1 R IRISH, Op HERRICK 4, Helmand, Afghanistan.

Thirty volunteers from across the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment were grouped and prepared to deploy as Ranger Platoon with the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment Battle Group on Operation HERRICK 4 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. By the end of February, Ranger Platoon had left the Battalion's home at, Fort George, Inverness and were training in the Oman with 16 Air Assault Brigade, eventually deploying in April 2006 with 3 PARA Battle Group's High Readiness Company.

The following contribution was made by Richard Spence, a former RSM of the 1st Battalion. "‘Ranger Platoon’ constituted 9 Pl, C Coy, 3 PARA. They finished a 7 month tour in Iraq during Spring of 2006, and immediately volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan with 3 PARA BG. During their tour, this platoon of R IRISH were caught in a 360 degree ambush in the village of Zumbelay. Without any air or artillery support, they fought their way out of the ambush without sustaining any casualties, and while inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. They also carried out the role of MERT (Medical Emergency Response Team) during which they dropped by chinook into multiple ‘hot’ HLS to extract wounded personnel, often while exposed to intense enemy fire. On no less than three occasions, they partook in brigade level air assault operations into Taliban strongholds where along with their colleagues from 3 PARA, they closed with and destroyed the enemy. One of these operations was to conduct a much needed resupply of their fellow R IRISH troops in Musa Quala. Ranger Pl, conducted a RIP into FOB Jackson, Sangin DC. Over the next 6 weeks they came under intense enemy attack on a daily basis, resulting in one Ranger KIA, and four WIA."

The Battalion's total commitment to 3 PARA would grow to some 98 when two more rifle platoons and a mortar section would be attached at short notice in July 2006 where the fighting in Musa Qaleh would be intense