X Battery conducts joint fire exercise with ANA

By Master Bombardier Jonathan Drolet

The Afghanistan mission brings its share of joint cooperation projects. The gunners of the troop based in the eastern part of Panjwai District had a chance to conduct a joint exercise with the Afghan National Army (ANA). From 26 March to 3 April 2011, X Battery of the 1st Battalion Royal 22e Régiment Battle Group faced a considerable challenge: delivering a course on the 81-mm mortar to Afghan soldiers who had never previously touched such a weapon, all in a week.

The troop’s three instructors and 15 members of Mortar Platoon, from Weapons Company in Kandak 6, 1st Brigade, 205 Corps, cooperated closely to make a resounding success of this initiative. First, they had to deal with the language barriers: from French to English for the instructors, and from English to Pashto or Dari for the students. It was also necessary to work around some of the Afghan soldiers’ inability to read and write. In fact, only three of the 15 students were literate, and only in their own language. Yet another challenge arose from the fact that the ANA equipment consisted of one 81‑mm American tube and one 82‑mm Russian tube, all disassembled, with their components sprinkled all over the Kandak 6 area.

With all these constraints, the soldiers did not let themselves be beaten for long. In order to deliver the best instruction possible in the operational conditions then prevailing, they opted to deliver the training with X Battery’s mortars. Master Bombardier Bernier (of 5e Régiment d’artillery légère du Canada), Master Bombardier Drolet (of 62nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery) and Bombardier Mercier (of 6th Field Regiment, RCA) were immediately tasked to conduct an effective “open action” mortar course. Demonstrating their flexibility, the instructors adapted their way of delivering a course on the 81-mm mortar. To adjust to the students’ level of knowledge, they adapted their traditional fire discipline to make it work in the Afghan context.

It was also necessary to find Afghan soldiers who would be able to lead the mortar troop without mentorship. An Afghan sergeant distinguished himself as a quick learner with a great understanding of the equipment, such as the C2 sight and the bipod of the tube, who was also well respected by the soldiers in his charge. Thus, he became the Troop Sergeant-Major.

The students were so motivated that they all learned so fast that the instructors were able to hold a little competition to see which mortar crew was faster. It was no surprise to see that the faster team was able to get its mortar into action in one minute and 25 seconds flat. The instructors swelled with pride in the Afghan soldiers.

It is important also to note the cohesion that developed over the course between the instructors and the students, who invited their instructors to take tea and share a meal, and were also able to take tea with the Commanding Officer of Kandak 6. The Canadian gunners felt honoured by this privilege, which they considered a most enriching cultural experience.

After a week of intensive training, D-Day arrived. Both students and instructors were burning to take their first open-action shots with live ammunition. Every fire mission was a success, and the best shooters earned a bit extra — the six best candidates were allowed to fire 14 rounds of smoke, creating a smoke screen to demonstrate the capabilities of smoke rounds on the ground. The Afghan soldiers’ satisfaction was easy to read in the huge smiles they wore as their first shots went down-range.

Finally, the soldiers of the Afghan mortar platoon received their course certificates with pride and pleasure in a ceremony at the patrol base.

In short, the week was as great an experience for the members of X Battery as it was for the Afghans. The Afghan soldiers are now qualified on their mortars, but they now must maintain their skills in order to improve and to be capable of supporting their unit in the future. The boys of X Battery had only one thing to say to them after the ceremony: “Gentlemen, this is only the beginning!”