14 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008
● Shadows and dust... A Royal Marine of Bravo Company, 40
Commando, on patrol in Sangin and (below) Mne Will Charters
carries a girl badly-injured by a Taleban rocket attack to Bravo
Company’s fi rst-aid post in Sangin
Pussers
I
F ANYWHERE in Afghanistan epitomises the odious nature of Taleban, it
Thanks to efforts
is the market town of Sangin.
by children in 40
Commando’s home
For a decade, Sangin was a see progress that people can buy persisted.
town, some colour
Taleban stronghold in name into, and the feedback we are Teachers remain
will return to the lives
and nature. It was a heartland of getting is very encouraging.” wary of returning to
of Sangin’s youths.
fundamentalism, a hotbed of the The authorities have a ten- school – they and
Pupils at Queen’s
opium trade, the last outpost of year plan for the town, aided by their pupils still face
College junior school
Taleban rule. the protection offered by Bravo intimidation from die-
in Taunton are donating
Yet if anywhere in Afghanistan Company, 40 Commando. hard fundamentalists.
sports equipment,
epitomises what can be achieved That protection has seen people Mercifully, the
drawings and art work
in the absence of that evil regime, return to Sangin in their droves desire to learn has
and simple equipment
it is Sangin. (more than fi ve million people proved too strong in
so the school in
The Royal Marines of Bravo have returned to Afghanistan the face of ignorance
Sangin can get back
Company, 40 Commando, are from neighbouring states since the and repression.
on its feet.
the guardians of Sangin. Their Taleban were ousted). Gurkha engineers helped to
“It’s fantastic that the pupils
comrades from the Civil-Military The bazaar now thrives once re-build part of the ten-classroom
have taken this opportunity to
Co-operation (CIMIC) team are again. Teams of workers are school – enough has been restored
exchange some of their artwork
the catalysts for its regeneration. clearing the rubble of buildings for lessons to resume for both girls
with the children of Sangin,”
When the Taleban held sway destroyed in the fi ghting for Sangin and boys, with 65 children already
said Capt Mark Elliott, 40 Cdo’s
in Sangin, normal life came to a and a new tarmac road will soon on the school’s books.
adjutant – and a former Queen’s
halt. The market withered. The be laid to the town’s school. “We cannot underestimate
College pupil.
school closed. Only religious That school was also damaged the effect of hearing the sound
“This adds a great new
instruction was permitted under in the skirmishes – but the real of children playing in the school
dimension to all the efforts that
the fundamentalist regime. damage was done long before, again,” said Lt Pete Ryan, part of
have been put into the area over
Stagnation was compounded when the Taleban ruled the town. the CIMIC team.
the last four months.”
by destruction as fi ghting raged Under their rule, girls aged “Many of the children have
Education will hopefully
about the town. eight and over were forbidden an never been to school, but now
destroy the Taleban’s roots and
“People had forgotten what education; those under eight could they can pursue an education with
prevent them taking hold again
Sangin should be like,” said learn only the Qur’an. Female confi dence.”
in the future. For the present,
Capt Andy Goldsmith, head of teachers were sacked. Anyone who The school is, perhaps
the drugs trade is their lifeblood
40 Commando’s specialist Civil- broke these laws faced execution. understandably, rather austere
and Sangin was the epicentre of
Military Co-operation (CIMIC) Although the Taleban were and lacking in almost all the basics
southern Afghanistan’s opium
team in the town. eventually driven from Sangin, which Britain’s youngsters take for
market, followed by Musa Qaleh
“Now we are fi nally starting to their baleful infl uence has sadly granted.
to the north.
The people grappling
‘
I WORK in the Force
Movements Control Centre and
THE National Support Command HQ in Kandahar theatre container management, management of
am responsible for the physical
provides logistics, administrative, medical and local contracts with Afghan contractors and the
movement of passengers, mail and
personnel support to all UK troops throughout movement of stores, personnel and much more
cargo within theatre, be that by
Afghanistan. At its heart is a 12-strong team throughout this landlocked country.
road or air.
of Royal Navy logisticians, writes the Deputy I am delighted to report that the team is making
We are responsible for the surface
Commander, Capt David Marsh. a signifi cant impact in Operation Herrick and
lines of communication from
We sit alongside our RAF and Army enjoying the challenge enormously. This might
Karachi to Kandahar or Kabul
counterparts in the Joint Force Support seem an unlikely destination for the RN Logistics
and air lines of communication
Headquarters. Beyond the more usual personnel, Branch but we stand ready to continue with this
within country.
medical and joint supply chain responsibilities, commitment for the foreseeable future. I will let a
I run the tactical air desks,
the team is now involved in new areas such as selection of the team tell their own story.
ensuring that the theatre freight
movement priorities list is adhered
to as well as moving passengers
forward to Camp Bastion (the exactly what has happened. I’m strategic, where I ensure policies
main UK base in Helmand) and now based at Kandahar Airfi eld in such as the Operational Welfare
and of course the ever important
beyond – so as you can see, I will Afghanistan. Package reaches our Forward
mail.
be fairly busy. It’s a Joint HQ and I’m in the Operating Bases, to the deeply
My main effort is currently
Being in the centre is a very J1 Branch – J1 looks after people tactical, where I take a personal
focussed on the Relief in Place
rewarding job which provides – where we provide personnel interest in the welfare of specifi c
(RiP), where 16 Air Assault
me with professional experience and administrative support to all individual cases where extra
Brigade replaces 52 Brigade. This
outside of the norm and I would UK soldiers, sailors and airmen support is required.
started on March 6 and will move
strongly recommend this job to any on Herrick, some 8,000 people, And most importantly there
12,400 passengers between UK
RN logistician wishing to broaden including 140 RN and 770 RM. is the genuine ability to make a
and Afghanistan.
their military and professional Already I have travelled to Camp difference. I’ve had my fair share
This requires careful planning
logistics knowledge. Bastion, Lashkar Gar and Kabul, of challenge, responsibility and
to ensure that the right number
– Lt Cdr Gary Manning
’
including frisky fl ights over the variety during my career in the RN,
of passengers are allocated to desert in Army Lynx, C130 hops, but this job takes the biscuit – for
each RAF Tristar, the strategic WHO would have imagined after squeezing into the back of Saxons anyone out there who is interested,
aircraft used to move all military
‘
20 years in the RN that I would and driving through the streets of if you get the chance I recommend
passengers into theatre, and then be in the middle of a desert in a Kabul in armoured Landcruisers. that you grab the opportunity.
the right number of C130 Hercules landlocked country wearing desert There are a huge range of It’s hard work and you need to
are available to move passengers camoufl age uniform? Well that’s personnel issues, ranging from the keep on your toes – but it’s worth
0014-015_NN_Apr.indd 114-015_NN_Apr.indd 1 117/3/08 12:29:127/3/08 12:29:12
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56