Mentoring Afghan Gunners on Artillery Hill

Lt Mowbray, from 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, is two months into a six-month operational tour of Afghanistan.

He is part of a British Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) helping and advising the Afghan National Police and ANA on tactics and patrolling methods so that in time they can take over responsibility for security in the country themselves.

Describing Artillery Hill, he said:

"We arrived in Afghanistan at the start of October and were soon at our new position, Artillery Hill.

"'The Hill', as it is known, is an old Russian post, south of Gereshk, with unexploded ordnance in abundance and an old Russian personnel carrier BTR-60 wreck to prove it.

"The Hill has enormous historical significance for the Afghans and acts as a huge deterrent to any enemy forces in the area."

In the months leading up to his deployment, Lt Mowbray and his team trained for every aspect of the job including learning how to operate the type of artillery that the Afghans use. He said:

"The Afghan troops would be working with a Russian D-30 artillery gun so we needed to make sure that we had a complete understanding of the weapon.

"A thorough training package was put together and delivered with the help of the Royal Artillery Gunnery Training Team.

"We spent a week at Purvis Lines, Larkhill, with a D-30 from Shrivenham, going through the basics of 'true gunnery' as Battery Sergeant Major Williams kept calling it.

"During the week we learnt plenty to take us to the second phase of our pre-deployment training, Exercise Peninsula Gunner in Niinisalo, Finland."

Having now used the D-30 gun on Artillery Hill, Lt Mowbray said:

"The D-30's ability to fire over 15km throughout an arc of 6,000 mils makes it an ideal artillery site to support the Danish-led Battle Group who operate in the area.

"Within two weeks of arriving we tested a number of high explosive and illuminating rounds which provide light to the troops on the ground so they can see the enemy positions in the dark of night.

"This not only proved the 40-year-old guns at our location, but gave the Danish FSTs [Fire Support Teams] confidence when calling for fire.

"We did not have to wait long until we had our first operational call for fire, and we fired our first operational rounds in support of a Danish operation."

In the middle of October another British OMLT group made up of British Engineers, along with the Afghans they were mentoring, began 'winterising' Lt Mowbray's base. This is part of a programme that is taking place to improve the conditions and force protection at the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) throughout Helmand.

Lt Mowbray said of 'FOB Arty Hill':

"The location is becoming a permanent fixture on the map of Helmand province.

"We have not forgotten the excellent direct fire capability of the D-30, and have built a platform from which we will be able to deliver 122mm fires directly into the Green Zone."

Describing his work with his Afghan counterparts as a unique experience, he added:

"We live and fight with our Afghan counterparts. The conditions are fairly austere but it really helps to see life from their point of view.

"Training starts at 0800 every day but we need to adopt a flexible approach. Punctuality is one of the areas we are working on!

"However, in all honesty they are coming on very well and it does give you a good feeling to see them improving day-by-day.

"When it comes to training and learning new skills the 'warriors' are extremely keen, tough, and many have a lot of combat experience.

"I never thought that when we arrived on this position we would have a battery firing in support of troops on the ground within a matter of weeks.

"It is a testament to what can be done with OMLT, and to how hard the team have worked in bringing the battery up to its current level.

"Although we still play a very active part in the process for calls for fire, our goal is to get to the stage where we can simply check the data and lay of the guns before letting the ANA carry on.

"We are now working hard to make the battery more self-reliant while still keeping the margin of safety and command and control in our grasp.

"I am certain that we are building capability. There is a bright future for the only operational ANA artillery battery."