19/01/2011
Rifles Finalise Training For Afghanistan
British troops - from 1st Battalion The Rifles - have been going through the final stages of their pre-deployment training for their upcoming deployment to Helmand at the mock Afghan village at the Stanford Training Area in Norfolk.
The troops are due to deploy in March 2011 with 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde).
They carried out a number of exercises last week in the bespoke training facility which includes a rural village, an urban complex and patrol and forward operating bases, all of which were designed by the Operational training advisory group (OPTAG) to replicate, as closely as possible the situations which troops will encounter in Helmand.
This training is the first chance that each battle unit gets to piece together all the various training they have received over the last 12 months, using all the elements that they will have at their disposal in Afghanistan, such as ISTAR, counter-insurgency techniques and working in partnership with Afghan Security Forces.
To make it all seem even more real, Afghan civilians play the part of locals in the villages.
Major Marcus Luckyn-Malone, OPTAG Formation and Unit Training Advisor for 3 Cdo Bde, said: "We have six days to take the Battle Group through this experience. There are four scenarios which build up layers of complexity and which are all linked.
"So, if they get it right they will see a big picture emerging and will connect all the intelligence that is there for them to find," he said.
(BMcC/KMcA)
The troops are due to deploy in March 2011 with 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde).
They carried out a number of exercises last week in the bespoke training facility which includes a rural village, an urban complex and patrol and forward operating bases, all of which were designed by the Operational training advisory group (OPTAG) to replicate, as closely as possible the situations which troops will encounter in Helmand.
This training is the first chance that each battle unit gets to piece together all the various training they have received over the last 12 months, using all the elements that they will have at their disposal in Afghanistan, such as ISTAR, counter-insurgency techniques and working in partnership with Afghan Security Forces.
To make it all seem even more real, Afghan civilians play the part of locals in the villages.
Major Marcus Luckyn-Malone, OPTAG Formation and Unit Training Advisor for 3 Cdo Bde, said: "We have six days to take the Battle Group through this experience. There are four scenarios which build up layers of complexity and which are all linked.
"So, if they get it right they will see a big picture emerging and will connect all the intelligence that is there for them to find," he said.
(BMcC/KMcA)
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British troops take lead in training Nato allies
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