Thorough, Professional and Dedicated No Matter What The Task

Major Chuckles Boswell, A Company
8th September 2011

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RAMADAN is over and Eid-al-Fitr has gone into full swing: there were jubilant scenes at the mosques around Walizai as the news came through that the Islamic festival (the Muslim equivalent of Easter) had begun. After 30 days of fasting and intense prayer, this is an opportunity for Muslims around the world to celebrate the founding of their religion.

And in Walizai there was no exception, with A Company hosting a celebration party for our Afghan colleagues: representatives from the 1st Tolay (Company), 6th Kandak of the Afghan National Army, the local Afghan Uniformed Police and the National Directorate of Security all present, along with prominent local elders. The sounds of celebratory gunfire from around the village were slightly unnerving at first, but the festival, one of the biggest events in the Islamic calendar, passed noisily but without any trouble in Walizai.

Despite Eid being in full swing, there has been no let-up in the pace of operations, with 2 Platoon commanded by Lt Pete Egan heading out into the night to conduct an ambush on a route regularly used by insurgents. While the Taliban did not oblige us by staying at home that day, it still sent a strong message to the insurgents that we are dominating the area to stop them from interfering with the lives of ordinary people. Also crucial to our dominance over the district are our counter-IED operations. During the last week we have been helping K Company (our neighbours to the east) to clear devices planted by insurgents after one of their patrols was involved in an explosion. A Company deployed over the boundary to check the site of the explosion to ensure that it was now safe for the local Afghans to use. Two more successful operations this week, demonstrating even more how thorough, professional and dedicated our Riflemen are, no matter what the task.

There have been a few changes in the Company over the past month: we have been joined by several new Riflemen who have just completed their basic training at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick: Riflemen Bishop, Docking, Enright, Montandon and Taylor have all joined us in theatre, as has 2nd Lieutenant Mark Willis, who joins the Company after commissioning from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and completing the Platoon Commanders’ Battle Course at the School of Infantry in Brecon. All are very welcome and all have made a good start to their Army careers, joining the Company at the sharp end of operations. We have also temporarily lost the newly-promoted Captain Ben Cooper to C Company for a few weeks, but have gained the knowledge and experience of Colour-Serjeant Lee French, who has joined the Ops Room staff while Capt Cooper is away. Congratulations must also go to Capt Dan Bedford RM, who has just been promoted from Lieutenant (and has been promptly ordered to buy champagne on return to the UK and get his hair cut immediately).

We have also been joined by a contingent of replacements from the Royal Marines, who have come in to the Company to take over from our Territorial Army Riflemen, who are due to depart Afghanistan in October. It is a great shame to lose them so close to the end of the tour: their performance since joining A Company last November has been magnificent and their dedication, humour and experience has been invaluable time and time again during the tour. Their replacements are very welcome, but we will be sad to see them depart.

Finally, we wish Bethany, the younger daughter of our Company Serjant Major, Scotty Maunders, a speedy recovery from injury – we hope that she is back on her racing bike soon and that the CSM is able to return to theatre after helping her convalesce.

Swift and Bold