Brett the treasure chest Parker moving earth about the vicinity and only sometimes bumping into our newly completed walls; and the chippy extraordinaires doing a lot of sawing and measuring but not much erecting! The task was quickly smashed whilst the robust, professional, men of the Royal Marines kept themselves busy by timing how long a dead donkey would take to travel through the underground NEB water tunnels to the neighbouring Bazaar. The results were inconclusive. After an obviously hot and even more obviously productive week we jumped back into the Johnny Evans field tested IEDproof Tribe convoy; and headed back to the pleasure resort of PB KHAMAAR, where we were treated to a surf and turf BBQ; cold slushies and some gym time. Later that evening four brilliant, knowledgeable minds of the Tribe entered the pub quiz that M Company had laid on. There was SSgt Dave Brown on General Knowledge (mainly due to being the Tp senior citizen), Matthew the Sphere Scott with his incontestable movie and catch phase knowledge (due to his background as a lonely geek), Spr Bond with many wrong or useless outbursts, and myself Tom long slong Vye- tidying up any loose ends and calling on my varied and rich background of facts from the back of ZOO magazines procured over the last 6 months. Despite being cheated out of a Top Gun question we still scored a respectable 62; the winners scoring only 64. If only we chose the original answers instead of changing our minds we would have won by a Country mile.

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Now back at our original starting place, PB Shahzad, where Daz Lambert scurries about like a busy bee in his store quenching his severe OCD, we fall back into the monotony that the long tasks produce, only momentarily stopping work for a quick dance off to a groovy tune; a dit about this one time; a philosophical whinge about life and hot drinking water; or the morale injection of a toss of the pigskin (American football). To make matters worse we are subjected nightly to Daz Lamberts just one on the G10 equipment care 10 pennies worth at the end of the evening brief! Its a bit of a clich, but if you learn anything operating in NadiE-Ali, its that nothing goes to plan. Seemingly easy jobs usually arent and nothing is guaranteed. With that said and a busy schedule leading right up to the end of play, youre probably wondering whether the Tribe will have anything left for the shin-dig in Spr Lambert constructing medical centre in SZD Cyprus? Dont doubt us for a second; as a certain Mr Lee Bowyer may make a well earned appearance at the half time team talk! Many thanks to the families and friends back home for the continued support with the numerous boxes of joy we receive every week on the Friday mail train from Bastion! By Spr Thomas Joshua Vye aged 23 and .

3Tp-Spr Perrin stumbles across a suspicious plant in a compound

3Tp-Spr Vye and Lambert getting friendly on the top of an EP.

SUPPORTING COMMANDO SAPPERS IN AFGHANISTAN WRISTBANDS

WHERE IS YOUR MONEY GOING? The income generated from the COMMANDO SAPPER wristbands will be split between 3 distinct areas. They are as follows: Regimental Welfare. This will allow us to support needy causes within the Regiment that cover a myriad of outlets; from injured soldiers, family activities and any venture which improves the welfare of our soldiers. 50% of all charitable income generated will go to regimental welfare. Army Benevolent Fund (ABF):The Soldiers Charity. ABF, The Soldiers Charity is designed to support soldiers, former soldiers and their families in times of need. Over the past 2 years ABF has seen a 30% rise in people seeking there help and expect this to increase with the continuing operations in Afghanistan. 25% of all charitable income generated will go to the ABF. Childrens Hospice South West. The Childrens Hospice South West is located in Fremington, literally on the Regiments doorstep. The Hospice provides care for the children with an illness, which means they will not meet adulthood. The Hospice provides expert care, not only for the children but also for their parents and siblings, allowing them to cope with these extremely difficult circumstances. 25% of all charitable income generated will go to the Childrens Hospice South West. To order Supporting Commando Sapper wrist bands. Please contact WO2 Ray Glass either by phone on 01271 85 7824 or by post with a SAE to WO2 Glass, ROpsP RSM, RMB Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4AZ, or just send a donation by cheque or postal order payable to Central Bank 24 Commando Engineer Regiment.

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TASK FORCE HELMAND ENGINEER GROUP
Editor: 546151 Capt Brad Hardwick 54 Cdo HQ & Sp Sqn TFH Engr Gp BFPO 792 E-maill bch5951@gmail.com

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