General Sir Peter Wall has praised the efforts of military personnel during his last visit to Afghanistan as Chief of the General Staff (CGS), Vigilance can report.
General Wall met personnel from all three services and supporting civilians during a visit to Helmand Province and Kabul. He spoke with troops in Camp Bastion about their experiences and discussed the challenges of redeploying people and equipment while supporting the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
He went on to meet with Regional Command (Southwest) Commandant General, US Marine Corps Brigadier General Daniel Yoo, and his Deputy Commander Brigadier Rob Thomson, the most senior British officer in Helmand. During the office call, General Wall was briefed on the situation on the ground and the increased capability of the ANSF, who lead 99 per cent of operations across Afghanistan.
General Wall said: “I think there’s a tremendous resilience and real will to get the governance systems to work to get normality restored to their way of life: to get their tribal issues in balance and to reject the intimidation and aggression the Taliban have been offering."
Sir Wall added: “We need to just concentrate on finishing our presence here in Camp Bastion and our contribution here in Helmand. As I reflect on that as I leave the Army I don’t think we could have expected a stronger or more committed performance, or a more courageous performance, from our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines – men and women.”
General Wall also met officers and men from the Manoeuvre Battle Group, which plays a vital defensive role by conducting force protection operations around Camp Bastion.
Commanding Officer of the Battle Group, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Collins DSO MBE, said: “As the last combat troops in Helmand, the 5 RIFLES Manoeuvre Battle Group were delighted to be able to give General Wall an insight into life outside the wire and reassure him that the British legacy of a strong ANSF in control of Helmand was indeed the case.”
The General also met the Brigade Advisory Team (BAT), who carry out an increasingly limited mentoring role given the ANSF’s improved capabilities, the Joint Air Group (JAG) and Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), and staff from Joint Force Support (Afghanistan) who are handling the biggest redeployment challenge since the Second World War.
In Kabul on Tuesday General Wall met senior International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commanders including Commander ISAF, General Joseph Dunford. He was also briefed on the post-2014 train, advise and assist mission by staff at the UK’s National Contingent Command (NCC).
General Wall then visited British Ambassador, Sir Richard Stagg before leaving yesterday for the last time as Chief of the General Staff.
Also, UK COMMITS TO MAJOR POLISH EXERCISE IN SUPPORT OF EASTERN EUROPEAN ALLIES
The UK will send a full battle group comprising 1,350 personnel and more than 350 armoured and other vehicles to a major military exercise in Poland as part of a NATO package to reassure Eastern European allies, the Defence Secretary has announced today.
During a joint visit to Warsaw with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Michael Fallon announced the UK will take part in Exercise Black Eagle in October. This new commitment is Britain’s largest to the region since 2008 and is one of a planned series of NATO manoeuvres due to take place throughout the Autumn in support of allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.
As part of a sustained commitment since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, the UK has deployed RAF Typhoon jets to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, as well as participating in smaller scale army exercises across Europe. At the end of August light infantry troops from 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment will take part in Exercise Sabre Junction, a US-led exercise involving 16 NATO and partner nations which is also taking place in Poland.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “It is right that NATO members and partners demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our allies in Eastern Europe, so I am pleased to confirm our participation in these exercises. In particular, the commitment of a battle group to Exercise Black Eagle shows our sustained and substantial support to NATO’s eastern border.”
The NATO Summit in Wales on 4-5 September will be a key platform for member nations to discuss how to equip the alliance to respond to future threats and agree more reassurance measures. It will be one of the most important in NATO’s history, coming at a key moment for the Alliance as the combat mission in Afghanistan draws to a close and, as events in Ukraine and Iraq have shown, the world faces more complex threats than ever before.
Mr Fallon added: “We have a strong opportunity at the NATO summit to discuss how we will continue our response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and its destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The UK is playing a central role and we are not ruling out further enhancements.”
In another development, PRINCE HARRY DROPS IN TO SUPPORT ROYAL MARINES EPIC 6,600 KM CHALLENGE TO CELEBRATE 350TH ANNIVERSARY
HRH Prince Harry (known as Captain Harry Wales in his military role) wished Royal Marines good luck last night before they set off from the Cutty Sark to complete the final phase of their epic ‘1664 challenge’ with a moonlit 30 mile march which finished in London (25th July), celebrating 350 years since their formation..
The 1664 challenge, which started at the beginning of February 2014, has seen six Royal Marines ski 1664 km from North to South Norway, sail 1664 km from Norway to Cadiz, cycle 1664 km from Cadiz to Calais, canoe across the English Channel and run 1664 km through England, Wales and Scotland, a total of 4136 miles. Over 4200 other Royal Marines and Army Commandos have accompanied the six on various legs of the challenge.
The end of the 30 miler will link in with a separate contingent of over 700 Royal Marines who are exercising their privilege to march through the City of London, with Colours flying, drums beating and bayonets fixed, for only the fourth time in their 350 year history, between the Honourable Artillery Company (the birthplace of the Royal Marines) and the Guildhall.
Once at the Guildhall, the baton that has accompanied the 1664 challenge throughout will be handed to the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Fiona Wolfe CBE, for safekeeping, before being handed to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at a commemorative dinner later in the year.
Corporal Tom Rounding, one of the six Royal Marines who completed every leg of the challenge said: “The whole challenge has been pretty amazing and I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity to have taken part in an event that marks the illustrious anniversary of the Royal Marines. When we started the challenge back in February the end seemed a long, long way away, I can’t quite believe that we’ve done it!”
Lieutenant Colonel Gary Green Royal Marines, 1664 Challenge Organiser said: “The 1664 challenge exemplifies exactly what the Royal Marines are all about- courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness in adversity. It has been an incredible success and a really fitting way to celebrate 350 years of the Royal Marines.”
Major General Martin Smith MBE, Commandant General Royal Marines said: “Even by Royal Marine Commando standards this is an extraordinary effort. The entire Corps is behind these six men and I can think of no finer example of the true Commando spirit.