Falklands : A week at Onion Range with 11 Platoon, Falkland Islands’ Roulement Infantry Company
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 17.04.2009 (Article Archived on 01.05.2009)
11 Platoon G (TOBRUK) Company has been on Onion Range Camp conducting their first full week’s training since arriving in the Falklands. Onion Range is beautifully secluded allowing 11 Platoon to position their own camp and move unrestricted throughout the week, a freedom that is very rare when conducting Live Firing Tactical Training in the UK where space, freedom of movement and ammunition can be more restricted.
A week at Onion Range with 11 Platoon, Falkland Islands’ Roulement Infantry Company
Photo (c) Media Ops MPC
11 Platoon G (TOBRUK) Company has been on Onion Range Camp conducting their first full week’s training since arriving in the Falklands. Onion Range is beautifully secluded allowing 11 Platoon to position their own camp and move unrestricted throughout the week, a freedom that is very rare when conducting Live Firing Tactical Training in the UK where space, freedom of movement and ammunition can be more restricted.
With a blank canvas, a plentiful supply of ammunition and limited only by their own imagination 11 Platoon set about a demanding and extremely rewarding week of live firing. Basic soldiering skills were built up from simple pairs working together through to a full Platoon attack with an attached Fire Support Group. 11 Platoon took time to build skills for conventional war fighting and also for the contemporary operating environment.
A familiarisation shoot with the 0.50 inch Heavy Machine Gun and 40 mm High Explosive (HE) rounds for the Under slung Grenade Launcher was excellent revision and conducting compound entry drills using a wood and hessian house helped develop skills for the Gurkha’s up and coming tour in Afghanistan.
The training week was a good opportunity for 11 Platoon to get to know its attached elements from Support Company, 1 Mercian and also enjoy a constant supply of Fish Curry from the excellent Gurkha Chefs!
The week reiterated what a fantastic place the Falkland Islands are in which to train, 11 Platoon have achieved more in a week deployed to the Falklands than they could have during a month in the UK. 11 Platoon extend their sincere thanks to all the people who helped them organise and run the range package, allowing them to achieve all they set out to achieve.
Jai Gurkha
|
