ESPECIAL BRJP JULIO 2016 | TIERRA Nº 14 soldiers in charge of driving and signals) is tangible. The regular gunner has stayed in Spain, preparing the exams to enter the Civil Guard, and a British soldier has been put in his place. The level of understanding with the British is excellent; after all, we share theoretic knowledge and working methodology. Needless to say, the language used in a NATO environment is English, which some (particularly the officers) speak better than others. “When I get back, one of the things I have to work on is improving my English,” confesses Private Barreiro, the radio operator. We arrive at the starting point for the exercise, a clearing where we can leave the vehicles. The lieutenant and the sergeants meet to plan the advance through the wooded area facing us, preparing their response to a possible enemy attack from the front or the flanks. After the meeting, each sergeant issues orders to his squad, including the British sergeant, who has integrated his troops into Lt. Ellacuria’s platoon. Instructing the personnel is always necessary but even more so when working with units from other armies, to make sure that everything goes smoothly. In addition, many of the soldiers are young and relatively inexperienced, and they have to be ready for when the time comes. The exercise begins. There is no more chatter, no more laughter. In the silence the tension is palpable. The patrol starts advancing down a trail, listening for any unusual noise. The squad led by the experienced Sergeant Beiro is leading the march. We are signalled to stop and take positions on both sides of the trail to make sure that there is no danger. A second signal, unnoticeable for anyone not paying attention, indicates that we can continue our advance through the forest. Our soundtrack is the chirping of birds; our stage, the dense and green Polish woods. All in all, an ideal setting to relax… But we cannot lower our guard! We have to remain vigilant. We stop again; it looks like the enemy is nearby and the first squad advances to carry out reconnaissance. We keep our positions and, after a few minutes which feel like hours, we hear gunshots: They have made contact with the enemy! Through gestures and noises that might be attributed to the local fauna, we are directed to adopt a certain position – defensive, facing the direction of the gunfire –, prepare to cover the retreat of the first squad and be ready to shoot. In the meantime, the fist squad has responded successfully to the enemy attack: They opened fire, neutralising some of the enemy soldiers; were able to disengage and redeploy, covering each other; and rejoined the others. They prevented the enemy from ambushing a whole patrol and without casualties. Once again, it is mission accomplished!! 17
TIERRA EDICION DIGITAL 14
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