Troops get back to basics on Salisbury Plain
Soldiers have been getting back to the basics of war fighting whilst exercising on Salisbury Plain.
Troops from 1st Battalion Irish Guards have successfully completed a two week exercise – Exercise Wessex Storm – which was designed to get them away from the Afghanistan-specific training that has occupied our troops for so long.
The training was varied and focused on fighting in built-up areas, training for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare, as well as fighting in woods and forests. It also included elements of practicing casualty evacuation without helicopter support.
Over 500 soldiers took part in the exercise with 1st Battalion Irish Guards joined by 2 Platoons from Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and some individual Officers from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
They were also exercising with a Company of the Royal Army of Oman and attached arms from 21 Engineer Regiment (Regt), 4 Regt Royal Artillery, 14 Signal Regt Royal Signals, 1, 2 and 4 Military Intelligence Regiments Int Corps and members of the London Regiment (TA).
The aim of the exercise was for 1stBattalion Irish Guards to simultaneously plan and work as a Battle Group (BG) operating within a Brigade context. The two-week exercise was broken down into a week of Company-level Battle Exercises followed by a week’s Field Training Exercise for the whole BG.
Lt Col Ed Boanas, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Irish Guards said:
“Exercise Wessex Storm was a great opportunity for 1st Battalion Irish Guards. We were hugely well supported by the Royal Army of Oman, Grenadier Guards and small teams from The London Regiment, the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Signals and the Royal Army Medical Corps. We were tested by Field Training Unit and up against a wily enemy from 3YORKS.
“It was a hard and rewarding exercise, operating on foot across the whole of Salisbury Plain, often by night and from hasty harbour areas, with expeditionary logistics and a live and thinking enemy.
“Tactical Engagement Simulation was excellent and the three objectives of Greenlands Farm, Copehill Down and Imber provided a proper and challenging test for the Battlegroup. Salisbury Plain was ideal for this.”
Salisbury Plain Training Area is maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which delivers the training service, enabling defence training users to live, work, train and deploy at home and overseas.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hiskett, Principal Training Safety Officer, DIO Operations Training South West, said:
“DIO’s priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations. Salisbury Plain is a large training area and the rugged and diverse terrain is ideal for exercises such as Wessex Storm.
“We are pleased to be able to offer the environment and facilities that enable our military personnel to train effectively and refresh their skills.”
At over 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres), Salisbury Plain is theUK’s largest training area and offers first-class and diverse training facilities to enable the British Army to meet its training requirements.
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website:www.gov.uk/dio
Twitter: @mod_dio
Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/
Notes to Editors
1. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations. We are working hard to become even better by becoming a world-class infrastructure delivery organisation over the next few years.
2. DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.
3. Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.
4. Picture caption - please credit 'Crown copyright/MOD 2013': Soldiers exercising on Salisbury Plain training area.
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