3 RIFLES patrol Kajaki's lake

Kajaki, in the very north of Helmand, is unlike any other area of operations for British forces, with the terrain varying dramatically from the sand and dust of the desert in the north and the lush verdant oasis of the Green Zone in the west, to the barren desolation of the mountains in the south.

However, it is a challenge that the soldiers of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group have had to overcome during their five months in the region.

C Company are based at Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, just to the west of the Kajaki hydroelectric dam and its vast lake.

Lieutenant Will Melia is the Officer Commanding of 9 Platoon, C Company. He explained how the arrival of the assault boats has allowed the soldiers to make use of the lake. He said:

"As we approach the last couple of months of our tour, those of us deployed to Forward Operating Base [FOB] Zeebrugge in Kajaki have been aware of not falling into the trap of predictable routines.

"With limited real estate to patrol there is a continual risk of retreading the same ground too often and using the same routes too frequently.

"The establishment of patterns gifts the insurgents an opportunity to exploit them to their advantage.

"It was with this in mind that Major Mike Lynch, Officer Commanding C Company, tasked me to lead a semi-aquatic standing patrol - an unusual order given that we are in a landlocked country.

"To the east of FOB Zeebrugge lies a vast lake hemmed in behind the Kajaki hydroelectric dam which has been ignored for its patrolling potential.

"That was until now. Ever since the arrival of two assault boats at our camp, C Company has been primed to use the lake to outmanoeuvre the enemy."

Lt Melia described a recent patrol on the lake which saw a landing party of 16 deployed over the water to the hills south of the FOB. He continued:

"The group consisted of a melee of different disciplines. The bulk was made up from Patrols Platoon but we were strengthened by a mortar fire controller, medics, two Fire Support Group men packing their guns, and two snipers.

"Securing the beachhead we were reminded by the presence of a number of craters that we were in the middle of an old Soviet minefield.

"The minefields here continue to present a very real threat. Sweeping the area with our Vallons [metal detectors] proved that there were still mines to be found if we did not tread lightly.

"We pushed on into the hills to the site of our standing patrol. Having miraculously remained dry on our insertion we were treated to an unnecessarily dramatic storm as we approached the peak.

"An ecstasy of fumbling for Goretex was in vain. Within seconds every man was soaked through. Thankfully, the wind that took the storm's place allowed us to dry out as best we could manage.

"We settled down for a night of observing arcs and 'manning it up' in the cold. However, during the 36 hours we were in the observation point we had the opportunity to observe the pattern of life in Kajaki Sofla from a different angle and at a much closer range than previously on the tour.

"We tracked insurgent movement by night and local national movement by day.

"Prior to first light on our last day we extracted off the hill and tabbed back to the shore.

"We sped across the water in the half-light back to the dam. It was only when we arrived back that we discovered that one of the boats had sprung a leak and swamped our kit. It didn't matter though; spirits were high after a job well done."

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