3 RIFLES and the Brigade Advisory Group Members in the Awards and Honours list.

22nd March 2013

The Commanding Officer 3 Rifles congratulates the following on being recognised in the Armed Forces Operational Awards List No 40:

Lt Col Maconochie sends his post tour 2013 message.

3rd February 2013

Lt Col Maconochie, Commanding Officer of 3 RIFLES has recorded a message to all who support 3 RIFLES. Please follow this link to watch.

First day at School :Meeting with the men of 3 Rifles Recce TATT.

7th Sep 2012

It is the dream of every combat medic technician (CMT) to practice their trade in the field, catering to their health care needs and providing medical force protection to infantry men in what can sometimes be dangerous environments. This is where we come into our own, or so we like to believe. With this in mind I volunteered to go on Op QALB 7B in SAIDAN, Gereshk district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as a CMT attached to 3 Rifles Recce TATT.

A Postcard from C Company

Sept 2012

Another update from another of A Company's 2 Platoon......

13th Aug 2012

  Its 0800 and already the heat of the day is already up as the members of 2 Platoon move out for what is going to be a very long day. Moving out in support of the Grenadier Guards platoon attached to our company this feels like yet another routine patrol; an ordinary day in our AO is relatively quiet, in terms of Taliban activity at least, and as we leave Sola there is little to suggest today is different.

Helmand Olympics

Sept 12

 On Sunday 9th September soldiers competed against their Afghan colleagues in the Helmand Olympics held at the Karzai Stadium in Lashkar Gah.

C Company's latest postcard from the front line

22nd Aug 2012

3 RIFLES Brigade Advisory group working with the Afghan engineers to bring more stability.

7th Aug 2012

Another day another task with joint efforts between the ANA and ISAF.

This time it saw the Engineer Tolay tasked with building a big enough culvert for heavy vehicles, i.e. tractors, to be able to cross the NEB canal right outside of CP Kobahn. The build was to be carried out by the ANA and only supervised by their advising counterparts.

Fire Support Company's Recce Platoon keeping their areas clear of Taliban......

9th Aug 2012

July 21^st and only one day into Ramadan which we all thought would be a slightly more sedentary part of the tour.......however, for the  Advisor 43 callsign this was not the case. At the very familiar timing of 0500hrs the team was roused, breakfasted and given the pre-patrol brief and intelligence update. Approximately 30-40 mins later the Advisor callsigns left the gates of PB Sparta to liaise with their ANA counterparts who we were advising on the patrol. After a short wait the ANA met us at  Check Point SAIFULLAH, arriving in their Humvee and Ranger vehicles and we set off as normal with Capt Lower embedded within the ANA multiple alongside the command elements of the ANA and the rest of the Advisor Team a bound behind, providing the immediate support if they needed it.

Lt. Col Charlie Maconochie speaks to Roger Kennedy on Garrison FM.

20th Aug 2012 

 On the 20th of August Roger Kennedy spoke to 3Rifles Commanding Officer Lt Col Charlie Maconochie on Garrison FM. 

Afghan Bomb Disposal Teams

8th Aug 2012

 Afghan Bomb Disposal teams have proven themselves as amongst the most competent and bravest of their peers in the Afghan National Army. The teams, having been trained and advised by British Army Bomb Disposal experts, are now disposing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with confidence on a routine basis, leading to a safer environment for their countrymen and women to be able to go about their daily Business.

Another update from of A Company's 1 Platoon......

05 Aug 2012

Life in CP Prrang continues with the two month point coming and going at an alarming speed. We have seen the addition of Rfn Mills and Rfn Hodgson to the Platoon from Edinburgh and a steady flow of departures and arrivals as R & R kicks in. The past few weeks have seen continuing patrols into the local area with The Afghan Local Police and further engagement with the local people of Kunjak. Local opinions of ISAF and the ANSF are currently very good and we feel well supported by the extended community. We host local elders in the check point daily and have recently been initiating a plan to rebuild a key bridge in the centre of the village with local help rather than ISAF doing all the work. If successful this will be a great symbol of progress in the area as communities take more responsibility for their own problems, setting the foundations for the departure of combat forces in the area in the near future.

A Message to 3 RIFLES about the training team here in Afghanistan.

23rd July 2012

The Shorabak training Team (STT) is just a small part in the 3 Rifles Brigade Advisory Group (BAG) however it has a very large part to play, we in the team are responsible for over seeing all aspects of the ANA Training from weapon training to Driving, although having been in a vehicle with some of the team you might wonder how!

Another update from another of A Company's 2 Platoon......

11th Aug 2012

  The Solarium at CP Sola continues to get hotter and hotter as the relentless march toward the Afghan summer continues and the relentless pace continues. The last few weeks has seen 2 Platoon involved in a variety of operations and it has often felt, somewhat unjustifiably, that CP Sola has been at the centre of Nahr-e-Saraj South universe. In the last week we hosted a crucial, DCC led, local national shura that brought together the civil, military and police leaders of the AO for the first Afghan led discussions of this type. This represents a considerable step forward in the provision of governance and hopefully future stability for the AO. 

The Healing Hands of The Brigade Advisory Group Medics

Aug 2012

Soldier Magazine has learnt how our medics have trained the Afghan National Army in the hope of a brighter medical future. Click on the link below to read Soldier Magazines article. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW 

Update from of A Company's 1 Platoon......

05 Aug 2012

Over the past week the CP has seen the arrival of the IED clearance team and more patrolling into the local area. A number of tree lines near the Check Point have been out of bounds due to insurgents planting IEDs specifically targeting our multiples. In order to allow ISAF, ANSF and the locals the ability to move freely it was deemed necessary to clear the tree lines of all IEDs which requires the expertise of the Engineer Counter IED team. On Wednesday they co-located themselves in the CP (all 16 of them) along with a multiple of Grenadier Guards from CP Midanbazi, also in our AO. This meant that there were a total of 50 people crammed in and whilst accommodation was tight it was good to see new faces and exchange experiences. We also had two more search and protection dogs roaming around the CP, marking their territory, making sandals a brave choice of footwear when moving around at night!

Update from another of B Company's Platoons......

22nd Aug 2012

 The reunification of B Company also marked the coming together of 2.0, having spent the first 2 months of tour separated into two multiples under Lt Brown and Sjt Gray, working independently. Back as a Platoon, morale was high and apparently channelled through some artistic carpentry skills and Swiss Family Robinson-esque creativity, making a little corner of Lashkar Gah Durai a prominent Rifles Retreat…with a little less coconuts!

Update from B Company's Platoons......

2nd Aug 2012

Over the last month Call sign 10 have been settling into their new role as Ops Company for TSU Lashkah Gar. After the initial part of their tour in PB Durai providing a guard force for the Armoured Infantry company and doing administrative runs along the 601 the platoon was rejoined by the rest of the company who had not been together since the start of the tour.

Another update from another of A Company's 2 Platoon......

2nd Aug 2012

 The Solarium at CP Sola continues to get hotter and hotter as the relentless march toward the Afghan summer continues and the relentless pace continues. The last few weeks has seen 2 Platoon involved in a variety of operations and it has often felt, somewhat unjustifiably, that CP Sola has been at the centre of Nahr-e-Saraj South universe. In the last week we hosted a crucial, DCC led, local national shura that brought together the civil, military and police leaders of the AO for the first Afghan led discussions of this type. This represents a considerable step forward in the provision of governance and hopefully future stability for the AO.

Update from A Company's 2 Platoon......

1st Aug 2012

It has been a busy few weeks here at CP Sola, nestled in the heart of the small community of Tor Ghai in the lush Helmand Valley. A shared location with the ALP it is a location never short of its fair share of drama and goings on, or its fair share of amusements. The first few weeks in theatre have mainly been spent adjusting, to the climate, to the terrain and most of all to the new neighbours.

Update from B Company OC Maj Ian Posgate......

30th July 2012

It has been a long time since anyone in B Coy has put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.  It has been a busy period since we reformed as an Operations Company over a month ago.  We have been conducting operations to the North of the British area in Helmand and across Lashkar Gah’s area of operations near the provincial capital of Helmand.  Our speciality seems to be crossing canals.  We are loosing count of the number of times we have crossed wide fast flowing water, happily I can report that we have rarely got our feet wet.

Recce platoon hitting hard again..........Operation ZMARAY SIAFULLAH 2

30th July 2012

Saigon 1967. The air in the hotel room is stifling, the sheets soaked with sweat from the malaria induced fever from the night before….This story doesn’t start like this.

PB Sparta 2012, the weather is hot and dry. The wind, swirling from every direction does little to take the edge off the heat and drives dust into even the most unimaginable places. It is spring in Afghanistan and the enemy’s spring offensive is swinging into action. The atmosphere in Ops Box Rikki has been tense the last few weeks due to increasing attacks on the ANA checkpoints North of PB Sparta. Relationships are also “interesting” in the PB due to the unique position of being a multitude of different capbadges from across the Army, conducting a variety of tasks to different ends. Somehow though, operations are completed and very promising results are achieved. The composition and attitude of ADV 40 is not what the Infantry are ordinarily used to but the job gets done and everyone, both ANA and ISAF, come home alive and with all their parts, the most success you could ask for. It is fervently hoped that this remains the status quo.

1 Platoon, Check Point PRRANG, JEKER Area, HELMAND....

29th July 2012

1 Platoon, A Company 3 RIFLES have now been based in Check Point Prrang, CF NES S, for three weeks as part of a ground holding force in the PB Jeker Area of Operations. ‘Prrang’ in Pashtu means ‘tiger’ and was named by B Company 1 PWRR when it was opened in March 2012. The aptly named CP is nestled in the supportive community of Kunjak with the walls of the compound overlooking the Mosque and village square. One half contains a Platoon of ISAF with the other half a detachment of Afghan Local Police (ALP). Past years have seen intense fighting in the area of Kunjak and it was considered a Taliban stronghold and launching platform into the rest of the area. Since occupation by ISAF and the ALP in the spring of this year, there has been significant transformation with many locals returning to their homes now that security has been restored.

CO 3 RIFLES Lt Col Charlie Maconochie talks of progress so far....

28th July 2012

I am the Commanding Officer of 3^rd Battalion the Rifles and since April this year we have been deployed in Afghanistan as the Brigade Advisory Group (BAG), where we are responsible for advising the 3^rd Brigade, 215 Corps, of the Afghan National Army (ANA).  Our role puts us at the very forefront of security transition, as we maintain and encourage both the operational tempo and institutional development of the Afghan Army across Central Helmand. Since our arrival we have supported the ANA in conducting large scale operations bringing security to new areas, whilst also thwarting the insurgent effort in gaining a foothold through the spring.

Ramadam is upon us here and the Quartermasters family are helping out......

 27th July 2012

Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, will see the 3^rd Brigade of 215 Corps ANA engage with local nationals throughout Helmand Province. 

Ramadan (pronounced locally as Ramazan) is one of the pillars of Islam and is extremely important to those of the Muslim faith. The daily fast is one of the most challenging of all activities and to help with the breaking of the fast each evening, 3/215 will provide cooking pots to local nationals. Alongside the cooking pots are new turbans (Dari : longee) and new prayer mats (Dari : janamaaz).

3 RIFLES BAG Engineers take a step closer to transition.

24th July 2012

The strides that the Afghan Army have taken over the past years to becoming independent can be measured in different ways but none so as effective as letting them plan conduct and carry out their own operation.

The task was to create 2 new check points and upgrade certain areas of the route into the area of Saidan Village whilst at the same time providing security for the construction tasks.

Operation ZMARAY GHURISH 6 - more ANA led operations with 3 RIFLES Recce platoon.....

27th May 2012

We receive another set of orders for the now familiar and practised operation for the Recce Advisor team. Equipment checked and packed we deploy forward to ANA Check Point Kohbahn, the northern-most ANA CP sitting on the so called FLET, forward line of enemy troops; but as previous operations have shown there is no line! The insurgency in our area of operations has relative freedom of movement and is capable and willing to attack from all directions. As we move forward in our vehicles we know within minutes the insurgents will be informed of our every move by their scouting screens.

C Company's latest postcard from the front line.....

22nd July 2012

Operation ZMARAY PERKHA 7 - another area cleared by the ANA and 3 RIFLES recce platoon.

12th Jul 2012

It was another windy morning in Afghanistan and it was also another early start for the Recce Tolay and the advisors of 3 Rifles Recce Platoon as the 210 members of the ANSF were getting ready for a clearance to the south of Patrol base Sparta in Mokhattar Kalay. This was an operation that had been conceived, planned, developed and coordinated, all without any input from ISAF. It was the largest cross-department operation in the general area to date with force elements from 2 separate Afghan Uniformed Police Kandaks, the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan National Civil Order Police and the Afghan National Army all commanded and controlled by an Afghan chain of command. The only ISAF involvement on the ground were the Recce Advisors, a Police Mentoring Team and a small support team provided by the Kings Royal Hussars ready to step in and assist should things turn sour.

Swift and Bold Supporters Complete Caledonian Challenge in 12.54hrs!

5th July 2012

A 'bunch of misfits' team comprising of Andrew Moreton (ex.RGJ), Richard Duree (ex.Navy) and Tom Welch (ex.2LI) completed the recent 2012 Caledonian Challenge travelling 54 miles across the West Highland Way in an impressive time of 12.54hrs to raise money for the 3 RIFLES appeal.

WATCH THEIR EFFORTS BY CLICKING HERE FOR A YOU TUBE VIDEO OF THE CHALLENGE. SWIFT AND BOLD!!!