An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir February 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | Deployment 'Sikasso' by LT JAMES MULDERRIG, EUTM MALI O n 29th September 2014, approximately 180 Eu trainers, including six Defence Forces person- nel from the combined uK & Irish Training Team (uKITT), deployed to Sikasso in south-eastern Mali to con- duct pre-planned, mobile, refresher training of a Malian gTIA (groupement tactique interarmes or combined arms battlegroup). Travelling to Sikasso from Koulikoro was a difficult jour- ney because of the poor roads and scorching temperature (38°C), so we were all glad to arrive there after a gruelling eight-hour journey in convoy. Sikasso, one of eight Malian regions, is located roughly 450km south-east of our base in Koulikoro and 45km west of the border with Burkina Faso. Sikasso City is the second largest city in Mali, with a population of approximately 220,000. The mission of the European Union Training Mission Mali (EUTM Mali) trainers was to conduct pre-planned refresher training for Elou (meaning 'the Elephants' in the local dialect), one of the previously trained-up GTIAs. This unit had deployed on operations to northern Mali during the summer, where it was badly defeated by the MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad). As a result, the morale and discipline of GTIA Elou was at a low ebb. Moreover, inadequate leadership was believed to be a contributing factor in the defeat. Consequently, for our seven weeks we were tasked with focussing on re-establishing their basic soldier- ing skills, empowering and enabling their command structure and assisting in their preparations for re-deployments to conflict areas of northern Mali in the future. No easy task! The UKITT comprised six members of the Defence Forces and 27 members of the British Army's, 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles (2 RGR). Together we were responsible for train- ing and developing one infantry company within GTIA Elou. Our training focused on areas that would be relevant to the GTIA's future deployment to northern Mali, with par- ticular emphasis placed on C-IED, weapons handling, recon- naissance, defensive operations and vehicle checkpoints. The enhancement of leadership within the GTIA was also an integral part of the training and, accordingly, we devised a two-week programme that established a framework for training all commanders at all levels within the GTIA. Utilis- ing our own leadership experience and background, we Members of IRCON 4, 2 RGR and the Latvian training team during an EUTM shooting competition.

• Cover