Counter-IED training in Afghanistan - a constant priority

Perhaps the biggest problem facing ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces in Afghanistan is the threat of IEDs laid by insurgents in order to indiscriminately maim and kill both military personnel and the local population.

A huge amount has been done under the Urgent Operational Requirements process to mitigate the threat through the provision of heavily armoured vehicles such as the Mastiff, but it is also crucial that troops know what to look for and how to deal with the threat when it has been found.

All UK forces undergo detailed and extensive pre-deployment training in the methods of detecting and dealing with a suspected IED and further training is also carried out when they arrive in Afghanistan.

However, as the methods of IED detection and disablement by ISAF and Afghan National Army (ANA) forces improve, insurgents are also attempting to innovate and negate the progress made by their adversaries.

It is for this reason that training in the field must be ongoing and why servicemen like Sergeant Josepha 'D' Draunidalo of 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) are constantly updating their training information.

Sergeant Draunidalo, whose role it is to train troops in counter-IED methods, explained:

"Constant training is so important to us because IEDs are the biggest cause of casualties in theatre at the moment. So it is really important that we give these lessons and people understand it.

"It is important to update the training, especially for those returning from Rest and Recuperation, as we know they have been on the ground and had the experience but we know they have been away and their minds have been on other things.

"Also things may have moved on here so it is very important we give them the most up-to-date information and focus their minds back on the job.

"The training has constant elements but we adapt it if any new information comes from the ground on tactics and methods to the Joint Force EOD [explosive ordnance disposal] training teams, which is then fed to us.

"Any new thing that comes along is passed to us so that we can pass it on to the boys.

"The knowledge of the ANA troops that I train here is also very useful. They know the ground and are used to the country so they often have very good information to pass on."

During a lesson, Sergeant Draunidalo explains several examples of IEDs that have been found in Afghanistan as well as reminding soldiers of markings often used by locals and other forces to denote a possible device.

It is then that he updates the 15 or so men in the group on the developments found in new IEDs since their last training session.

Following the lecture the men are taken through their paces on training lanes, where they are reacquainted with the detection equipment by searching for dummy IEDs before following the correct procedures for safely confirming there is a suspect device and extracting themselves.

One of the men attending the course run by Sergeant Draunidalo was Corporal Tony Bown, who fully understood the benefit of ongoing training:

"Refresher training is very important. If we don't update the guys on the latest situation then they could be at unnecessary risk," he said.

"Refresher training is important throughout the tour to stop people getting complacent, and that can end in injuries or worse.

"Going into the winter also offers new challenges and possible changes in tactics and so it is important to keep the training relevant to the conditions.

"The wet weather will offer problems for the Taliban but will also bring problems for ourselves."

The counter-IED training package is just one of several that troops must attend during their operational deployment to ensure that all are updated on the latest procedures and complacency is kept to a minimum.