DAY 224 (Tuesday 13 March 2012)

Well today was certainly interesting, we had briefings all morning before the main Exercise started after lunch, it is supposed to be a 24 hour exercise but we were told that we would get stood down at midnight for 6 hours to get some rest.

The briefings consisted having a medical briefing in what to do to help the injured in the event of an quake taking place, briefing from NST (Nepal Signal Troop) on what our communications will be and a briefing from BK (Maj Kelsall) in what to do and how we should be prepared if a big quake should hit, that last briefing actually brought it home to some people to the intensity of what could happen and where the safest places were to be when a quake hits. 

After lunch some of us heard the tannoy system calling the start of the exercise, we had to meet up by the CHAUTARA to be briefed as to what the situation is and who was going to be running with what cell and who were going to be casualties.  There was me, the GM, Mandy Childs, Prakash and Uttam working within the Families Reception Centre, here we were to process any family within the Brigade of Gurkhas that were working here in Nepal and account for them, some of the families were taking part in the exercise but not all of them, which I thought was a bit nuts, but hey that was their choice, anyway, poor Jackie McCulloch had scenario where her house had cracks in the walls, the gas and water couldn’t be shut off (to avoid any further damage if an explosion occurred), she left her dog behind (which she really didn’t want to do), she was fine in herself as she had no injuries.  As she was one of the first to reach the Families Reception Centre and was processed, we actually were able to put her to work by helping us with any of the other families that came in.

 

Throughout the day things happened as a result of the earthquake but later on there was an aftershock and in the event of the aftershock Jackie’s dog had been killed (she is well and fine really, it’s all play acting so don’t panic).  Another wife also died in the incident.  It does bring it home to you as to what can happen during these events.

Anyway, the civilians were stood down at around 2000hrs and the rest of us military people had to battle it through until much later, but we were eventually stood down for the night at around 2330hrs, we were all supposed to stay on camp in the transit accommodation as we were allowed to leave camp, however, as my house is actually on camp I snuck back to my own bed but I have to make sure that I am back before 0600hrs.