MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

RIC help Falklands' farmers and prepare for Afghanistan

The Infantry gives a hand with farm fencing

THE visiting platoon of the 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), --which this year rotates into the new Falkland Island Roulement Infantry Company (RIC) -- has wasted no time getting their boots dirty and have been mucking in on farms on East and West Falklands since their arrival over the New Year.

This week, sections are patrolling in the Dunnose Head, Carcass, Fitzroy and Salvador areas while carrying out various objectives, meeting camp residents and helping out where possible. Under the command of Cpl Paul Price, who had patrolled there before on an earlier tour, 3 Section were greeted by Nick Pitaluga at Salvador when they landed by helicopter. A fifth-generation Islander, Nick is a master of many trades, as he tackles the varied jobs around the settlement with his wife Annie. Nick has spent time studying in New Zealand, and has also worked in the farming industry in the UK. "There is pretty much always something to be done. We have long days here, primarily with the stock work, but we also try and get the other little bits and pieces of maintenance done in between runs of shearing," he said, and soon had the patrol hard at work. He said help is always appreciated and it is especially good to meet someone who has visited before. "Everybody recognises what the forces are here for, and I would be surprised if anyone in Camp is not pleased to see them. Speaking as a farmer, any negative incidents are certainly in the minority," he added. The heavy work of loading an approximate three and a half miles of fencing onto a trailer was soon completed with the extra hands, making Pte Matthew Hulme feel very much at home. He worked on a hill farm in Buckston, Derbyshire before he joining the army in 2006. "It was fairly remote and hilly, a bit like this with about 60 cows and 400 sheep on about 100 acres. It is even more remote here than it was in Derbyshire and I think in some ways the lifestyle is harder. The farmers have the ground and the weather conditions against them for a start," he observed. Cpl Pryce said his men were a special skills section of trained assault pioneers. "They have done a six week course where they are taught demolitions, explosive entry, barb wire skills, trench digging and heavy infantry skills. We have got qualifications in water purification and waste removal as well as concreting and brick laying, so we are really multi-skilled, like engineers in infantry cap badges." Their visit to the Falklands is the start of a training period which will also take them to Kenya before preparing for operations in Afghanistan where the assault pioneers are a useful brigade asset. Cpl Pryce is enjoying his second time in the Falklands and said he was glad for the opportunity to return. He said he was looking forward to doing the Close Air Support training with the F3's, but also working around the settlements. "I hope we are able to use some of our special skills to help Nick; hopefully we will have time to look at his water pipes for him." Next week, 3 Section will be back at Mount Pleasant and preparing for Exercise Cape Bayonet, during which they will be out on RFA Largs Bayand conducting a beach assault. "Just normal work, really," concluded Cpl Pryc.