Flight Lieutenant Clayton Hudson – Intelligence Officer

“There’s often the perception that Reservists just fill in the gaps. But this isn’t the case at all. Often, individual Reservists are recalled again and again because of the excellent work they’ve done.”

My role

I joined the RAF Reserves in 2003. After specialist training at the Defence Intelligence Security Centre at Chicksands, Bedfordshire, I moved to 7010 Squadron in 2004, which specialises in providing imagery analysis.

It’s our job to look at photographic images that have been taken by aircraft or satellite. We interpret and annotate these images, often in conjunction with collateral from other sources, and then produce intelligence reports based on what we see. We also brief flight crews on specific image targets and requirements.

My experiences

We’re currently supporting operations in Afghanistan, providing imagery analysis and information that’s used to plan troop movements and transportations. We help decide key routes for missions, so there’s a lot of responsibility. It can be very concentrated work, especially on deployment. But it’s also very satisfying. I’ve deployed twice, including a tour to Afghanistan in 2008, and knowing that you’re helping to guide troops through hostile territory, helping to bring them back safely, is incredibly rewarding.

My life

I’ve always had an affinity with the RAF. I’ve got my private pilot’s licence and I originally thought about joining up as a regular, but I decided instead to pursue a career in telecommunications. My degree was in electronic engineering and I wanted to apply my skills and knowledge to the commercial sector, but I always knew that one day I would want to do something different. After six years in my job, I started looking around and liked what the Reserves had to offer – there seemed to be plenty of opportunities to combine my interests in IT, aviation and intelligence.