More of the Same

It's Friday now, and the last two days have passed in a blink of an eye. A new elements have been introduced to our training: Counter-IED techniques. In general, the training has consisted of more of the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We have also had a quick briefing on the latest incidents in PRT MES (Provincial Reconstruction Team Mazar-e-Sharif). Yesterday the weather was scorching (on Finnish standards), but today we were soaked from the outside as well as from the inside of our clothes, as it rained properly. We also had the rotation's photograph taken, but that was early in the morning, just before it started to rain.

Here's some pictures.

Dog Day Afternoon (Hikinen iltapäivä) at the rifle range.


Another classroom briefing.


Conscripts crowding the smoking shelter. (They can act quite silly at times.)

Tomorrow is visitors' day (A, M, I and E are coming), and a muscle fitness test. We also sign out our desert camouflage uniforms, which we'll of course wear to impress the visitors.

Hard Day's Night

Two more days of matrix training are behind us, and still two more to go. We get up at 0600, breakfast is at 0640. The line-up in groups is at 0725, and from there the training goes on until 1830, with a lunch break between 1230 and 1330. Yesterday we wore only our fatigues most of the time, but today everyone wore the so called "heavy kit", including combat body armour with heavy plates, combat helmet, equipment vest, pistol and assault rifle, only to name a few items.


Marching to the dining hall at 0635 hrs.

The basic topics of the training have remained the same, with some new themes being introduced lately (vehicles, terrain driving and medical training). Each time we return to a topic, the things previously learned are rehearsed, after which more skills and knowledge are added to the subject. This makes matrix training very effective.

The days are hot, especially in the afternoon. It is essential to drink plenty of water, or hydrate, as it is also called: As the body armour lets virtually no humidity through, the t-shirt is soaked in sweat in about 15 minutes. Still, it feels good to be out and about learning by doing for a change, instead of sitting in the classroom.


Taking turns driving the MB280G in the terrain.

In the evening, I swam for 30 minutes. Tomorrow is shooting range day.

The Matrix

Sunday's lectures were again all very interesting. We were thoroughly briefed on the history of Afghanistan, the background of the current crisis, the task and organisation of ISAF and PRT MES, the security situation and conditions in the area of operations. In the evening, A, R and V visited me here, and we all went for walk on the Säkylä Ridge and had hamburgers for supper. The view from up there is spectacular. One of the huge ravens that live around the garrison came to check us out.

So, after a second, final full day of lectures, we (finally) begun some more practical exercises today. The different topics are arranged into a matrix, which neatly divides the day into quarters. Today's quarters were: Mine awareness, assault rifle and pistol basics, maps and GPS, and communication equipment. After dinner I did my "homework" for the day: crude alignment of the red-dot sight for the assault rifle, and assembling the modular equipment vest. If I'm quick, there might still be time for a quick dip in the pool.

The food here is excellent, and it is served frequently. I've ended up eating too much on most days, and although the training burns a lot of calories, I might return home weighing more than on arrival.


The suggested diet.

Back to Basics

The rest of the rotation's personnel arrived yesterday. Now we're here, all sixty of us, ready to start the training. But alas, we marched off towards the auditorium to hear some more lectures. The topics today streched from the Peace-keepers' Union of Finland, an introduction to the rules of engagement of ISAF, an introduction to Islam, the socio-psycological problems of peace support operations, gender issues, to traffic safety regulations in the operation area. It's all in a day's work.

Yesterday, as the rest of the rotatation personnel were collecting their equipment and were busy with other arrangements, we continued to practise the use of a collapsible baton and pepper spray. Later on, after a 6 kilometre run in the warm summer rain, we had our shots. I got a total of five vaccinations, four with a syringe and one taken orally. It tasted like a raspberry soft drink past its best-before-date.


Queuing for the needles.

In the morning, I had a headache and felt sick. My upper arms were also sore, so I thought that it might be from the vaccinations. I took half a Burana for the headache, and it disappeared almost right away. The soreness in my arms lasted until a few hours ago, when I went for a swim. Thirty minutes in the pool did wonders.

MOT Special Training

During the last two days our training has slowly picked up speed. All of the new MOT and PO personnel are present since tuesday, and so our training has concentrated on the issues that are exclusive for the MOTs, such as the team weapons and open intelligence. Yesterday we were introduced to the Sako TRG 42 sniper rifle, the Police Reminton pump-action shotgun, and the Heckler & Koch 40mm grenade pistol. In addition, we took a quick look at the MOTs' other equipment, and continued practising our interviewing techniques.

Today we had a live fire excercise at the shooting range, which included all of the aforementioned weapons plus two different types of flash-bang grenades. The weather was hot. In the afternoon, we practised with two less-than-lethal weapons: the collapsible baton, or ASP, and the pepper spray, or OC, as it's also known. Lessons learned: The TRG 42 is a quite deadly weapon at any range up to 600 metres, even when the shooter has had no specialist training. OC, or oleresin capsicum, is not deadly, but incapasitates virtually anyone in less than 3 seconds.


Police Remington


Mehrzweckpistole

The next commander of the Finnish contingent in Afghanistan has taken part in all the training this week. I find this excellent, as it gives him an opportunity to learn what his troops know. It also gives us a chance to get to know him properly.

There is an underlying anxiety about the security situation in Afghanistan among the soldiers here. Remarkably, it is propably even a little stronger with the instructors, which is no surprise, as they all have first-hand experience from the area. But we discuss issues around this topic openly, and all agree on the importance of the mission ahead of us. There is no trace of fear, or if there is, there is just enough of it to boost our motivation. Without exception, everyone is, or so it seems to me, happy to be going.

Back in Säkylä

I returned to Säkylä yesterday to continue the rotation training at the PSO training Coy there. After supper I watched "Mad Max 2 - Road Warrior" on TV while reading "Back Street Heroes" magazine at the same time. Excellent entertainment.

Today we were kept less busy than I expected. Before noon, we sorted out some paperwork and got our photographs taken. After lunch it was time to sign out an assault rifle with accessories, a pistol and an NBC-mask. Having carried all that and more to my locker (except for the weapons, which were stored elsewhere), I put on my running gear and took the 12-minutes' running test, or the Cooper test. I ran 2600 metres in 12 minutes, which I think is ok. It's not that far from my personal best, 2980 metres, which I ran almost 13 years ago. And I used to train a lot more back then.

Two very interesting lectures on the basics of Mobile Observation Team tactics concluded the day. And a tasty dinner, of course, with chicken pasta on the menu.

Reporting

Today we were taught how to write liasion reports. We based our reports on the interviews we made yesterday (or, if the interview had not produced any data, we were allowed to use our imagination - which is not something one shoud do in a real situation). The first leg of the rotation trainging for the MOT personnel only lasted 2 and a half days, so after lunch I took the bus home.

To be continuned... ...next tuesday!

Interviews

Today was much like yesterday, only better. The topic of today's lectures was non-verbal communication and interviewing techniques, and the lessons were made more tangible with the help of practical exercises. After my by now regular swim and dinner, some of us gathered in the smoking area outside the barracks, where we sat and talked for about an hour. The conversation shifted from Afganistan to Islam to family issues to cars to politics to tactics to death, and was actually quite educated, intelligent even - for a discussion between officers, that is. I really enjoy an intelligent conversation. This is good news for the upcoming mission - I like to be wherever intelligent people are.

I have not yet taken any pictures, as there has not been much to see here, really. Furthermore, I forgot the camera in my locker.

Debriefing

The training took a gentle start: a quick visit to the depot, where we signed out a bag of basic kit (excluding weapons) was followed by whole day’s worth of lessons. The lectures were on dealing with psychic crises and post-traumatic stress disorder, and on defusing and debriefing stressful situations. (The word ‘debriefing’ always brings a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip to my mind. There Calvin, aka Spaceman Spiff, has been captured by space monsters and is being taken to an interrogation room to be debriefed, when Spiff thinks: “Little do they realize that our hero doesn’t wear briefs!”) Anyway, the lessons were on an important topic, and informative enough.

More importantly, I am slowly getting to know my future comrades in Afghanistan. As usual between Finnish servicemen, an informal, yet military esprit de corps is quickly formed. My CO seems to have a really good sense of humour, and that’s always good news. After the day’s lessons, I went for a swim in the Brigade’s indoor pool, had dinner and organised the kit in my locker.

I already miss A, R and V.

Rotation Training, Day Zero

So it begins. I’m looking forward to four weeks of training at Pori Brigade, in the PSO training company. On my way there, I was surprised to meet my future CO at the coach station in Humppila. My first impression of him was ok (I hope that the feeling is mutual). At the garrison, we unpacked our bags and went for a short run. The weather could not have been better. Very July-like, for a change. They seem to have accommodated us by where we’re going to be stationed, so the Aybak team has already met. Of the men most are reservists, only CO and myself are career officers.

I’m glad that the training has finally started. It feels good for a change to be able to just jump in and go with the flow, to sit down at a set table – instead of having to push and shove everything along, carry the responsibility and supervise. There will be enough time for that too on this trip, I’m sure, but not quite yet.

Blog Started

Sunday 12 July, 2009. Registered the username ukkosworld and the blog Wayward at Blogspot.com.