hi i was wondering after seeing a few vidoes on youtube of 29 commando RA and i saw some had javelins and LMGs and i think one had a sniper rifle, i was wondering if all these roles are of the FSTs or all the commando gunners in general? (forgive me if i got the weapon names wrong) does anyone have any info on what roles there are within 29 commando? just curious.
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FST info?
- Thread starter Hazabg
- Start date
tentoes
Old Salt
The weapons were probably that of the manoeuvre arm the FST was supporting Javelin and sniper rifle specifically.FSTs in my regiment have deployed with LMGs and UGLs for patrols but it went out of fashion as the kinetic environment went from Coy level Advance to contacts in Herrick 6 as a complete 5/6 man team to aimlessly wondering around the green zone at plt or coy minus as we do now and we began to support the manoeuvre arm in a different way in the form of FSEs and FSIs.Larger toys like GPMG,HMG,GMG normally ended up on the gun groups wagons (unless an FST had a wagon) however most people were trained on these weapon systems before we deployed.
In conclusion we normally just have a rifle.
A bad, bad thing is an FSI (apparently) - not a condoned operating method. Reality is, the guys are stretched thin out there.
Its not just the manpower issue that creates the need for FSI's, we had 2 signallers in my FST who ended up doing bone jobs like sangar duties, manning the base ISTAR etc.... When i wanted to take a flaggy on the ground with me to get him some experience, the OC deemed it not necessary and didnt want to take an extra bod just for the sake of getting him out of the house
Yea it can be shit for L2 flagys especially if your battery/regiment is big on the L2s not firing.I don't know what your ops room setup was like but I used to to let the L2 go on patrols but I'd be controlling from the ops room and in effect they were doing arty target and briefing MACs on the ISTAR picture and weapon capabilities ect.
You didn't trust your level 2s to do IN/Arty target?
We used to have crew training once a week when we weren't doing major Ops and we would cover all sorts of fires stuff it was defiantly worthwhile,Just ******* blokes off to sangers or base ISTAR for the tour is bollocks IMO,even having lads flag for the boss or the ack in the ops room is good for junior level 2s.
We used to have crew training once a week when we weren't doing major Ops and we would cover all sorts of fires stuff it was defiantly worthwhile,Just ******* blokes off to sangers or base ISTAR for the tour is bollocks IMO,even having lads flag for the boss or the ack in the ops room is good for junior level 2s.
When they manned the ISTAR they were sat right next to the boss, so they were learning. We only had 2 L2's, both of which were trusted but one was shot early in the tour and sent back, never to be seen until we got back. His replacement (when we finally got one) the boss didnt trust to do even arty tgt.
We used to do cree training early in the tour, but i got bounced around different OP's and PB's, the boss and the FAC never got out of the ops room except for company ops (not stuck in there by choice) and the second Ack was sent off to a PB and then shot. Yes we were a cursed FST, the only 2 casualties in my battery were both ours.
Needless to say, crew training didnt happen much for the fact that the crew were rarely together with any spare time. We did get plenty of downtime, but not at the same time in the same location. I think another reason for FSI's becoming common is that the MAC wants an arty FST bod in every PB or FOB that he commands.
We used to do cree training early in the tour, but i got bounced around different OP's and PB's, the boss and the FAC never got out of the ops room except for company ops (not stuck in there by choice) and the second Ack was sent off to a PB and then shot. Yes we were a cursed FST, the only 2 casualties in my battery were both ours.
Needless to say, crew training didnt happen much for the fact that the crew were rarely together with any spare time. We did get plenty of downtime, but not at the same time in the same location. I think another reason for FSI's becoming common is that the MAC wants an arty FST bod in every PB or FOB that he commands.
