Logistics operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
3 October 2008
To keep the guns firing, vehicles moving and soldiers fighting in Iraq takes vast amounts of equipment and supplies: food, water, fuel, ammunition and everything else to sustain thousands of troops in incredibly challenging conditions. This is all delivered through a highly effective and efficient logistics set-up. For many Regular soldiers working as part of the Royal Logistics Corps this is what they've trained their entire military career for. However, it's not just Regulars who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan but also many Reservists, who are working side-by-side with their Regular counterparts across shipping, road haulage and air logistics as well as handling and storage.
Over 17,000 members of the Territorial Army, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and Royal Auxiliary Air Force have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003. Some of these are working as part of the 700-strong UK Logistics Battalion at the Contingency Operating Base (COB) in Basra, Southern Iraq, home of one of the Multi-National Divisions of the Coalition Forces in the country and where the majority of the British Forces are based.
The COB is at the heart of Operation Telic (the MOD's name for operations in Iraq) and is where all supplies for UK forces come into Iraq by air, land or by sea through the port of Um Qasr.
For many people, being part of such a massive logistics operation would be a daunting task but couple that with working in temperatures which can reach 50 degrees and the very real danger of coming under attack, and it becomes clear why many employers consider Reservists to be excellent employees. They train to the same high standard as the Regulars but on a part time basis alongside their civilian employment so that they are fully integrated into the operation from the day they are mobilised.
As part of SaBRE's "Employers Abroad" programme, which aims to build support for the Reserve Forces amongst employers of all types, a group of employers recently went out to the COB in Iraq to meet Reservists and see for themselves the vital work they are doing as part of Operation Telic. One of the employers was Stamford Cartwright, a Director of Arrow Distributors. Like many employers, he was surprised by the amount of responsibility the Reservists operating in the COB have and the level at which they operate, compared to the role they would have if they worked in logistics back in the UK. For example, one TA solider working in the COB is considered too young to hire a car back in the UK but in Iraq is employed driving a 16 Tonne DROPS vehicle. He also admitted being "staggered" by the amount of equipment and supplies being transported: "the sight of a road train stretching up to 8 kilometres long was simply awe inspiring."
Members of the Reserve Forces clearly perform a vital role for this country not just in the COB in Iraq and logistics but across every part of the Armed Forces. However, to enable them to do this they rely on the support of their employers. Whether fulfilling ongoing training commitments or at a time of mobilisation, the support of civilian employers plays a critical role in Reservists being able to perform their duties.
Employing a Reservist can bring a number of benefits to a business but we recognise that it can also be a challenge, particularly if they are mobilised. However, as well as the considerable amount of advice and financial support available, there are also legal safeguards in place to protect the employers.
The importance of the Reservist to the Armed Forces is probably best summed up by the current Commanding Officer of the UK Logistics Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Eddie Corrigan at Iraq's COB who freely admits that he couldn't do his job without the Reservist soldiers. However, the fact is that without the support of their employers, many of these soldiers wouldn't be able to do their military jobs.
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