RAF Wittering News

Military skills were the focus for No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron (2MT) from RAF Wittering last week as they trained for operations during Exercise Resolute Convoy.  

Swynnerton Training Area in Staffordshire was the venue for the exercise, although the scenario placed 2MT in a foreign country during a hostile conflict. 2MT’s mission was to provide their road-going logistics capability in unfriendly territory.

Flying Officer Tim Doyle was the officer in charge of Exercise Resolute Convoy. He said: “The overall objective is team training rather than individual training. At the end of the exercise, our drivers will have experienced a range of realistic threats whilst carrying out their primary role.”

Working conditions perfectly simulated those of a hostile environment. Over five days the men and women of 2MT lived in a virtually derelict building, which stood for a makeshift military checkpoint. Heating, water and rations were all brought from RAF Wittering.

2MT was first formed during the Battle of Britain. The Squadron’s mission was to ferry aircraft spares and supplies to the fighter stations in the south of England. Today 2MT is the Royal Air Force’s road-going heavy lift capability and operates a fleet of specialist vehicles from tankers to all-wheel-drive trucks.

The Squadron is part of the RAF A4 Force. Ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, the A4 Force is comprised of specialist engineering and logistics squadrons that support military air operations and exercises in the UK and abroad.

During Resolute Convoy the Squadron was confronted with simulated attacks from a militia, angry and abusive protestors and even had to cope with a mocked-up road traffic collision involving their own vehicles and a civilian SUV. After five days of cold and wet conditions, 2MT returned to RAF Wittering on Friday.

Flying Officer Lucy Heal (24) was pleased with her team’s performance. She said: “When conditions get bad, that’s when you see people pull together. Everyone got stuck in, worked together and there was a really good sense of camaraderie and morale.”

Group Captain Jo Lincoln is Station Commander at RAF Wittering and Commanding Officer of the A4 Force Elements. She said: “Logistics and engineering support to operations and exercises is what the A4 Force does, but we are a military organisation and have to be ready for conflict situations when they arise.”

The Group Captain concluded: “2MT is a high-readiness unit and Resolute Convoy has been a genuine success for them. It’s only by training in a realistic environment, with all the challenges it brings, that we keep our people mentally and physically prepared.”