Blantyre Marine prepares in America before Middle East deployment

Jul 29 2010 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE soldier has been chosen to take part in high-intensity combat training in America – to ready him for service in one of the world’s most war-torn areas.

The international exercise will prepare Stefan Henson, a Royal Marine, for frontline duties in Afghanistan and is aimed at strengthening the way Coalition armed forces work with each other.

The 19-year-old has been braving the searing heat at his training base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Stefan, a former Cathkin High School pupil, said that although the conditions at the camp have been incredibly challenging, it has also been a rewarding experience.

He said: “I think the training so far has been what we have needed.

“It is good to put our skills to the test in a country other than England.

“The real test has been the heat. We carry a lot of kit around with us so conducting our training with the weight and conditions has been hard. We all know it is something we have got to do and we would much rather go over it again and again and keep on getting it right.

“That way we know we will get it right when it really matters.”

Stefan is currently in the US training as part of ‘Exercise Auriga’, which brings together the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF as well as the American armed forces.

The exercise focuses on a series of scenarios that are aimed at enhancing multi-national joint operations by training with Coalition partners in traditional war fighting.

Examples of such fighting include carrier strike, amphibious land assault, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations.

Stefan has been a Marine for two years, and explained that he has enjoyed all aspects of the training so far.

He said: “I applied to become a Marine because I wanted to challenge and push myself. The training is doing that and it is exactly what I hoped it would be.

“Getting on with things is what we do and that is what the lads are doing out here at the moment.”

Stefan and his comrades have been practising their skills in securing buildings containing armed enemy forces.

At the beginning of the exercise, he was based on the Royal Navy warship HMS Ocean before being transferred to land alongside other marines by helicopters or boats.

The training scenario places the soldiers in the fictitious country of Amberland, which has been taken over by a terrorist group who call themselves ‘The PHARM’ – whose overall objective is mineral wealth.

The terrorists engage in a series of threats and attacks on Amberland, with Coalition forces working together to intervene.

“The exercise is providing crucial, high-quality and cost-effective training in core skills for a number of elements that will deploy to Afghanistan in the next year,” said a Royal Navy spokesman.