Further fatalities in Helmand ambushes |
Fus Petero Suesue
LCpl Kieron Hill
LCpl Nigel Moffett
Cpl Stephen Bolger |
PERSONNEL serving on the front lines of Op Herrick have been reflecting on the loss of four respected colleagues who were killed during a difficult seven days in Afghanistan.
Fus Petero Suesue (2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) and LCpl Kieron Hill (2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment) died in separate actions in Helmand in late May.
Days later LCpl Nigel Moffett (Light Dragoons) and Cpl Stephen Bolger (The Parachute Regiment) were killed while serving on an op with 19 Light Brigade’s Reconnaissance Force.
Fus Suesue, who was 28 and from Fiji, was killed when he was shot during a foot patrol in the Sangin area on May 22. He had been attached to the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles Battlegroup.
The married infantryman joined the Army in 2002 and had already completed tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also a keen sportsman who had represented his battalion at rugby.
Lt Col Rob Thomson, CO of 2 Rifles, said the loss of an experienced colleague had been felt by the whole battlegroup. He added: “Fus Suesue was a legendary soldier, awesomely tough and full of character and Pacific island charm – his wife, family and friends are at the centre of our thoughts and prayers.”
LCpl Hill died following an explosion during an op near Garmsir on May 28. The Nottingham-born soldier had been working with an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team.
The 20-year-old joined the Army in 2006 and had already served in Afghanistan. His leadership potential had been recognised with swift promotion.
His CO, Lt Col Simon Banton, remembered the young soldier as a team player. He said: “LCpl Hill was exceptionally proud of serving his country, and his family, in turn, were exceptionally proud of the path that he had taken.”
LCpl Moffett and Cpl Bolger had been scouting a route during an operation near Musa Qala on May 30 when they were caught in an explosion.
Belfast-born LCpl Moffett joined the Light Dragoons in 2003 and had already completed tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. The 28-year-old, who was described as being supremely fit, had volunteered for the Brigade Reconnaissance Force.
Lt Col Gus Fair, commanding LD, said: “LCpl Moffett wanted to see as much of the world as he could and experience everything it had to offer – he was one of the best.”
Cpl Bolger was remembered as “an extraordinary man who embodied a life of service to others”. No further details have been released.
Rifles regroup after enemy action claims two
Rfn Cyrus Thatcher
Lt Paul Mervis |
SHOCKED soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles have been coming to terms with the deaths of two men from the same platoon during operations in Afghanistan.
Rfn Cyrus Thatcher and 10 platoon commander Lt Paul Mervis were killed in explosions as Taliban fighters stepped up their activity over the summer months.
Rfn Thatcher died following a blast while on patrol near Gereshk on June 2.
The 19-year-old joined The Rifles in 2007 and had impressed superiors with his potential. He won a battalion award for valour at the end of his first exercise and had been selected to mentor recruits at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick.
Originally from Caversham, near Reading, Rfn Thatcher had completed a tour of Kosovo last year before beginning his pre-deployment training for Afghanistan.
Lt Mervis, who was 27 and spent his early years in Wimbledon, was one of the first officers to be commissioned into the newly-formed Rifles two years ago.
The philosophy graduate had already travelled widely before joining the Army and had worked with magazines including The Spectator and The Week.
Lt Mervis also served on operations in Kosovo last year, and had shown great courage and leadership during his first deployment to Afghanistan.
Lt Col Rob Thomson, CO of 2 Rifles, acknowledged that the loss of both men had been a bitter blow but said his soldiers would not be deterred in the fight against the Taliban.
He said of Lt Mervis: “He adored platoon command. He would want nothing more than for us to get back up on the ramparts, with the bugle sounding, and to let the enemy know that we are coming back.”
Of Rfn Thatcher, Lt Col Thomson added: “He lapped up the skills we require for this place and, under the most demanding of circumstances, was standing tall. He had a rucksack full of potential and knew that he was making a difference for the benefit of the Afghan people.”
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Scots mourn courageous colleague |
Pte Robert McLaren
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COMMANDERS and colleagues of a young soldier killed in action during an operation in Helmand have praised his courage in battle with the Taliban.
Pte Robert McLaren, who was serving with 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, died during close quarter fighting with the enemy on the morning of June 11. He had only been in theatre for four weeks.
The Black Watch soldier, who was 20 and from the Isle of Mull, enlisted in the Army in 2007 and originally served in the Royal Engineers. He had completed his Infantry training in Catterick in April and was immediately deployed on Operation Herrick.
Lt Col Stephen Cartwright, CO of 3 Scots, praised Pte McLaren for his bravery during his time in Afghanistan and said he had made an immediate impression. He recalled that the young soldier had already played his part in major operations against the Taliban and had been involved in intense action on the day he died.
Lt Col Cartwright explained: “The battalion was conducting an offensive operation against the insurgents. His company had been engaged in close combat for several hours and Robert displayed enormous physical courage for one so young.
“He gave his life for his friends with selfless commitment, moving forward in the face of a ruthless enemy.”
Lt Col Cartwright added: “Any death in this close-knit battalion delivers an emotional body blow, but the loss of this young man so soon after joining us has hit us particularly hard.”
Packer’s peak performance
Million pound man: Maj Phil Packer (RMP) takes a breather during his ascent of El Capitan in California
AN officer paralysed in a rocket attack in Iraq has successfully climbed the 2,307-metre El Capitan mountain in the United States.
Maj Phil Packer (RMP) completed the unbelievable feat – the equivalent of doing 4,250 pull-ups – three weeks after finishing the 26.2-mile London Marathon and just months after he was told he would never walk again.
Prior to the climb and taking to the capital’s streets, the fearless Redcap had already successfully rowed across the English Channel.
As a result of the three challenges, Maj Packer, who is a patron of Help for Heroes and an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, has eclipsed his sponsorship target of £1 million.
Speaking to Soldier days after hauling himself up the sheer rock formation in the Yosemite National Park in California, the 36-year-old said the climb marked an important milestone.
“It was absolutely fantastic to get to the top because although I’d already reached the target, it felt that completing this challenge marked the end of raising the million pounds. It was the last of the three big challenges.
“Physically the climb was the most demanding – more than the marathon, but emotionally it was a lot easier. It was just the five of us on the mountain working towards our goal, whereas with the marathon I did feel emotional pressure because of the immense daily support from the media and the public.”
The inspiring Serviceman, based in London, explained that his sole focus now is building the profile of disabled sports. He said: “Since I got the £1 million, although I am still fundraising, my focus has been all about raising awareness for disabled people in sport.
“I know that if I did not have the massive support around me I would not have been able to do the things I have done, so I want to help others to get that support,” he added.
Despite losing the use of his legs Maj Packer refuses to be beaten and returned to work on July 1.
“I never left the British Army, I just carried on. I’m not sure what my role will be yet, but I just want to keep working.”
The mindset of the determined soldier was characterised by his persistence on the mountain.
“The hardest moment of the climb was on the first night when we were on a ledge after we had been climbing since 0500.
We were just across from a waterfall with the wind blowing the water on to us. I’ve no ability to control the temperature of my legs and could not move, so I got increasingly cold. I just gritted my teeth and dealt with it – it wasn’t so much a case of ‘mind over matter’ as thinking ‘why am I here, why am I doing this’ and getting on with it.”
www.philpacker.com
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in brief . . .
THE MoD has revised its repatriation policy to include all Servicemen and women who die on overseas operations. Former Defence Secretary John Hutton, who outlined the changes in a written ministerial statement, announced all Service personnel are to be afforded a ceremonial repatriation regardless of the manner of their death.
FAMILIES of serving Foreign and Commonwealth citizens could benefit from new legislation implemented by the Home Office. Established unmarried and same-sex partners of military personnel can now be granted limited leave to enter or remain in the UK. In addition spouses, civil partners, unmarried and same-sex partners of Service personnel will be able to apply for settlement providing that the soldier, sailor or airman has completed at least five years’ continuous service. Applicants should visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk to check eligibility criteria.
AN INQUIRY into UK involvement in the Iraq conflict has been set up by the Government. Following advice from the Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has modelled the analysis of the Franks Inquiry on the investigation that followed the Falklands War. Sir John Chilcot, former top official at the Northern Ireland Office and a former staff counsellor for the security and intelligence agencies, will chair the inquiry and the process is expected to take one year.
In a message to Service and MoD civilian personnel Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup and Permanent Under Secretary, Sir Bill Jeffrey said the MoD will “cooperate fully” and witnesses will be heard “in private”.
LOVED ones of Britain’s oldest former member of the Territorial Army have been remembering a life lived to the full following his death at the age of 105. Edwin Cooper passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 5 at the nursing home where he had been living in Abergele, Conwy. Cooper enlisted in the TA in Oldham, Lancashire, aged 20 and was immediately called to duty and mobilised on the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. As a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, he saw service in North Africa in an Army Field Ambulance unit with The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and later fought on the Italian Peninsula with the First Army. |
Recession busting
THE current economic climate has prompted military personnel to stay in the Armed Forces rather than opt for civilian jobs, according to the findings of an MoD study.
The 2008 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) found that many soldiers felt civvy street was insecure and offered far fewer opportunities than the military.
In comparison with the 2007 report, significantly more personnel were concerned with the jobs market outside the Services and positive about the pay and allowances offered by the Forces.
“This finding was consistent with the deepening economic recession at the time of the 2008 survey affecting perceptions of the security and benefits of civilian employment,” the AFCAS reported.
Pensions, healthcare provision and career development opportunities were also cited as influential reasons to remain in the Services.
Answers to questions, which aimed to discover the “attitudes, opinions, and circumstances of Service personnel”, showed that more than 70 per cent were proud to serve Queen and country and that they had a “willingness to put themselves out”. It was also noted that a significant majority of personnel felt valued by their Forces employer.
But in terms of personal equipment it was clear that troops saw room for improvement, with 32 per cent of other ranks unhappy with some of their kit.
And while figures showed 54 per cent of personnel believed the morale of the Services “as a whole” was low, nearly half also stated that their personal morale was high.
See Vox pop
Men of valour
Nepalese veterans who fought in the Second World War are the focus of a striking set of images from Robert Hollingworth. The photographer teamed up with The Gurkha Welfare Trust to visit the former soldiers in their native country during a six-week assignment. While the veterans are now in their 80s and 90s, Hollingworth said they still regarded the Army as the biggest part of their lives. “It was amazing how they snapped into military postures as soon as the camera was pointed at them,” he said. The pictures are being exhibited at the Pound Arts Centre in Corsham, Wiltshire from September 2.
Off the lead
Personnel serving in Afghanistan are now better protected and more mobile following the arrival of upgraded vehicles on the front line of Helmand province. Around 300 modernised Ridgback and Mastiff troop carriers have arrived in theatre sporting a host of new features including enhanced armour, improved axles and suspension and more sophisticated night vision kit for crews. Crucially both vehicles also have a redesigned interior to allow more passengers and kit to be carried. Pictured is a Mastiff 2 on public display for the first time at the Defence School of Transport, Leconfield, near Hull.
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