93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron (Formerly Tactical Armament Squadron (TAS))

Mission Statement
To deliver specialist, expeditionary weapons support capability to the UK air component.

93 Expeditionary Armament Squadron is a sub-unit within the 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (Formerly Armament Support Unit) which delivers specialist, expeditionary weapons support capability to the UK air component. Its staffs conduct armament recces of potential DOBs to identify suitable explosive storage and preparation facilities, as well as armed-aircraft parking. The Squadron could provide up to 4 recce teams that comprise one Officer or WO plus one SNCO.

The Squadron could deploy 4 x 20-man Operational Support Teams (OST) to establish the explosive storage facilities, accept the initial inload of weapons and prepare aircraft weapon loads. A single OST would be deployed to each fast-jet DOB but may be re-deployed - in full or part - to perform other tasks. Additional manpower and equipment - in the form of Armament Support SLS modules - would be required at each DOB to sustain weapon preparation tasks once operations commence.

The Squadron could also deploy up to 2 personnel (one Officer/WO plus one SNCO) to establish the Rear ESA, together with NFU personnel, thereby providing storage for in-theatre stocks of air-delivered munitions and transit storage for weapons en-route from the SPOD to the DOBs.

No 5131(BD) Squadron Mission Statement
To deliver and develop EOD capability to support UK defence policy
No 5131(BD) Squadron is a sub-unit within the 93 Expeditionary Armament Squadron which delivers and develops EOD capability to support UK defence policy. Airfield EOD assets provide rapid Explosive Ordnance Clearance (EOC) of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and other explosive hazards prior to or during DOB activation. The prime function of this Force Element is the generation of an aircraft Main Operating Surface, Main Aircraft Operating Surface and the EOC of facilities for vital Detached Operation Bases (DOB) installations. Following DOB activation, it provides continuing EOD support to air operations and DOB Force Protection (FP) assets within the FP AOR.

The Squadron will provide a 5-man AEOD C2 team (to integrate within the Force Protection Headquarters). The 3-man EOD teams deploy in Spartan CVR(T) fitted with Clansman (to be replaced with BOWMAN). Force strength deployed will depend upon the threat. Additional EOD personnel are available from non-cadre EOD posts (NFU personnel). During peacetime, the Squadron fulfils Military Task 1 (UK MACP) - Improvised Explosive Device Disposal and Conventional Munitions Disposal - and conducts EOC Tasks across the UK ranging from the clearance of Air Weapon ranges and the land remediation of current MoD sites to the removal of hazard from former chemical weapon storage sites.

42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (Formerly Armament Support Unit)
The 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (42 (ES) Wg) is situated at RAF Wittering and delivers and develops specialist, expeditionary armament capability and specialist storage buildings to support UK defence policy and comprises 93(EA) Sqn based at RAF Marham and 5001 Sqn and 5131(Bomb Disposal) Squadron based at RAF Wittering.

Officer Commanding 93 Expeditionary Armament Squadron Squadron Leader Dave Parkes joined the Royal Air Force as a Craft Apprentice shortly after his 16th birthday in 1968. Upon completion of training he was posted to RAF Binbrook as a Junior Technician Aircraft Fitter Weapons in October 1970. An overseas posting followed, to No 20 Sqn at RAF Wildenrath in 1972, returning to the UK to RAF Kinloss in 1974. In 1975 he was promoted to Corporal and remained at RAF Kinloss until 1980, having been promoted to Sergeant in 1977. Whilst at RAF Kinloss he was detached to RAF Wittering for 6 months in support of No 1 (F) Sqn and was subsequently detached to Belize. In 1980 he was posted to RAF Coningsby as SNCO Weapons Training Cell and in 1982 was posted to No 17 (F) Sqn at RAF Bruggen. With promotion to Chief Technician in 1985, he was posted to RAF Gutersloh and in March of that year he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Returning to the UK in 1987 to RAF Coningsby as SNCO Explosives Storage Area he was later posted to RAF Wittering in February 1990, where he was SNCO Weapons Training Cell and latterly, SNCO Armament Engineering Flight. During Operation Granby, he served at Air HQ in Riyadh as SNCO Engineering Co-ordinator.

He was commissioned as a Branch Armament Officer in April 1996 and his first commissioned tour was as Officer Commanding Installation Flight on the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Detachment at RAF Waddington, where he was responsible for second-line support to the Nimrod R1 aircraft of No 51 Sqn. In February 1998 he was appointed to the RAF Armament Support Unit at RAF Wittering as Officer Commanding Convoy Engineering Flight and Convoy Safety Officer. Subsequently, in December 2000, he was appointed as the Maverick Project Deputy, within the Air Launched Munitions IPT at DLO Wyton, with responsibility for introducing Maverick into service. In April 2003, after successful completion of the 0801 Officers and SNCO's Advanced EOD Course at the Defence EOD School, he was posted to the EOD Role Office at the Armament Support Unit at RAF Marham.

In June 2003, he returned to RAF Wittering as Officer Commanding 5131 (BD) Sqn EOD Development Team and was responsible for developing Render Safe Procedures for a variety of weapons systems including Maverick and Storm Shadow. During this appointment he took part in two operational detachments to Iraq. In August of 2004 he has appointed Officer Commanding EOD Training Flight at St Georges Barracks, with responsibility for carrying out all RAF EOD continuation training.

In January 2006 he was promoted to Squadron Leader and appointed Officer Commanding Tactical Armament Squadron at RAF Marham.

He is married to Jen who is a hospital administrator and they live in Eagle, a village near Lincoln. He has 2 grown up children; his son is a Merchant Navy officer and his daughter is a children's nurse at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin. In addition to being the Marham Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Liaison Officer, he is the Director of the RAF Equitation Association Inter-Station League and sits on the RAF Equitation Association Executive Committee. He is also Chairman of the Eagle & Swinethorpe Parish Council and is a Governor of Eagle CP School. His leisure pursuits include diving, golf and motorcycling.