December 2008 - Halcrow

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Longbridge Out of officeBirmingham: Development A day in the life begins... When he isn’t working as part of Halcrow’s nuclear environmental team, Jon Dolphin’s activities are rather more challenging than a game of footie or a night in front of the television. Life in the terror zone Tackling the Taliban in Afghanistan’s deadliest region n October last year, the 29-year-old I environmental consultant swapped his Warrington desk for the hellish heat of Helmand province – Afghanistan’s bloodiest and most dangerous region. Before his call-up papers arrived, Jon had spent six years in the British Territorial Army (TA) – successfully ‘passing out’ of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in 2004. He then completed his training as a specialist infantry officer and then as a demolition officer and assault pioneer – the latter being the engineers of the infantry. “On mobilisation, I joined a 146-strong infantry company of both regular and TA soldiers,” Jon explains. “I commanded a platoon of 31 soldiers, with a secondary role as media escort which provided some interesting moments.” The company was deployed to Afghanistan in October 2007, and the platoons were soon dispatched to patrol bases in the notorious ‘green zone’ and forward operating bases (FOBs) around the province. On Christmas Eve, Jon’s platoon was sent to FOB Edinburgh on the outskirts of Musa Qalah, a city in the north of Helmand. Days before they arrived, the city had been retaken from Taliban control in a joint operation between the UK and Afghan national armies which had left the base uninhabitable. Jon’s platoon spent Christmas Day filling sandbags to provide some protection against attack. He patrolled the countryside, talking to locals through an interpreter and finding numerous signs of the Taliban. “We had a couple of close shaves with road side bombs,” he remembers. “One device was unfortunately triggered by a local on his tractor. Hearing the explosion from some distance away, we were able to save his life, but he was badly injured.” “The only comfort left is in comradeship, confidence in your own abilities and a sense of moral courage to do the right thing” During his six month tour of duty, there were 12 fatalities. “I was in Camp Bastion for one of the repatriation ceremonies,” said Jon. “The memory of the coffin, covered by the Union Jack, being carried onto a C130 Hercules plane will stay with me forever.” In one violent example of the Taliban response to British workers assisting the Afghan government to rebuild infrastructure in the city, a local man was found beheaded. The £3.50-a-day construction worker had been warned by the Taliban to stop working on one of the development schemes and had refused. “The Taliban are a pretty nasty bunch and in many cases the only way they can control the local population is through fear,” says Jon. Local Mullahs – religious leaders – showed Jon threatening letters that had been nailed to the doors of mosques by the Taliban, warning locals not to assist the British. “It’s a difficult situation out there,” Jon explains. “Although the locals see improvements to their quality of life as a result of our intervention, it’s a daily struggle for them. Without going deep into the reasons why we’re in Afghanistan, I think we need to be there. I saw and did things so far out of my usual comfort zone that the only comfort left is in comradeship, confidence in your own abilities and a sense of moral courage to do the right thing.” Escorting BBC and ITN news teams and journalists around the province was a risky proposition. “On one occasion, I took a journalist on a battle group clearance operation, riding in the back of a Warrior armoured personnel carrier (APC). During the mission, the APC in front was blown up by a mine, and we were shot at with air burst rocket propelled grenades,” says Jon. Returning to work after seeing action was an understandably strange experience. “My colleagues have been very supportive,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve changed much, but my time in Afghanistan has certainly made me realise what’s important in life.” 58 Connections Vox | issue one | July 2008
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December 2008 - Halcrow

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