Annex A
LETTER WRITTEN
BY A
TA OFFICER MOBILISED
ON TELIC
1
1. During the evidence session on 22 October,
Mr James Cran MP read several extracts from a letter written by
a TA officer mobilised for Telic 1. The unnamed officer made the
following criticisms:
(a) In his opinion the five day training
period he received at the Reinforcement Holding Unit (RHU) at
Beckingham Camp was inadequate to prepare him sufficiently for
deployment on operations. He specifically quoted only being able
to fire 10 rounds on his range package.
(b) He was denied permission to leave
camp, even to undertake personal fitness training.
(c) The toilet facilities were unclean
and there was a lack of toilet paper.
2. We take such criticisms very seriously
and have, therefore, investigated each of the points made.
ADEQUACY OF
FIVE DAY
TRAINING PERIOD
3. Each year the TA soldier is expected
to undertake training (between 19 to 25 man training days depending
on their operational role and specialisation) to ensure they meet
minimum training standards and are fit for role. This training
must be completed in order for the TA soldier to qualify for bounty.
All reservists mobilised should be fit for role.
4. When mobilising the TA, an assessment
is made of the annual training completed, the time available for
pre deployment training, the generic role for which the individual
was mobilised and the assessed threat. A theatre-specific mounting
instruction is then produced which lays down the minimum training
standards to be achieved before deployment. All reservists mobilised
through RTMC and the RHUs received training that was fully in
accordance with the Op Telic mounting instruction. It should also
be remembered that there would normally be a further period of
training undertaken once reservists arrive in theatre to ensure
that they are fully prepared for the role they are to perform
and, where necessary, to acclimatise them to local conditions.
5. With regard to firearms training, in
accordance with the mounting instruction, each TA soldier must
pass his weapon handling test, check that his sights are zeroed
and achieve a minimum spread of shot having fired a number of
rounds. This is dependant on the personal weapon to be issued
(either rifle or pistol). In either case more than 10 rounds should
be fired (25 rounds for rifle and 20 for pistol). Training records
have been kept, but without knowledge of the individual concerned,
further investigation is impossible.
6. When a reservist is demobilised through
RTMC he or she is invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire.
One of the questions asks how well individuals thought they were
trained for war fighting on operations. As at 1 September 2003,
of the 1,748 individuals who completed the questionnaire over
85% of officers and nearly 80% of other ranks felt that
they were either "very well" of "well prepared"
for Op Telic. Only 3.5% of officers and 4% of other ranks felt
that they were not prepared. That said, the non-alignment of TA
and Regular shooting standards is one of the top 10 operational
lessons identified and the resource implications of bringing standards
into line is currently being considered.
CONFINED TO
CAMP AT
RHU BECKINGHAM
7. Individuals were indeed confined to camp.
This was because large numbers of personnel were transiting through
Beckingham on a 24 hour, seven days a week basis. A degree of
close control was essential to ensure that everyone was trained
and administered properly (often reservists had to be found at
short notice to resolve mobilisation issues). In addition, the
security threat at that time was assessed as high. Beckingham
is located in an isolated area and unescorted individuals outside
the camp could have presented a soft target for terrorist attack.
While we acknowledge that being confined to camp may have been
frustrating to individuals, it was deemed essential to the smooth
running of the mobilisation process from which the reservists
benefited.
TOILET FACILITIES
8. Beckingham Camp is not a permanent training
camp, but was set up at short notice specifically to deal with
the high numbers and high through-put of reservists required for
Op Telic. The Company Commander in charge of Beckingham at that
time has confirmed that toilet paper never ran out, although there
was a short period where it was necessary to resupply the 70 plus
toilets on a continuous basis. This was due to a tabloid news
report that toilet paper was in short supply in theatre with the
result that personnel began to appropriate their own supplies.
9. With regard to cleanliness, we can confirm
that a cleaning contract was in place and that the Company Commander
and his HQ team inspected the blocks on a regular basis. At no
time did they encounter the problems identified by the Officer,
nor did they receive any complaints.
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