KENYA PART 2: Training is well underway

Sep 10 2009 By Will Harris

Will Harris in Kenya

AS THE red dust settles on the desolate plains of Kenya, the 1 Mercian Regiment – ‘The Cheshires’ – are already well underway in their training for deployment in Afghanistan.

Surrounded by an incredible menagerie of quizzical giraffes, trooping elephants and lively gazelles, 130 soldiers carry out a gruelling series of weapons training, explosives clearance operations and reconnaissance missions in the harsh and unforgiving African terrain.

This morning, one group left Forward Operating Base (FOB) Sovereign on the equator line at 5.30am on a two-day operation in sweltering temperatures soaring well above 40°C, communicating with Kenyan civilians as part of key foreign communities training.

I arrived at FOB Sovereign yesterday as the sun was beginning to set on the beautiful Savannah, and will spend two days here eating, breathing and sleeping as The Cheshires do, before heading by helicopter to experience live weapons training at Archer’s Post (more commonly known by troops as Archer’s Roast, regarded as one of the hottest locations on Earth).

1 Mercian Regiment Commanding Officer , Lieutenant Colonel Andy Hadfield, firmly believes that this five-week exercise will benefit troops for future deployment.

He said: “What we’re doing is generic training for operations of the future, whatsoever they may be.

“There are many skills and techniques to stay alive, many of which they already have.

“There are six men here who only just passed out last Friday. But I know they will fit into their teams and in a few short weeks they’ll be ready.

“I’m 100% confident the skills we learn here will help us with our mission-specific training for Afghanistan.”

In the coming days – where possible as communications are limited – we will be speaking to a number of Cheshire-based men and women who are fully preparing to submit their liberty for the benefit of all.