One of the things we were really,
to make sure that within our area
square kilometres around Basra.
It was a mix, mostly
That didn't trouble us too much
In the north, there were marshes,
there weren't particularly hostile.
I mean, they weren't positive either.
I mean, it was kind of neutral because
been there for thousands of years.
But lots of cover and lots of ability to
And then to the east was the edge
And what we were really keen to do is make
from within any of those areas,
accurately at the base,
which is what we were protecting.
We were trying to keep them out of our,
of operations, so that when they did fire
they were not doing it with line of sight.
So their accuracy was
Didn't stop them firing,
And also they couldn't bring in mortars
rockets, and they couldn't bring in,
So in order to do that, we mounted a lot
So as a deterrent effect, we're here
But we also did a lot of covert stuff
a well laid and well sprung ambush
because they won't wish
So what we were doing early in our
And what we tended to do
in their vehicles and they'd move around
and other places, but they'd
So the snipers would almost jump off
move into a firing position
And the flight would go off a kilometre
and very overtly go firm.
But the snipers were left behind.
And one evening, I think it was the 17th
off by B Flight in the marshes.
B Flight moved off,
and very soon afterwards,
and two men got out of it
And these rockets were
and they could literally be laid
something like that and fired.
They didn't need any sophisticated
And the snipers knew how quickly a trained
one of these things up.
So they were dropped off.
There were other vehicles nearby
often insurgents in uniform.
They were heavily infiltrated,
So the snipers, they lost communications.
Communications were always terrible.
Our radios were always, you know,
They couldn't raise B Flight and they
in back in, in the base
So they had a choice to make and that was
or engage the insurgents.
But because they hadn't got comms,
initiative and they decided.
So it was two snipers working as a pair
killed one of the insurgents and the other
That rocket could have killed people.
It could have landed
So they did the right thing.
They were immediately pursued by the Iraqi
So they had to.
And there were others between them
a new route through the marshland.
They waded through.
They kind of planned a new route.
B Flight moved.
The commander did the right thing.
He made sure they, they could, he.
He could be seen, but he moved
And, and it was quite,
where these two snipers being pursued
by dozens of insurgents.
So when they got back,
post and I think, well done,
And the two snipers came into the command
and they just looked really bedraggled.
And I went over and I just,
I shook their hand and to my astonishment,
kind of sheepish and embarrassed.
And I say, you're right, lads.
And they said,
us off for opening fire without orders.
And at that moment I thought, my God,
I talked about mission command and people
they thought was right,
case because it had, because
But they should have known that
even if they got it wrong,
faith and they'd done what
So I, you know, I thought,
and make it very clear to the squadron
Use your initiative, use your training,
that you'll have my support if you.
Even if it turns out your decision was
you've made it in the right way.
I mean, of course,
I wasn't coming over to
they quite rightly received
And one of them got a commendation.
And what it did do is it
From that moment on,
from within our RAO
So those two men,
had a huge effect that almost
And yet they'd had
Am I doing the right thing?
And that was down to me.
And it was a lesson learned.
