Only a month after deploying to Iraq, the 1
st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment is already having a positive affect on local Iraqis’ lives by providing US$¼ million worth of vital improvements to the infrastructure in the town of Az Zubayr, to the south west of Basra City.
Sergeant Andrew “Shevs” Shevlin, 34 from Sheffield, has the important job. He is one of the 1 YORKS Battle Group’s civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) representatives and assists the local Town Council to improve infrastructure, including the provision of electricity, water, sewage, hospitals and schools. Shevs has spent a staggering US$¼ million (£127k) of foreign aid on projects in Az Zubayr, which has a population of 450,000.
CIMIC activities are planned to assist the military commander achieve his mission whilst helping the local civil population rebuild their community post conflict, bringing essential sustaining infrastructure to the area in order to enable the Iraqi population to move ever closer to Provincial Iraqi Control.
“So far we’ve helped with the power network to ensure as many homes and businesses have electricity. We’ve provided clean water to a number of areas, improved healthcare, refurbished schools and run trade skills workshops. We have even assisted with agriculture and improving the town marketplace”, Shevs said.
It may sound a lot of money, but it does not go very far and must be carefully managed. Shevs added, “there is a strict process that we go through to decide which projects to support. The projects focus on where the need is greatest and set criteria must be met to make sure that the maximum number of people benefit.”
“I was never liked maths at school and here I am looking after thousands of dollars”, Shevs quipped. He joined the Army after leaving Firth Park School, Sheffield, in 1988.
Shevs has been in the Army for 16 years and now commands a multiple of 12 Yorkshire soldiers in Iraq. “We spend a lot of time around Az Zubayr and patrolling the local area. We interact with the locals in an attempt to gain information and with the Iraqi Police to help them improve their capability. We also deter criminal activity against our bases by having a visible presence in the area.”
Despite providing aid to the area, the reaction that Shevs and his men receive from the locals has not always been positive. On one patrol he led his multiple to an Iraqi Hospital to recover a British civilian casualty and another Briton who had been killed, when they were confronted by an unfriendly and armed crowd.
“It was a pretty hairy experience,” Shevs recalls, “but due to all the training we’ve had, we all remained calm and successfully negotiated the extraction of the casualties without incident.” Solemnly, he recounts, “I was a bit worried about how the blokes would react to having to recover a dead body. I picked the guys I thought would cope best and, to their credit, all the team has coped really well.”
The injured British casualty was exceptionally grateful of the brave actions of the multiple. “His eyes lit up and the relief on his face was clearly visible when I walked into the room. He was just so happy to see a British face,” Shevs said.
Back home in Catterick, where the Battalion is based, Shevs is married to Kerry and they have 2 sons; Thomas 13 and Lewis 8. “The family are worried just like anyone else would be. They just want me to get the job done and get home safely; they miss me.”
Point of Contact:
Lieutenant Jamie Metcalfe, 1 YORKS Battle Group Media Officer.
Additional Information.
1. Sgt Shevlin has served previously in Afghanistan, Belgium, Canada, USA, Germany, Kenya, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Belize and is now in B Company.
2. Before commanding a multiple in Iraq, Shevs was second-in-command of the Battalion’s Heavy Machine Gun Platoon, which was equipped with Weapon Mounted Installation Kit (WMIK) Landrovers, 12.5mm calibre Heavy Machine Guns and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) 7.62mm.
3. The people of Az Zubayr receive, on average, 8.1 hours of electricity per day.
4. The 1 YORKS Battle Group has approximately 40 small scale CIMIC projects ongoing totalling US£3/4 million and another 40 planned.
5. The total amount of aid in the Company’s area is US$7.2 million. Sgt Shevlin looks after the smaller projects, whereas the Provincial Reconstruction Team oversee the larger, more expensive projects.
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