31 Squadron Afghanistan Report 5 November 2009

31 Sqn have now been in Afghanistan for 3 weeks and everyone has settled in well to the daily routine here at Kandahar. It has been a very successful detachment so far with everything that has been asked of the Squadron being achieved in full, thanks to the hard work of all the Goldstars. The facilities both at work and in the domestic blocks are generally better than those we were used to in the Gulf and it is still pleasantly warm during the day if slightly cold at night, and also incredibly dusty. Kandahar Airfield is an extremely busy base and 31 Squadron share it with a large number of our two sister Services as well as many of our Allies. There is always a lot of activity and this focuses the mind on the job that we are all doing out here.

Every day is busy with most members of the Squadron working shifts of around 12 hours, and sometimes longer. When factoring in time spent at the gym, at the dining facility and travelling back and forth to work it sometimes feels that there are not enough hours in the day - this means that the days often pass quickly which is no bad thing. The members of 31 Squadron enjoy the occasional perk and have rustled up a couple of barbeques in the time that we have been here. Without doubt the biggest highlight of our time here at Kandahar is the constant stream of letters and parcels being received from friends and loved ones back home - this is vitally important as it is a huge boost to morale to receive mail and is always gratefully received.