Soldiers on exercise at mock Afghan village in Norfolk - British Army WebsiteInfantry soldiers are the first to 'patrol' around the new true-to-life Afghan village, deep in the heart of Norfolk, to develop the skills needed for operational action.
The Coldstream Guards and 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, both part of the Army's 11 Light Brigade were the first infantry units to use the new £14-million facility at Stanford Training Area (STANTA), which opened in April 2009.
The new training facility consists of a rural village and an urban complex which were designed by the Operational Training Advisory Group (OPTAG) to replicate as closely as possible the situations, sights and smells which troops could face on operations.
The troops will hear the call to prayer, practice their patrolling skills in a network of high walled, claustrophobic alleyways and face a bustling Afghan bazaar, all designed to test and develop the soldier's tactics, drills and procedures and to prepare them for the real thing.
Every operational soldier will be put through rigorous and extensive training to ensure they are ready for the challenges they may face during future overseas deployments.
Pre-deployment training includes combat and non combat exercises. These range from classroom based presentations on Afghan culture, to practical hands on exercises on the ground at STANTA with UK-based Afghan nationals who enact Shura meetings, to practicing dealing with the threat of IEDs and security patrolling.
Close to the real thing
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Toby Gray, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, said: "The facilities at Sindh Kalay are superb. Not only is the physical infrastructure strikingly realistic, but the attention to detail is second to none.
"The bazaar, which is peopled by Dari-speaking, retired Gurkhas is as close as we can get to the real thing outside Afghanistan.
OPTAG are providing a carefully tailored package that not only allows us to experience bombs and fire-fight but also to see some of the nuances of daily life. This will really orientate the battlegroup to what we may face in the future."
Replica situation
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Lock, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, said: "STANTA is a quantum leap forward in training for troops who are preparing for operations in Afghanistan.
"It gives the soldiers the opportunity to understand and practice engaging with the civil population as well as being able to practice a combat role against the role-playing insurgents.
"The guys are enjoying the training and can see real value in being able to practice in a replica situation. They are focused on developing their soldiering skills and this exercise means that they will not be over-faced by what they will find when the arrive on an operation."
There are a few pictures as well through the link.
I think it is a very good idea, surprised it wasn't tried earlier to be honest.
Nulli Secundus
People always talk of dying for their country, and never of making the other bastard die for his
[hijackthread]
"The Coldstream Guards"... for some reason I really hooked onto the name of that regiment the first time I heard it, during the movie Gettysburg.
Sounded like a bunch of bad-ass Brits that were not to be f--ked with!)
"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Fremantle of Her Majesty’s Venerable and Elite Coldstream Guards"
[/hijackthread]
Ah, a fanOriginally Posted by TopHatter
"The Coldstream Guards"... for some reason I really hooked onto the name of that regiment the first time I heard it, during the movie Gettysburg.
Sounded like a bunch of bad-ass Brits that were not to be f--ked with!
"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Fremantle of Her Majesty’s Venerable and Elite Coldstream Guards"
Brilliant Regiment, even if I am an admittedly biased source.
I would recommend reading up on our history, even the brief summaries you can find online.
Nulli Secundus
People always talk of dying for their country, and never of making the other bastard die for his
Not a bad bunch of villains scallywags, boozers ,and womanisers .Ah, a fan
Brilliant Regiment, even if I am an admittedly biased source.
I would recommend reading up on our history, even the brief summaries you can find online.
a bit like 1RTR
Back on thread S/C do you remember the village of Tyneham , which was used for practice in WW11 and still has not been rehabited ? i also remember the N/I training inGermany in that quaint little village we called Sennelager , mock villages there as well .
TANKIE. ECO WARRIOR , SAVE THE TREES
This is a great idea. The US Army has been doing something similiar at the National Training Center at FT Irwin California. The village buildings are made out of shipping containers and can be modified to be Iraqi or Afghan as needed.
As for old training areas in Germany. I never made it to Sennelager but I did go through Bonnland at Hammelburg twice and also did Doughboy City in Berlin. Both were great!
And rather appropriate that the oldest regiment started in Scotland!
A quick hijack of the thread.
I took AR Junior to the Guards Museum which we both enjoyed (Mrs AR was viewing the Queen's Gallery). He is a drummer so he was salivating looking at the great collection of drums there! But I really enjoyed showing him the Guards Memorial near Horse Guards. We both appreciate the way the Second World War service was memorialized by the shrapnel marks on it from German bombings...very cool.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is to know to not use it in a fruit salad.
Sennelager, probably the worst lager in the World.
Tin City and Lyde (NI Trg), Salisbury Plain (FIBUA) and many more scattered throughout Britain. We have been doing it for years.
Yup , i think in senny that geordies bar is still in situe , cud be wrong tho , i recall another one of the training places at Thetford ?
TANKIE. ECO WARRIOR , SAVE THE TREES
I was referring more to putting together such a realistic (from what I have been told by people who have used it, top rated it is) set up for Afghanistan. Seeing as how we are in for the long haul.
Nulli Secundus
People always talk of dying for their country, and never of making the other bastard die for his
So have we.
My point about the NTC was we converted a maneuver training area designed for heavy conventional combat for this function. The terrain and weather conditions match SW Asia very well. There are also large numbers of role players involved during training scenarios (Iraqis, Afghans, etc) who are hired to play locals.
As for what we call MOUT (same as your FIBUA) we have had those training areas on American installations for a long time as well. The penultimate one for the US Army is at the JRTC at FT Polk, LA.
This was not a "we are doing it better or longer" statement....it just was to show we are thinking alike.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is to know to not use it in a fruit salad.
Don't forget Voglesang where they fired live rounds over your head and set off explosions 10' from you. Great fun.
Ahh yes , the breeding ground for the Aryan blue eyed blonds , i bought a cuckoo clock there nuts ,( it dropped to bits , vor sprung durch technique my arse ) and i remember the lake , full o fish that was , why is it that the Military always find places that are full of mountains to run up up up uppp , and down .
TANKIE. ECO WARRIOR , SAVE THE TREES
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