Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan’s capital
Corporal Williams is in Kabul currently commanding a Ridgback patrol vehicle as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission
We last heard from Cpl Williams prior to his deployment to Afghanistan, where he talked about his team's preparations for deploying. Now he’s there for real.
Members of the Armed Forces are currently in Afghanistan on Operation TORAL, which is the name given to the British contribution to NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.
Since 2014 British forces have been helping to rebuild and provide ongoing security to Afghanistan.
Now three months into his deployment, Corporal Williams has spoken about what life is like as a Task Line Commander for the Ridgback Quick Reaction Force (QRF), and how his team has been able to carry out operations amidst the challenges of a global pandemic.
Hear more from Corporal Williams below:👇
🌎 Where in the world are you currently and what are you up to?
“So right now we’re located in Kabul, and our role is primarily QRF. This will remain consistent until the end of tour.
The British Army’s Quick Reaction Force — an armed military unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations — is helping provide vital security for Afghan security forces.
🤷♂️ How did your Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) help you to prepare for your deployment?
“The training in the MRX means we’ve learned everything before we deploy on these tours, we make sure we don’t want to leave any stone unturned. We were prepared in every way, including dealing with COVID.
“We were more than ready to the point where everybody is one-hundred percent in regards to training and readiness for various different tasks out here. Everything we’ve been faced with so far has been quite accurately and efficiently dealt with.
“The training we had at the MRX put us in a really good place to this point where we are now.”
📝 Talk us through a typical day for you
“I’ve got a small but very efficient team, and a lot of the time we are on our toes because anything can get called at anytime. With QRF, we are always on our toes, ready to respond.
“For the Ridgbacks we have been very flexible and very snappy in regards to reacting. Everybody’s on their toes, although we’re not just reacting to exercises and going out for operation purposes, but also just keeping in line with lessons and stuff like that, everybody’s sharp. We couldn’t be more ready at the minute.
What is it like riding in a Ridgback?
“It is quite rigid. The vehicles, the way they’re designed is for maximum safety, and because of this, it’s quite armoured inside; it’s not designed for comfort, it’s designed for safety. If you’re going to sit in there for a long period of time you may feel a bit uncomfortable.
“We’ve got some methods of rotating if we’re going to be sitting around in an area, maybe putting a stretcher out, get some guys to take 15 minutes rotations on that, you’ll loosen up a little bit. So there are ways to work around it if you’re going to sit in the waggon for a period of time passing maybe three or four hours.
🤷♂️ How have you been able to mitigate the risk of COVID whilst on deployment?
“Obviously it’s a big topic right now, everybody’s become somewhat of a specialist in regard to COVID because it’s been going on for a year now, which is a long time, and it’s affected people in various different ways.
“Everybody is good at social distancing, using masks, washing their hands and all these kinds of things but unfortunately it’s different to what a tour normally brings. A tour normally brings togetherness and learning about people and coming together and all these kinds of things and unfortunately, because of COVID this can’t happen.
🏠 Are you looking forward to going back home?
“Yeah, I think when you’re away from the normal, it takes a couple of months and then you start getting that craving anyway, looking forward to getting back.
“I think if we roll into the UK at the end of this tour and we’re straight into another lockdown with all these restrictions, I can promise that a lot of people aren’t going to be excited for that.
Corporal Williams is now over halfway through his six month deployment on Operation TORAL, where he is continuing to provide security and assist NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.
