Senior RAF Officer recognises the efforts of the Czech-led 311 Air Expeditionary Advisor Squadron (AEAS), in Afghanistan.
311 (AEAS), which can trace its roots to the wartime 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron that was formed in 1940 and was made up of Czech and Slovak airmen who had escaped from Occupied Europe was formally disbanded at a ceremony in Afghanistan to mark the successful completion of their mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan Air Force.
The squadron had specialised in training and advising Afghan Air Force MI-17 helicopter crews. At the ceremony, the squadron paraded its standard, as well as the flags of the 6 nations that contributed to the squadron to celebrate their collective efforts and the end of the mission.
“I was honoured to participate today, not only to mark the successful efforts of the Squadron but also to recognize close historical links between our Air Forces.”
Air Commodore Dean Andrew
Deputy Commander NATO Air Component Afghanistan
The Czech-led squadron was a part of the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, consisting of 41 nations working together to improve the capacity of Afghan national defence and security institutions through training, advising and assisting them.
The World War Two 311 Sqn was originally a Bomber Command squadron flying Vickers Wellington, before transferring to Coastal Command. With Coastal command the squadron converted to fly the Consolidated Liberator in 1943 and remained part of Coastal Command for the rest of the war.