IT’S my birthday today and I’ve just been given the most important gift in my 33 years – advice on how to spot an Improvised Explosive Device.
For the past two days I’ve been on a Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDO) training course as part of my own pre-deployment training.
In a matter of weeks I will have swapped the save haven of Devon for the badlands of Afghanistan.
This will be my third deployment to the war-torn country in the last six years – and by far the longest and most demanding.
More than 1,300 Royal Marines, Royal Navy personnel, Army commandos and reservists from Plymouth will be in charge of providing security in Afghanistan.
I will be living and working alongside hundreds of these servicemen and women for up to three months.
As well as filing stories, blogs and pictures for The Herald and its website, I’ll also be presenting, editing and filming pieces for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).
This footage will be beamed to British forces outposts all across the world (think of a dedicated news and programme channel for the forces) as well as the internet (www.bfbs.com/news/).
These stories will also appear on The Herald’s website for you to view.
In the past couple of weeks I have been asked countless times ‘why’ I would want to deploy for such a length of time.
I guess the reason is for the experience. And also to help paint a better picture of what our boys and girls are up to.
So today, in preparation for my trip – or ‘summer holiday’ as some members of staff at Herald HQ are jokingly referring to it – I’m in Buckinghamshire learning how to stay safe while working and living in one of the most dangerous places on the planet.
“BFBS?” the course lecturer and former Royal Marine begins.
“That’s the channel the Taliban watch right?!”
Great.
Lesson one – the biggest threat to British forces personnel deployed on the ground is the Improvised Explosive Device or ‘IED’.
A couple of years ago no-one had heard of an IED. Sadly, due to the rising level of fatalities caused by the nasty device, it’s now become common knowledge. Even my mum knows what an IED is.
In warfare an IED is a key part of fighting, and sadly the Taliban have realised this.
For those who don’t know IEDs – or roadside bombs – are laid to take out either people, or vehicles.
Often they’re not designed to kill. More maim those affected.
The idea is that someone steps on one, loses a leg or legs, and others come to help exposing them to gunfire.
If that’s not nasty enough to read consider this – the Taliban are reportedly running out of shells and explosives left by the Russians when they gave up their war in the country in the 1980s.
Instead they are now making their own bombs filling harmless looking water containers with nuts, bolts and washers to create what is known as a ‘shipyard confetti’ or ‘bucket’ bomb.
“Some are lucky and they lose a foot or suffer an upper body injury,” the course lecturer tells us.
“Some aren’t so fortunate and lose multiple limbs or die.”
Ignorance is bliss at the best of times. Right now I wish I hadn’t been paying attention to the last five minutes.
The lecturer continues with a story about witnessing the atrocities first-hand, and tells us about ‘mine necklaces’ or ‘daisy chains’.
These bombs are linked so that when one goes off and a casualty is dragged to what appears to be a safe place, another goes off in that location.
I’m quick to learn the Taliban have developed their nasty tactics.
Be it radio-controlled, victim operated or suicide bomber vest, the techniques for killing are expanding rapidly.
Aside from first aid, the second major lesson of the CONDO training was all about ‘conduct after capture (including kidnapping, hostage taking and abduction)’.
We’re told ‘to increase the chance of release – stay positive. Also, ‘don’t stare (avoid eye contact)’, ‘follow instructions’, ‘be prepared to be drugged’ and ‘bound and gagged’ and ‘speak when spoken to’.
Although the vast majority of our work in-theatre will be carried out in a British military camp, there will be occasions when we deploy ‘outside the wire’.
So this advice is invaluable. Much like the servicemen and women taking part in daily foot and vehicle patrols, you never know what may happen on any given day.
As far as birthdays go this one has been memorable, possibly for all the wrong reasons.
For the past two days I’ve been on a Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDO) training course as part of my own pre-deployment training.
In a matter of weeks I will have swapped the save haven of Devon for the badlands of Afghanistan.
This will be my third deployment to the war-torn country in the last six years – and by far the longest and most demanding.
More than 1,300 Royal Marines, Royal Navy personnel, Army commandos and reservists from Plymouth will be in charge of providing security in Afghanistan.
I will be living and working alongside hundreds of these servicemen and women for up to three months.
As well as filing stories, blogs and pictures for The Herald and its website, I’ll also be presenting, editing and filming pieces for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).
This footage will be beamed to British forces outposts all across the world (think of a dedicated news and programme channel for the forces) as well as the internet (www.bfbs.com/news/).
These stories will also appear on The Herald’s website for you to view.
In the past couple of weeks I have been asked countless times ‘why’ I would want to deploy for such a length of time.
I guess the reason is for the experience. And also to help paint a better picture of what our boys and girls are up to.
So today, in preparation for my trip – or ‘summer holiday’ as some members of staff at Herald HQ are jokingly referring to it – I’m in Buckinghamshire learning how to stay safe while working and living in one of the most dangerous places on the planet.
“BFBS?” the course lecturer and former Royal Marine begins.
“That’s the channel the Taliban watch right?!”
Great.
Lesson one – the biggest threat to British forces personnel deployed on the ground is the Improvised Explosive Device or ‘IED’.
A couple of years ago no-one had heard of an IED. Sadly, due to the rising level of fatalities caused by the nasty device, it’s now become common knowledge. Even my mum knows what an IED is.
In warfare an IED is a key part of fighting, and sadly the Taliban have realised this.
For those who don’t know IEDs – or roadside bombs – are laid to take out either people, or vehicles.
Often they’re not designed to kill. More maim those affected.
The idea is that someone steps on one, loses a leg or legs, and others come to help exposing them to gunfire.
If that’s not nasty enough to read consider this – the Taliban are reportedly running out of shells and explosives left by the Russians when they gave up their war in the country in the 1980s.
Instead they are now making their own bombs filling harmless looking water containers with nuts, bolts and washers to create what is known as a ‘shipyard confetti’ or ‘bucket’ bomb.
“Some are lucky and they lose a foot or suffer an upper body injury,” the course lecturer tells us.
“Some aren’t so fortunate and lose multiple limbs or die.”
Ignorance is bliss at the best of times. Right now I wish I hadn’t been paying attention to the last five minutes.
The lecturer continues with a story about witnessing the atrocities first-hand, and tells us about ‘mine necklaces’ or ‘daisy chains’.
These bombs are linked so that when one goes off and a casualty is dragged to what appears to be a safe place, another goes off in that location.
I’m quick to learn the Taliban have developed their nasty tactics.
Be it radio-controlled, victim operated or suicide bomber vest, the techniques for killing are expanding rapidly.
Aside from first aid, the second major lesson of the CONDO training was all about ‘conduct after capture (including kidnapping, hostage taking and abduction)’.
We’re told ‘to increase the chance of release – stay positive. Also, ‘don’t stare (avoid eye contact)’, ‘follow instructions’, ‘be prepared to be drugged’ and ‘bound and gagged’ and ‘speak when spoken to’.
Although the vast majority of our work in-theatre will be carried out in a British military camp, there will be occasions when we deploy ‘outside the wire’.
So this advice is invaluable. Much like the servicemen and women taking part in daily foot and vehicle patrols, you never know what may happen on any given day.
As far as birthdays go this one has been memorable, possibly for all the wrong reasons.
Twitter: @tristan_nichols
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