OPERATION HERRICK

904 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) welcomed their new commanding officer into theatre this week. Group Captain Phil Beach assumed command from Group Captain Ed Stringer who has now returned to the UK for a well-earned period of leave.

Meanwhile 904 EAW’s C130 Force enjoyed another varied and challenging week during which they shipped more than 700 personnel and 130 tonnes of freight. Several airdrops took place to provide much needed supplies to troops operating in remote deployed bases. Among the vital supplies dropped were consignments of Halal meat for the Muslim Afghan National Army troops. The Force were also tasked with the movement of a small number of aeromed patients and one line of special tasking involved the delivery of blood supplies to a hospital in Herat in the west of the Afghanistan. The highlight of the week came when a representative from the US Afghanistan Regional Security Integration Command, an organisation tasked with development of the Afghan National Police, presented 904 EAW with a certificate in recognition of its ’mission-critical’ support. This was as a result of the efforts to move police recruits to and from Herat when no other organisation in Theatre was able to undertake the task.

The Harriers of Naval Strike Wing also enjoyed another busy week where varied tasking presented different challenges on a daily basis. Activity for the week comprised a mix of close air support for ground troops engaging with the enemy, reconnaissance and providing ‘overwatch’ for vehicle convoys. On a number of occasions, the Harriers were required to provide ‘shows of force’ to deter insurgents on the ground pursuing attacks that could have endangered Afghan citizens or coalition forces.

OPERATION TELIC

Personnel from 83 Expeditionary Air Group and 901 Expeditionary Air Wing welcomed a very special guest this week when the Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a visit. The Prime Minister was in the region on Government economic business but was able take make time to thank the RAF and other UK Service personnel for their part in supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Prime Minister, who was in a jovial mood, spent time mingling and chatting with the troops. Among the topics discussed were football and Lewis Hamilton’s epic F1 championship result! The Prime Minister addressed personnel of all ranks and trades from across the Wing and told them that they, like Lewis Hamilton, were second to none on the world stage.

Like their counterparts on Op HERRICK, the C130 crews supporting Op TELIC also endured another busy and challenging week. This week over 70 tonnes of freight and 1000 passengers were moved. Certain aircraft technical problems were experienced that necessitated some contingency planning which fortunately did not need to be put into effect. Careful management of resources and a great effort by the team on the ground, both planners and maintainers, ensured that all operational tasking was met.

The VC10 tankers again acted as invaluable ‘force multipliers’ by dispensing over 100 tonnes of aviation fuel to fast jets. This allowed them to stay on task for a significantly longer period than could otherwise be expected, maximizing the benefit of the fast jet contribution to land forces.

Finally there was no let up in the pace of life for the Tornado GR4s of 31 Sqn who continued to provide ‘fast air’ support to the Iraqi theatre of operations. This week’s activity involved both imagery collection as well as providing both shows of force and presence.

Photographs: Sergeant Laura Bibby and Sergeant Pete Mobbs.

Header Image: Marshalling a Tornado aircraft.

Image 1: Sharing a joke with PM Gordon Brown.

Image 2: Transporting a tank.

Image 3: Harrier Force Base.

Image 4: Hercules aircraft.

For more images view this weeks Operational Gallery