BrizeCast is a behind the wire view of Royal Air Force Brize Norton, its people, technology and operations.
In this episode of BrizeCast, Every journey starts with a take-off, but it's the people you travel with that make the flight memorable.
#FridayFeeling #Brizecast
TRANSCRIPT:
Group Captain Andy McIntyre: I'm Group Captain Andy McIntyre. I'm the outgoing Air Mobility Commander Air Wing, um, you know what, just over two years and every day has been immensely fulfilling. So, you know what, the Air Wing is comprised 1600 people, but we, we nestle within about 6,000 at Brize across the, what we call the Air Ability Enterprise, and what those people collectively achieve is, is just phenomenal. It's really, really hard to pick out a single event because over my two year period, we've supported the Carrier Strike Group, which involved sending out the biggest tanker deployment to the Middle East, um, in since Gulf War two in 2003, and we did that twice.
We've moved hundreds of people around the Middle East to safety and replenished vital munitions to, to keep our people and our, our, our national interests safe.
We've, um, progressed our sovereign parachute capability, we've moved VVIPs around the world, you know, across the Air Wing, which is obviously the area that I've been responsible for, um, it's really, really hard to single one thing out. And that, that I think is the beauty of it. As you, you know, every day something special happens.
You know, the Air Wing, Air Base construct is still relatively new, and Brize went early, and I think if you go back, you know, six years now, Si and Emily put, put them, put the model in place, and then Gareth and Claire, um, progressed it, matured it, really went through with a fine tooth comb.
We should sit with who and what the kind of reporting and, and, um, functional arrangements were. And Lou and I, we, we had this Bolthole challenge that was supposed to be last summer. Initially great. Group Captain Spouts, just, it's not for me to tell him what direction. I can tell him what, where I wanted to take it and where I ended up taking it. And for him, he'll have, he'll have, he'll have challenges because the world is a volatile place right now. So, you know, we know some things will happen. Um, there are others that we, we, we cannot forecast. And so clearly priority one is going to be safely recovering, um, the Air Mobility force back to Brize. Um, uh, obviously Northolt has not been unaffected by this with 32 Squadron. Um, but, uh, to, to reintegrate into Brize and the new runway and, and, uh, making sure we, there's no complacency in that because I know, and he knows that the Air Mobility Force will be central and relevant to whatever for October the next couple of years.
I think, you know, each time, you know. I, I, I've been working at buy on and off for, for 23 years, and from a copilot on what was a very new C-17 fleet at the time, 99 squadron, through to commanding the Air Wing, obviously the 23 years ago the Air Wing didn't exist, but the, the Force Headquarters as a construct didn't exist. So, you know, the organisation will continue to evolve and it's really hard to sort of say, you know, I certainly wasn't sat there as a copilot saying, oh, I want to be the Station Commander, or the, um, or, or, or the notional commander of the flying elements. Um, at every stage I've just, um, continued to seek new challenges and that's sort of taken me up, up the ranks.
So that vantage point though, every, every new time just broadens the perspective and opens up new things. So, I, I'd never worked with cabin crew before. Um, not having really worked on Voyager before this job, some military parachuting experience through, through a previous job. But, um, you know, this, this has really kind of, um, opened my eyes to that, that aspect of defence as well as some of the kind of more niche capabilities, you know, our cyber team, um, our operations team in the Air Wing, uh, and in Force Headquarters.
So, um, and, and the vi, uh, VVIP role and, and combat, uh, sorry, command support, air transport that 32 Squadron provides. So, they're, they're the kind of new things and trying to keep them together as an integrated entity, which is hard when, when one, one piece of that jigsaw is, is 50 miles away. But to, to sort of learn a lot more about, about those elements has been, it's been probably the most rewarding thing.
I think, you know, I know a lot of people joined when we were in the throes of Operation Herrick in, in, in Afghanistan, and that that was really, really visible for, for good reasons and bad reasons across, you know, across the media and, and the way that played out. And I think when our profile is high, then, you know, people are interested and they engage and they look to join.
Right now, you know, what we're hearing in the news is, you know, defence is, is really, really important. And defence of the homeland is, it's writ large in that our, our support is, is, is central to that. And the Air Force has, um, I think they recruited heavily over the past, um, two, three years. And, and we're seeing those new recruits, those new offices arriving now on, on the frontline stations and units, which is a, there's a generational divide.
And we're, you know, we're almost in the, um, you know, my kids are that age type, type space, um, which is interesting when, you know, I'm at home with teenagers and then you come to work and people are, some people are not much older. Um, and the interactions are a bit different, um, between work and home. But I, I think just get involved.
There's so much going on and I think, you know, we have exquisite equipment, we've got rapidly maturing capabilities across the inability force and across all domains, uh, and professions from engineering to aircrew to, um, logisticians, internalists, um, cabin crew logistics, support, you know, everybody has a really exciting pathway within the Air Mobility Force and get to Brize, get, get, get, get qualified on an aircraft, whatever description, um, including the, you know, the, the enablement and, and support to that, and, um, and you'll have a great time. So I'm off to the Royal College of Defence Studies, which is, um, just under a year long course, um, focused on strategy, focused on cross cross government, um, application of that strategy. So it's, um, a really broadening course, try, you know, across the services, but also, um partner nation militaries as well, as well as some other government departments. So really looking forward to meeting some new people focusing on, on my personal development. Not that I haven't over the past two years, but, um, it'll be different, you know, without, without the responsibility of that comes with command and, and the 24/7 ops at the Air Mobility Force, um, delivers.
So, um, yeah, really excited for that, that new challenge, and that's what, as it is within the, the boarder of Mobility Force enterprise at at RAF Brize Norton is, is on point 24/7, you know, out, out the door to delivering operations, training for operations, training for contingency holding, standby, and, you know, that takes its toll and that takes its toll on the service people, but it also takes its toll on the families, and, and I really wanna recognise that the fact that, you know, the, the broader community and people live locally, people live further afield, um, everybody's domestic situation is, is, is different. And, um, really wanted to recognise that, um, and provide as much support as we possibly can in that. And that's where the relationship between Air Wing and Station has been both really important, but, but also really effective in, in making sure we're all trying to achieve the same aims.
So, all families, all service people to know, I, I fully recognise that I have really, really appreciated it. I just want over a difficult two years, um, their support because what we have delivered is phenomenal and most importantly, it matters. It matters on the global stage. So, I hope, I hope people see that and I hope people again, take pride in, you know, what we are achieving collectively and their part in that because it's vital, and so, you know, I'll close with a huge thank you to, to those families.
You know, I, I hope that people recognise the, the two priorities I set out when I came into command two years ago, and they are people and the Bolthole, um, you know, the Bolthole first, um, project Mace that became Operation Mace Vector, it's 40 aircraft, and, um, circa 400 people from across the mobility enterprise out the door.
And, you know, a lot of people were involved in the planning for that and a lot of people have been engaged over, over that full period to, to make it a success, and that's what I, I'd recognise is that, you know, right now, you know, you look out the window and the airfield is a building site. And that's a once in a generational thing, you know, as a co-pilot when it, it happened last time and the scale was far, far smaller 'cause we still had, um, I think, you know, to, to be able to say that you were part of that will be, will be really, really important. But people, I know it's a broad term in terms of a priority, but we recognise and reward individuals. We take the time to understand what makes individuals tick, because balanced, and they, they bring more of themselves to work, and, and I've seen that in action. You know, just, just really, really focusing on, on, on the development, unlocking more, uh, personal development, more staff wise where you go overseas and learn about, um, uh, you know, campaigns from World War II or, or, or, or, or the Falklands, for example, to, to better connect with our history and ethos, protection for sports, you know, all that kind of stuff, um, to make people grow as individuals, which means that we continue to grow, and I've not done that, and, and by way of legacy, you know, I, I, I hope that I've set out to deliver on those two, just to say who's thank you, you know, it's, it's been an utter privilege that the greatest privilege of my 25 and a half year career, um, it's gone so fast.
I've probably completely misjudged the work versus home life balance, but, um, hopefully now I've got a bit of stability to, to recover and repay that debt. And, and again, it goes back to the families that, that make this happen. So, uh, a huge thank you to my family, but, um, but also to everyone that supported me throughout.
