Going Solo

Not everyone who deploys on operations will deploy with the Unit they've trained with, lived with and gone on the piss for the last few years with. Most Units get extra people to go on Ops with.

They're variously called Supernumeries, the Wartime Establishment, Individual Augmentees, Battle Casualty Replacements or more commonly "Oi new lad get the kettle on".

I had the choice of going to Kuwait as an augmentee or not going.

So I went by myself.*


* - Well I sort of knew three people. I still got to make lots of tea though.

Sitting, Watching, Waiting

It was the autumn of 2002 and things were getting interesting.

It looked like we'd be going to war. It looked like this was going to be 'the war' of my army generation.

Whilst some British forces had gone to Afghanistan the year before things were quiet there now. There were still a few guys around who'd been out on Op Granby (the retaking of Kuwait) in 1991. There were a few guys who'd been shot at in Northern Ireland or caught in a crossfire in Bosnia but most of us were virgins. Untested in combat and never had someone try to kill them.

Most of us were looking forward to it. Most of us were excited.

Funny how quickly things can change.