War Stories, Episode 6: A British Infantry Commander in Urban Combat, Iraq, 2007

In the sixth edition of the King’s College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King’s alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (BA War Studies, 2002–2005), Nick hosts and Rupert takes to the guest seat to speak about his own experience of war. As a young officer with 4th Battalion The Rifles, Rupert deployed to Basra, Iraq, in 2007, where he commanded a platoon given the task of defending the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre (PJCC), an isolated position in the centre of the city. One night in April, Rupert and 24 soldiers found themselves defending the PJCC against an attack by around 200 militia fighters. Over four hours, the defenders fought to prevent the position being overrun, for which the platoon was recognised with three gallantry awards, including two Military Crosses. Expect to learn: - What it means to command a mechanised rifle platoon in an urban counter-insurgency. - How 24 soldiers defended an isolated position against a much larger force during four hours of intense urban combat. - How leadership, training and individual initiative manifest in the pressure cooker of a defensive battle.