Great Britain | Exercise Flashback

[Jamie]

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Exercise Flashback Private & Encrypted​

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Deployment List​

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[200] 1RIFLES, A & B Company [100] 5rd Regiment RMP, 255 Provost Company

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Operation Staging Areas​

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Designation	Location	Status
Infantry Training Centre Catterick	Catterick	Active

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Operations​

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Operation	Location	Objective(s)	Status
Exercise Flashback	Catterick	Public Order	In Progress

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Exercise Flashback is the British Army Exercise that holds the intention to train 200 personnel from 1RIFLES, and the Belfast RMP unit of the 5th RMP Regiment to refine their skills in situations surrounding public order, such as crowd and riot control. This is especially important for the Belfast unit due to 'The Troubles', but the experience will provide all those involved a thorough rundown of what is to be expected by any service personnel when in such an environment. Coaches from the 1RIFLES barracks had begun transporting the troops to Catterick whilst flights was arranged to England for the Belfast Forces, followed by further coach trips. All those participating were expected to be at Catterick and ready for the exercise to begin within two days.

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[Jamie]

The British Forces from 1RIFLES and 255 Provost Company had arrived at Catterick via civilian-contracted Coaches that had delivered them from their barracks, it was a quick introduction to Cattericks Instructors who were quick to put the 300-strong training group through their paces. Split into platoon levels, the first couple of days consisted of introductions, briefings, fitness tests. The briefings were the more vital aspect of this stage. Running through the requirements, procedures, safety notes and responsibility for any unit that gets deployed on a Peacekeeping Operation. To be able to safely work with others in crowd and riot control and utilise equipment different to conventional deployments. The briefings took place repeatedly, along with written exams before they went onto maintaining their specialist equipment designed for Riot Control

 

[Jamie]

Orientation was considered a fruitful success with personnel from the involved units undergoing written exams on basic procedures in health and safety, details on operation and handling certain situations with scenario-based queries. All accomplished this with resounding success before the exercise advanced to the next stage, equipment maintenance. The British Army has access to some more unique equipment to work in public order situations, specific helmets and armour choices as well as crowd control shields. All of this was to be reviewed by members of the exercise. Ensuring they could get into it following protocol, maintain it and use it in a class-room environment. This was to lead to some physical tests of showing how to use what they'd wear on operations. After a few days, training was to continue outside in some live sessions.

 

[Jamie]

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[Jamie]

Training had begun on some live exercises where all personnel went through the process from start to finish. Initially at their barracks, they were called out to a peaceful demonstration as their first test. This was to assess how quick they can deploy to a situation which requires their presence. The moment they were called, they had a timeframe of two hours to get equipment ready and on vehicles enroute to the destination. For the purpose of the exercise, coaches were hired to transport the people and equipment to a designated incident management point where they would begin to set up barricades and walls to be ready in case the demonstration turned violent.

 

[Jamie]

There was a long duration of the exercise been a peaceful protest, testing the constant readiness of the deployed crowd control units. Throughout the days of demonstrations, 'rogue protesters' took lunges at the British Soldiers to provoke reactions as they'd give in a real scenario, this was mixed with a combination of both throwing lightweight items are the formation of forces. The demonstrations begun to take an aggressive turn as groups of protesters then proceeded to charge the line of soldiers, throwing Molotovs and testing their ability to counter the on-going pushes. This was all monitored by some senior officials of the Army, of which had experience and was able to offer competent feedback. This was considered the final test before the units were classed as competent in crowd control and would last further days.