Operation SLIPPER: Stories from Afghanistan
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Stories from Afghanistan
Aussie Gunners on target in Afghanistan
Firing rounds in support of ISAF patrols whilst deployed to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan with the British Armed forces has been an experience of a lifetime for Gunners from the Enoggera-based 105 Medium Battery, 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.
Located at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Armadillo, the gunners have been working hard to support ISAF troops during their deployment, engaging in fire missions to support British, Danish and ANSF troops in contact.
In arduous conditions with temperatures rising to a barmy 55 degrees and contacts ranging between 1000 to 2500m from the FOB wall, the Aussie Gunners have maintained the outstanding standard set by the previous rotations from 8/12 Medium Regiment and 4 Field Regiment.
In early April, the British 19th Light Brigade including the Aussie Gunners conducted the transfer of authority with all UK force elements in Helmand Province for what was expected to be a bitter round of fighting leading up to the Afghanistan elections.
Lieutenant Khalid El Khaligi and Warrant Officer Class Two Shaun Graham had done an excellent job in pre-deployment training and ensured that the mixture of Australian and British troops was prepared for all eventualities.
There has been never a dull moment at the gun position with the Troop immediately commencing work resighting and reinforcing defensive positions, reorganising gun platforms and improving accommodation.
On a regular basis patrols were conducted to resight the field defences. Ground dominating patrols by day and night have been conducted to deter and observe local national support to the Taliban and identify depth firing positions used by the Taliban to engage the FOB from maximum range.
Living in HESCO buildings, sleeping on stretchers in mosquito domes, the gun position is as basic as it comes in Helmand Province. But in true Australian style the troop have made life as comfortable as they can in their accommodation.
Food at the Gun Position is also basic; consisting of travel cereal packs with powdered milk for breakfast, a United States Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) for lunch and a cooked British 10-man ration pack meal for dinner. Over the months the meals have become very creative as the soldiers are using field ovens made from ammo boxes to make bread and cakes.
In the first 4 months of the tour the troop have engaged in 42 fire missions, and have laid on numerous others, totalling 1008 rounds fired in anger in support of Danish and British infantry units.
All contacts have been between 900m to 2000m from the FOB which means that it is possible to observe the fall of shot, watch air support engage with 500lb bombs, see A10 Warthogs conduct strafing runs and Danish tanks engage with 120mm rounds from the desert into the Green zone.
The other result of the contacts being so close to the FOB is the high threat of ricochet and “spill over” rounds coming over the wall from the contacts. The gun detachments always wear body armour and helmet when manning the guns, due to this threat and the fact that the gun platforms are raised, leaving them exposed above the Hesco wall barriers.
The troop have been involved in some large scale operations as well, including the Brigade operation, Operation Panthers Claw.
Panthers Claw was designed to increase the ISAF area of influence. During the operation a high value target was identified and engaged with HE rounds from the Troop, 500lb bombs from F15’s and 120mm rounds from Danish Leopard 2 Tanks simultaneously. The combined engagement of this target was very exciting to be apart of. The day was then topped off when the troop fired a 60 round smoke screen to allow the Tank troop to disengage from the contact.
On one occasion the FOB was subjected to small arms fire around the gun position from 5 different firing points as well as coordinated Indirect Fire (IDF). This fire included Rocket Propelled Grenades which detonated behind and within the walls of the FOB.
During the contact the troop received a counter battery fire mission on the IDF point of origin given by the counter IDF detachment. The IDF was silenced by after 14 high explosive proximity rounds from the troop.
Another highlight of the tour included the involvement in an incident which required the FOB to launch a hasty multinational Quick Reaction Force (QRF) commanded by elements of the Aussie Troop to assist a British Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) patrol under heavy accurate and sustained fire.
The QRF consisted of elements from all elements within the FOB and utilised Danish vehicles for transport and Fire Spt.
The deployment has been an extremely rewarding and humbling experience for the Diggers, working for the combined British-Australian troop supporting Danish and British infantry in an international FOB.
The troop has and will continue to provide first class fire support to ISAF troops and has maintained the esteem that Australian Gunners have earned since WW1. There is an enormous trust and respect for the life saving, combat multiplying capability that gun troops can provide.