‘What happened?’
Liam told them, but kept the details brief. When he’d finished, he noticed a look of acknowledgement in the soldiers’ faces.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘So you were in the bayonet charge,’ said one of the soldiers. ‘We heard about that.’
‘Really?’
‘Word gets round fast, clearly,’ said another of the soldiers. ‘Took some serious balls, that, though.’
‘Didn’t have any choice,’ said Liam, playing it down. ‘Anyone would’ve done the same.’
The look the soldiers gave him made it very clear they didn’t quite agree.
‘So what are you lot in?’ Liam asked, changing the subject.
‘Recce Platoon,’ said the soldier who’d first spoken to him.
Liam remembered Cowell mentioning them in the same breath as the SAS and Pathfinders. He didn’t know much about what they did, but something about these lads in front of him piqued his interest.
‘Sneaky beaky boys, then, right?’ said Liam.
The soldiers laughed. ‘I guess,’ one of them said.
‘So how do I join?’
‘Why, are you interested?’
Liam stared into his coffee, then looked around. The army was his home now. Something about it had got a hold of him and wouldn’t let go. He was himself here. But not only that, he was growing too, becoming someone that a couple of years ago he could never have even imagined. He didn’t just want to do it for a while, he wanted to make a proper go of it – of that he was sure.
Liam drained his coffee.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I am.’
Author’s Note
The Afghanistan War
Afghanistan is a country where there have been a number of conflicts over the years. Many regions are controlled by tribal warlords, who have a lot of experience of fighting within the harsh landscape. The Taliban – mostly made up of tribal leaders – is a political movement with strong Islamist fundamental beliefs who took power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
The current war there began in 2001, when Afghanistan gave support to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, who was held responsible for the terrorist attack in the United States on New York’s Twin Towers. The United States, supported by its allies – including the United Kingdom – and the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance forces launched an offensive and drove the Taliban out of power.
But the Taliban continued to fight for power, and UK troops were among those sent to the country as NATO-led foreign peacekeepers, to try and establish peace in the region. A permanent Afghan government was elected in 2004, but peace was still a long way off for the Afghani population.
After Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in 2011, leaders of the NATO countries agreed a timetable to withdraw from Afghanistan. At the time of writing this book – 2013 – UK troops are still in the country, but now, like Liam, working primarily in a support and training role with the Afghan National Army.
The exit date for all NATO combat troops is planned for the end of 2014.
Andy McNab, October 2013
Read on for army facts
and information . . .
These maps show the approximate location of Afghanistan and Helmand Province in relation to the surrounding areas.
Glossary
ACOG
Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight providing up to 6x fixed power magnification, illuminated at night by an internal phosphor
ANA
Afghan National Army
bayonet
a knife designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle
camel bak
a large water reservoir that can be carried in a soldier’s backpack
Camp Bastion
a fortified base for the Coalition Forces in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan
Card Alpha
a yellow laminated card carried by every British soldier setting out the strict Rules of Engagement of the British Army
Catterick
one of the British Army’s main training camps
Chinook
helicopter, most often used for transporting equipment or troops; known by soldiers as ‘cows’
C17
contact
any action involving the enemy and the discharge of weapons
Dari
one of the two official languages spoken in Afghanistan
FOB
Forward Operating Base
Foxhound
a patrol vehicle specifically designed and built to protect against the threats faced by troops in Afghanistan
GPMG
General-Purpose Machine Gun, nicknamed the ‘Gimpy’; belt-driven
ground sight
a term used for keeping a keen eye on the ground ahead for anything unusual
Hellfires
missiles predominantly fired by Apache
HESCO
multi-cellular wall units, filled with whatever material is available to hand, such as sand, and used to protect patrol bases. Tested against charges of up to 20,000lb
IED
an Improvised Explosive Device, which can be placed on the ground or used by suicide bombers; sometimes activated by remote control
Infantry
the British Infantry is based on the tried and tested regimental system, which has proved successful on operations over the years; it consists of a number of regular and reserve battalions. The British Infantry has a strong tradition of courage in battle
ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
JDAM
unguided gravity bomb; can have a guidance system bolted on so that it can be guided to a target by GPS
LASM
Light Anti-Structures Missile; a rocket launcher designed to be discarded after launch
medevac
emergency evacuation of a casualty from a war zone
multiple
group of soldiers numbering approximately 8–12 men
NCO
Non-Commissioned Officer, like a corporal or sergeant
padre
army chaplain
Pashto
one of the two official languages spoken in Afghanistan
PRR
Personal Role Radio: small transmitter-receiver radio that enables soldiers to communicate over short distances, and through buildings and walls
RODET
Roll Over Drill and Egress Training; to practise escape techniques from a rolled-over vehicle
RPG
Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RSOI
Reception, Staging, and Onward Integration: a process of acclimatization for troops newly out in Afghanistan
Rules of Engagement
strict rules laid out by armed forces worldwide on the use of lethal force
semi-automatic rifle made by Heckler & Koch: the standard British Army rifle
sangar
sentry post
Sharpshooter
a highly accurate rifle, taking a 7.62 round, able to hit a target at up to 800 metres
SUSAT sight
this gives a 4x magnification and has tritium-powered illumination, thus allowing a soldier to carry on fighting when the light is low at dusk and dawn
TA
Territorial Army; volunteers who also hold down civilian jobs
Taliban
insurgents/tribal groups fighting for power in Afghanistan, nicknamed ‘Terry’ and ‘Tally’ by the Army
theatre
field of operations within a war
tour
period of active service; a normal tour in Afghanistan would be approximately six months
TRiM
Trauma Risk Management: a programme to ensure combatants have support after a traumatic incident, a sort of psychological first aid
UGL
under-slung grenade launcher, fitted to SA80
Wolfhound
a heavily armoured six-wheeled troop carrier
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FROM DIRECTORATE MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE:
Lt Col Crispin Lockhart
FROM ARMY MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS:
Mr Charles Heath-Saunders
FROM QUEEN’S ROYAL LANCERS:
Captain John Madocks Wright
About the Author
As a teenage delinquent, Andy McNab kicked against society. As a young soldier he fought against the IRA in the streets and fields of South Armagh. As a member of 22 SAS he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years – on five continents. During the Gulf War he commanded Bravo Two Zero, a patrol that, in the words of his commanding officer, ‘will remain in regimental history for ever’. Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS.
Since then Andy McNab has become one of the world’s bestselling writers, drawing on his insider knowledge and experience. As well as three nonfiction bestsellers, he is the author of the bestselling Nick Stone thrillers and a number of novels for young adults. Besides his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK, works in the film industry advising Hollywood on everything from covert procedure to training civilian actors to act like soldiers and he continues to be a spokesperson and fundraiser for both military and literacy charities.
Titles by Andy McNab:
The New Recruit
DROPZONE
Dropzone
Dropzone: Terminal Velocity
BOY SOLDIER (with Robert Rigby)
Boy Soldier
Payback
Avenger
Meltdown
For adults:
Bravo Two Zero
Immediate Action
Seven Troop
Spoken from the Front
Novels:
Aggressor
Battle Lines (with Kym Jordan)
Brute Force
Crisis Four
Crossfire
Dark Winter
Dead Centre
Deep Black
Exit Wound
Firewall
Last Light
Liberation Day
Recoil
Red Notice
Remote Control
Silencer
War Torn (with Kym Jordan)
Zero Hour
THE NEW PATROL
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 19261 8
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook published 2014
Copyright © Andy McNab, 2013
Front cover artwork and design © Stephen Mulcahey, 2013
Cover photography © Jonathan Ring, 2013
Map artwork © Julian Mosedale, 2012
First Published in Great Britain as a digital serialization by RHCP Digital, 2013
The right of Andy McNab to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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