20 July 2010

By 2LT Matt Marinovich

Exercise First Shot was held in June to regenerate the artillery/mortar skills of 16 Field Regiment soldiers who have just returned from Timor-Leste.

The exercise began with support staff from 39 Mortar Battery making the long drive up from Burnham and marrying up with a troop of three guns from 161 Battery in Waiouru. After a day of dry training and rehearsals the detachments were ready to deploy.

The mortar crews moved and fired in Waiouru in conjunction with 161 Battery throughout the exercise, who were also trying to regenerate their corps skills after their tour in Timor-Leste. The exercise focused primarily on 81mm mortar technical drills. A number of soldiers amongst the mortar crews had only completed their handler course just prior to deploying to Timor-Leste and this was to be their first live fire exercise.

First Shot began slowly with a technical mortar shoot, but progressed through various missions to a couple of fire plans – one of them being a deliberate fire plan in support of 2 ER in Zone 1. The engineers had built a series of HESCO walls and sangars and had kindly invited our mortars and the guns of 161 Battery to help destroy them.

This shoot was the perfect way to conclude the exercise for the soldiers, who even had the chance to view the effect their mortars had on the sangars.

First Shot was a success for the mortar crews, who, with their refreshed mortar skills, are ready to reintegrate into their primary role at 39 Mortar Battery.

Ex Saladin 2010

Exercise Saladin was the first combined arms activity for the newly established 39 Mortar Battery. The exercise saw 81 Troop complete deploy with the BC and a JOST (Joint Offensive Support Team) party attached to D Company.

Most of the troop deployed south into Ranfurly on Saturday meeting up with our JOST elements who had been working closely with 2/1 Battalion. From there we all moved in behind D Company to support them and B Company for the advance. After three days of continuous typical South Island weather we finally reached our finish point. A quick reconsolidation later and we were ready to roll into the next phase, the direct action in Tekapo.

This saw us move into a Forward Operating Base near Lake Pukaki ready and awaiting further orders. The direct action phase had the JOST party advancing under the cover of darkness with the companies to the FUPs. The mortar line used this time to move into position and await H Hour. On the crack of dawn the fire plan commenced, first supporting D Company in taking their objective, and then B Company.

Concluding the attack, the troop stayed in position and conducted an All Arms Call for Fire for 3 Logistics Company which saw out the remainder of our day.

With a culmination of some old, some new working together on the mortar line, 39 Mortar Battery was finally able to put all their training into effect.

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