HERRICK HEROES, BOMB DISPOSAL, OP TOSCA, AND MORE DefenceFocus Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | Ministry of Defence | ISSUE #269 APRIL/13 ARMY 2020 VISION Looking at the future of Army basing COMBATBARBIE NANAVIGATORVIGATOR Regulars P5 IN MEMORIAM Tributes to the fallen P12 VERBATIM DIO chief Andrew Manley gives his take on the Army’s rebasing plan P26 MY MEDALS The Army’s most decorated soldier Warrant Officer Class 1 Mick Flynn P28 HEALTH Surgeon Commander Nick Imm scratches the surface of eczema P31 READERS OFFERS Win an overnight break in a four-star London hotel OP HONOURS: THREE HERRICK Features HEROES SHARE P8 BOMB SCHOOL Ian Carr goes back to school with THEIR STORIES P20 the bomb disposal students P10 NEW OPERATING MODEL Picture: Sergeant Andy Reddy RLC Sergeant Picture: Find out what will be changing as Lord Levene’s recommendations kick in P18 P14 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Lorraine McBride on the Army’s move back from Germany P18 MALI A timeline of what has happened so far with the EU Training Mission P20 OP HONOURS Humbling tales of bravery from those who put their lives on the line P24 OP TOSCA In training for the UN’s longest- running peacekeeping mission Picture: Steve Lympany Steve Picture: APRIL 2013 | ISSUE 269 | 3 P24 Nolan RLC Russ Sergeant Picture: EDITOR’SNOTE FIONA SIMPSON However, my small step for (wo)man DefenceFocus is nothing compared to the giant leap for Apparently moving mankind which the Defence Infrastructure For everyone in defence house is one of Organisation (DIO) is undertaking to Published by the Ministry of Defence the most stressful move so many people and bits of kit from Level 1 Zone C things you can Germany to rehome them back in Blighty. MOD, Main Building do. Well imagine You can hear from DIO Chief Whitehall London SW1A 2HB moving house on Executive Andrew Manley, whose General enquiries: 020 721 8 1320 the scale that the organisation will be orchestrating the Army is undertaking plan, which he describes as “like EDITOR: Fiona Simpson Tel: 020 7218 3949 with 12,000 troops building a mini Olympics”. email: [email protected] currently based in There’s more orchestration going ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ian Carr Germany coming on this month with the launch of the Tel: 020 7218 2825 back to the UK. new operating model, which will see big email: [email protected] The majority of them are saying auf changes in the way the whole organisation ASSISTANT EDITOR: Tristan Kelly wiedersehen to their German bases in the conducts its business. Tel: 020 7218 4252 next three years. It’s something we have been talking email: [email protected] On page 12 Lorraine McBride looks about for a long time, but now it has finally ASSISTANT EDITOR: Leigh Hamilton at the who, what, why, where and when of come into being, Defence Focus explains Tel: 020 7218 5988 the £1.8bn rebasing plan, all part of Army (in as simple a way as possible) what it is email: [email protected] 2020. There is also a handy map to help and why you should care about it. ASSISTANT EDITOR: Lorraine McBride you see who will be going where. So hopefully with better ways of Tel: 020 721 82341 I know only too well the zillions of working, and all the planning going on, email: [email protected] little things you have to do in order to the big move won’t be so stressful. ART EDITOR: Mark Eagle move house as I’m moving myself As for me, I wonder if DIO are too Tel: 020 721 8 3658 this month. busy to help me with all my packing? email: [email protected] DISTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT: Shell Daruwala Tel: 020 7218 1320 email: [email protected] Ministry of Defence online MOD does not endorse any product or service advertised in Defence Focus, nor does it verify any preferential www.gov.uk/mod treatment offered by any advertiser to MOD employees. Queries on advertisements should be addressed to our advertising agency. Opinions expressed in Defence Focus do not necessarily represent those of the MOD. Articles on all aspects of The Defence News Blog YouTube MOD and Defence will be considered for publication Get a daily update of all the major At Defence Headquarters YouTube the but we reserve the right to edit contributions. MOD defence stories running in the media latest videos from across Defence can staff contributing to Defence Focus should ensure their with the MOD’s official position on the be found, including clips of soldiers on writing is suitable for open publication. key issues, as well as a Defence Diary patrol in Helmand and briefings from Advertising with upcoming events of interest. senior personnel. Advertising sales are handled by Richard Stillman at Ten Alps Media. Tel: 020 7657 1837 Visit www.blogs.mod.uk and subscribe email: [email protected] to the daily alerts. Afghanistan Blog Updated daily with official news on the Distribution The magazine is distributed through major military Facebook/Twitter UK mission in Afghanistan as well as bases, depots and MOD offices. Join over 200,000 followers at the HM with stories from across the media and Armed Forces Facebook page and personal blogs from Armed Forces receive Defence HQ tweets @DefenceHQ personnel currently deployed. on Twitter. www.ukforcesafghanistan.wordpress.com Produced by Williams Lea Ltd on 100% recycled paper. MOD Helpline 01603 696329. 4 | WWW.GOV.UK/MOD | APRIL 2013 INMEMORIAM DEATHS ON OPERATIONS – 31 jANUARY TO 5 APRIL 2013 Afghanistan on 26 March from wounds on his second tour of Afghanistan in sustained during an enemy attack on October 2012. Working as a Company his patrol base in the Nad ‘Ali district of intelligence collator and section Helmand province the previous day. second-in-command he displayed Lance Corporal Webb was born on a sharp, analytical mind and a deep 6 October 1988. He joined the British understanding of the operational Army aged 18 in 2006. His first posting environment and the campaign. with B Company took him to Ballykinler, Lance Corporal Webb leaves Northern Ireland, on Operation Banner. behind his much loved parents Dave He deployed with 1 MERCIAN on two and Sue, and close family. tours of Afghanistan. On his first tour in Paying tribute, Lieutenant 2010 he served as a rifle section second- Colonel Phil Kimber, Commanding in-command in the Nahr-e Saraj area Officer of 1 MERCIAN, said: “A real operating with a Danish battle group. character, a totally professional soldier, As a result of his performance and a great friend to many, Lance on operations in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Webb was exactly the type of Lance Corporal Webb Corporal Webb was recommended for man you wanted around. promotion and successfully completed a “Always with a smile on his face, Lance Corporal Jamie Webb of 1st junior non-commissioned officer cadre always willing to engage in some witty Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 in October 2011. and mischievous banter, he really did lift MERCIAN) died in an ISAF hospital in Lance Corporal Webb deployed the morale of all around him.” HELMAND HERO HONOURED The ‘supremely courageous and inspiring’ priority was now to neutralise the final actions of Lance Corporal Ashworth have sharpshooter and extract as soon as been recognised with the premier award possible. Using his final grenade, Lance for gallantry. Corporal Ashworth crawled behind a knee- The 23-year-old from the 1st Battalion high wall that ran parallel to the front of Grenadier Guards was killed storming the outbuilding. With just enough cover to an insurgent position in the Nahr-e Saraj conceal his prostrate 6’8” form, he edged district of Helmand province in forward while bullets flew over his June 2012. His conduct in putting head. When he was within 5 metres himself in the line of fire to protect of the insurgent position the Lance his colleagues has been rewarded Corporal was desperate to make his with the Victoria Cross. last grenade count. Lance Corporal Ashworth and Under fire he crawled out his platoon were tasked to deal from behind the wall to get a with an insurgent sharpshooter better angle for his throw. As team. They came under fire as he was preparing to throw the soon as they landed, prompting grenade he was hit. him to lead his fire team in a 300- His citation says: metre charge to the heart of the “Despite the ferocity of the enemy position. Two insurgents insurgent’s resistance, were killed in this initial attack, Ashworth refused to be but a follow-up assault by Afghan beaten. His total disregard police stalled when a patrolman was for his own safety in ensuring shot and killed as the enemy fled. that the last grenade was posted Lance Corporal Ashworth again led accurately was the gallant last action from the front, advancing on an insurgent of a soldier who had willingly placed compound using grenades to drive the final himself in the line of fire on numerous remaining enemy to an outbuilding. The occasions earlier in the attack. This insurgents were now being supported by supremely courageous and inspiring action fire from several positions. The immediate deserves the highest recognition.” APRIL 20122013 | ISSUE 226960 | 5 BIG PICTURE 6 | WWW.GOV.UK/MOD | APRIL 2013 Picture: PO(Phot) Sean Clee Picture: CORPORAL DAWSON (REAR) GIVES THE POINT MAN PRIVATE FRANCIS A FIRE CONTROL ORDER OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS FROM 1ST BATTALION THE PRINCESS OF Wales’s ROYAL REGIMENT ACCLIMATISE TO THE SOARING TEMPERATURES AND PREPARE THEIR EQUIPMENT ON EXERCISE ASKARI THUNDER 6 IN KENYA APRIL 2013 | ISSUE 269 | 7 BOMB DISPOSAL BOMBS AWAY THANKS TO A NEW REGIMENT AND A NEW JOINED UP TRAINING FACILITY, THINGS WILL ONLY EVER GO BANG WHEN THE TROOPS WANT THEM TO WRITES IAN CARR Garfield soft toy stares down that doesn’t matter, for this car is not here facility will bring together under one roof from one of the front bedroom for the school-run.