New RAF units to provide force protection in Afghanistan

Two new RAF units have been recently formed to provide specialist force protection capabilities at Bastion and Kandahar Airfields, giving other RAF Regiment squadrons more time to recuperate between tours.

The two newly-formed units are 58 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Leuchars in Fife, and No 8 RAF Force Protection (FP) Wing Headquarters, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

Members of II Squadron RAF Regiment fire mortar rounds while protecting the perimeter fence around Kandahar Airfield (stock image)
Picture: Senior Aircraftman Andrew Morris
Crown Copyright/MOD 2007

RAF FP Wing HQs and RAF Regiment field squadrons patrol areas around air stations to ensure that air assets and personnel can operate freely.

They are currently delivering in this role on operations at a number of air, joint Service and international operating bases in Afghanistan and, until recently, in Iraq.

Air Commodore Russell La Forte, the Commandant General of the RAF Regiment, said:

“The formation of No 8 RAF FP Wing Headquarters and 58 Squadron RAF Regiment is an important and very welcome development.

“Force protection is of vital importance to allowing the RAF to play its part in bringing stability to Afghanistan, and also to allow all those at the bases we protect to get on with their work unhindered by insurgents.

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MUJAHIDEEN MEDIC’S MERCY MISSIONS

A former Mujahideen fighter, now a senior NCO in the Afghan National Army (ANA) is bringing medical care to remote villages in central Helmand with help from ISAF forces in a program known as Village Medical Outreach (VMO). Dur Mohammad joined the Mujahideen in 1987 to fight the Russian occupation and he’s been fighting ever since. He’s been shot 3 times and he pulls down his T shirt to reveal the scar left by a bullet.

When the Russians left, the Taleban came and in between fighting he turned to medicine, training in Kabul. He joined the ANA nearly 5 years ago and for most of that time he’s been working on a primary healthcare programme bringing medicines and treatment to small villages in the area around Camp Bastion.

Afghan National Army soldiers and gunners from No1 Squadron RAF Regiment setting up a reception area for a primary health care clinic at the village of Habibabad

Although the village of Habibabad is not far from a patrol base, the surrounding area is far from benign. A US armoured vehicle recently triggered an IED and the insurgents are running a programme of intimidation. Treatment is hard to get anywhere else. The nearest medical facilities are more than 50 kilometres away at Lashkah Gar and with no roads and few vehicles it’s not an easy trip. When the convoy arrives at the village there is an outer cordon of armoured vehicles already in place. ANA, RAF Regiment and US troops watch the surrounding desert for any sign of impending trouble.

Eventually a lone man carrying a small child appears in the distance and strides towards the red tape forming a barrier around the clinic and waiting area. Everyone watches and sure enough, he wants to come in. It opens the floodgates.

Staff Sergeant Dur Mohammad treats a villager in the clinic

Everyone wanting treatment, even the babies, is searched away from the waiting area but no-one minds. The first patient smiles cheerfully as he goes through an airport style search with his little son. First the metal detector, then a thorough pat down by an ANA soldier. He is seen in the clinic and given medicine provided by a charity. Dur Mohammad says, “Most of the patients come with headaches, pains in the stomach, eye complaints, skin complaints. The children have worms and get diarrhoea in the hot weather. We can also perform minor surgery.”

Dur Mohammad became a Mujahideen to fight against a foreign invader. When asked why he now works with the ISAF forces he says: “I joined the army to serve my country. This is different. We are working together for the good of Afghanistan. It’s a really good job. I am happy to help our people”.

Photos: Wg Cdr Steve Dargan/MOD

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RAF help provide medical care for Afghan villagers

RAF personnel, alongside other ISAF troops, have recently treated several Afghan nationals at the most successful village medical outreach event held to date for the local community near Camp Bastion.

The visit was led by the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, United States Marine Corps (USMC), but also comprised RAF Police and RAF Regiment personnel and elements of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Danish medical personnel.

Members of 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, normally based at RAF Honington, provided the inner security cordon for the event whilst the United States Marine Corps provided the outer cordon.

The ANA also provided a medic and search capability under the mentorship of the Danish Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team.

Female RAF Police personnel were used to supplement the Female Engagement Team (FET) that aims to engage direct with local female nationals.

Corporals Faye Stinton (left) and Becky Lockhead, Royal Air Force Police, accompany local females to the village medical outreach clinic

Having previously engaged with local elders at a shura, permission was granted by the elders to enter the compounds and treat women and children.

A United States Marine Corps doctor accompanied the FET and treated 13 females, two males and 23 children within their compounds.

The male engagement was also highly successful, with 33 males and ten children being treated. A key aspect of the village medical outreach programme is providing direct medical aid to the local population.

Flight Lieutenant Steve Carroll met with local elders and chatted through some of the problems facing them. He said:

"These types of outreach programmes are crucial in gaining the trust and respect of the local population. The key to success is undertaking them on their terms and we work hard to improve our relationship with them.

"Whilst we talked to them about security in their area as well as health and hygiene, we even found time to talk about the World Cup!"

Medication was provided and ancillary items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste were given out. In addition, training in preventative medicine and hygiene was also provided whilst the local nationals waited to be seen by the doctor.

Corporals Faye Stinton (left) and Becky Lockhead chat to local children waiting for medical attention at the village medical outreach clinic

Corporals Faye Stinton and Becky Lockhead of the Tactical Provost Wing, RAF Henlow, are relatively new arrivals to Bastion and normally work at the main entry point. This was their first trip into the local community and they were both slightly nervous prior to 'travelling outside the wire'.

Corporal Stinton said:

"Our role was to escort and search women and children before they saw the medical staff. The children certainly were characters and it was great to meet the local nationals."


Lieutenant Snipes, United States Marine Corps, and Flight Lieutenant Steve Carroll, Royal Air Force Police, hold a mini-shura prior to the commencement of the village medical outreach clinic

Corporal Lockhead added:

"Ultimately we are here to support the local population, and to meet them today and provide medical attention was very rewarding work.

"The reality of the life of the people here is very different to what I was expecting; they were courteous, friendly and glad to receive the medical support that was offered.

"I found the conversations [through the interpreter] amazing but I hope that one young boy was joking when he gave me the chance to be one of his future wives!"

Building on the success of the day, Flight Lieutenant Carroll and his RAF Regiment and RAF Police colleagues will be participating in similar ventures in other parts of the local community soon.

He said the event truly highlighted the ISAF partnership:

"The outreach programme requires co-operation and partnership from numerous organisations.

"This operation was led by the USMC; however, Afghan National Army, Danish and Royal Air Force personnel were vital to achieving the results on the day and highlights the true international approach to supporting the local population."

Pictures: Squadron Leader Neville Clayton RAF

PICTURE of the day: Village Medical Engagement, Naw-abad

Today, a medical engagement took place at Naw-abad, a village just a couple of kilometres from Camp Bastion. It was the second such clinic and was viewed as a big success by the local population. Over 30 men, 13 women and lots of children were treated with conditions such as joint pain, sore skin and upset stomachs. A minor operation which involved a tumour being removed from a local man's face was also conducted by the Afghan National Army (ANA) doctor, Colonel Durr Muhammad.

The ANA at Sharabak had been instrumental in advertising the Medical Engagement. During shuras, out on patrol and through the radio they had let locals know about the event.

The message had got out. Well over 20 people were assembled before the medical team and security forces arrived. People came by all mode of transport to the clinic...

Security was provided by Afghan National Army, Danish, US Marine and UK Forces. Here the RAF Regiment and RAF Police establish a search area.

Colonel Durr Muhammad checks with local elders that they are content for the female US doctor to visit the compounds to treat local women. The elders are content.

Doctor Michelle Lynch, from the US Marine Corps meets women and children at a compound. She treats local women for a variety of complaints, providing them with lots of multivitamins as well as other medication.

Some of the women visited were pregnant or had just given birth. Dr Lynch provided advice on antenatal care and breastfeeding.

A solar-powered water-purifier has recently been installed in the village. Sgt Jesper Neumann, the Danish medical clinician noted that this had resulted in a dramatic drop in kidney complaints.

Local children were given preventative medicine advice. A little girl was taught how to wash her hands.

Pictures: Sqn Ldr Dee Taylor

RAF gunners seize Taliban weapons cache

East Anglian gunners have seized a hoard of almost 1,000 weapons from a Talban hiding place outside Kandahar in their biggest operation to date.

Men from 27 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Honington, carried out the mission near the southern Afghan city on Tuesday after intelligence was gathered from locals.

EDP reporter Ben Kendall and photographer Antony Kelly joined the 30-man B-flight, many from Norfolk, on the operation.

The weapons were found in an abandoned textile factory on the outskirts of the city. It is situated on Afghanistan's main supply route; insurgents regularly target the strategically important Highway Four.

Flt Lt Peter Hammond, patrol commander, said: “We received information that there were between 50 and 1,000 insurgent weapons being stored at the target.

“When we got there it was far closer to 1,000. They were in various states of repair but there is no doubt that many of them could have been used in attacks on our forces.

“It is part of our agreement with locals that if they give us information we will act on it to make the region a safer place for them to live and a safer place for our troops to do their job.”

The squadron regularly uncovers improvised explosive devices (IEDs) - an average of 12 each month - and other weapons but Flt Lt Hammond said this was the largest operation of their six-month tour.

The 15km journey to the site took more than an hour as the eight-vehicle convoy was forced to stop repeatedly to scan the road for bombs which may have been planted along the route.

Before entering the warehouse the flight, who were joined by American bomb specialists, checked there was no risk of booby traps or ambush.

Dog handler L/Cpl Adam 'Spike' Millikan and Springer Spaniel Jake, trained in detecting explosives, were the first to enter the building. Fortunately the raid passed without any confrontation.

Locals gathered around to watch the operation. Speaking through an interpreter, villager Torjaan said: “Things have been much better since these men have been in the province.

“I am pleased that they have been able to take these weapons away so that our village can live in peace.”

The squadron is currently responsible for policing 500 square kilometres to protect Kandahar airfield, home to some 20,000 coalition personnel.

They spend much of their time living beyond the wire in basic conditions - no running water and living off ration packs - on remote patrol bases.

But squadron members said their hard work was beginning to pay off as they see an improvement in the region's stability.

Sgt Andy Jones, from Watton, said: “There is a real threat from IEDs out there and also from rockets beyond the base perimeter.

“But we are detecting more and more. This means the base is secure, allowing coalition troops to do their job and, when we speak to locals, they seem to appreciate the difference we are making.”

Half of the guns were taken away to be examined and decommissioned while the other half were burned on-site.

The squadron of about 150 will return to Honington in January.

Queen’s Colour Squadron Uxbridge Parade

Thousands of children and members of the public line the streets in Uxbridge as the town throws a spectacular welcome home parade for the 63 Squadron RAF Regiment, the Queen’s Colour Squadron, which has been on a six month tour of duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Army Air Corps band led the Squadron in a parade through Uxbridge town centre before attending a medal presentation ceremony at RAF Uxbridge. Residents came out to celebrate the Squadron’s return and show their appreciation to the armed forces by coming along to the parade.

The parade began near Uxbridge Magistrates Court at High Street and Braybourne Close at 10.15am before marching through the town centre. The Squadron, which is based at RAF Uxbridge, exercised their right of Freedom of Entry and marched with colours flying and carried weapons with fixed bayonets.

Shortly before the parade the bells of St Margaret’s Church rang in honour of the troops. Hillingdon Council is supporting the RAF to organise the event.

Councillor Ray Puddifoot, leader of the council, said: “It’s an honour to be able to welcome these men and women home. They put their lives in danger to protect us and do a fantastic job serving our country.”

Gunners arrive home

Members of B Flight, 63 Squadron, The Queen’s Colour Squadron (QCS) RAF Regiment return home to RAF Uxbridge after a 4 month detachment to Afghanistan.

Greeted by family and friends the squadron now begins preparing for their parade through the town of Uxbridge.

A and B Flight return soon. After that it will be the last time that RAF Uxbridge will see QCS return from detachment as they will soon be moving across to RAF Northolt.

Don't prod this particular hornet's nest

The RAF Regiment's job in Afghanistan is to protect Kandahar Airfield and the 13,000 international troops based there.

Situated just 15 miles (24km) away from the city, Kandahar Airfield (KAF), home to around 13,000 personnel, is huge. You can't miss it. The night I was in town an insurgent certainly didn't, firing a rocket into the base which landed 'somewhere near the helicopters'.

The bad guy probably regretted prodding this particular hornet's nest, as his one rocket in was repaid with ten mortars returned in 18 seconds.

Such protection is provided by the RAF Regiment operating as a NATO asset.

Flight Lieutenant Dale White, the Second-in-Command, described the patch the guys (150 of them) were controlling:

"Reaching out beyond KAF, we patrol 500 square kilometres, and we can call on extra assets to saturate that area if we have to. But building up a good relationship with the locals is a paramount task, which pays off.

Mortar-fying

In a remote corner of the base, a long and bumpy car journey away, is one of the mortar sites protecting the airfield.

The mortar crews live in a small compound just a few metres away from their 81mm mortars.

Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) links are in a small bunker down some wooden steps. Billets are portacabins and food can mean surviving for eight days straight on ration packs. During quiet periods, one of them drives to the base to bring back takeaways of 'mystery meat and rice'. Leisure facilities are a few dusty weights baking in the heat. Mortar crews are a tough lot.

Sergeant David Hardy is in charge of this one:

"Basic mortar technology hasn't changed much over the years," he said.

Aiming relies on lining up spirit levels to within 2mm. Within a minute the team can shift the direction of fire 180 degrees with total accuracy.

Calculating the elevation and range to the target is now computerised, but if you want the missile to go further, you just slip another collar of gunpowder round its base. When the mortar fires, it punches the ground with a ton of pressure per square inch. The missiles are effective up to 5,675 metres with an accuracy of 15 metres:

"The mortars have a 40-metre killing radius. That's easily good enough to spoil the bad guy's day. If he's got another rocket on the rail ready to fire at us, the blast will knock the rocket off the rail," said Sgt Hardy.

"Often the sound of a round going off is enough to get suspicious characters to scarper."

The mortar crew have a new toy called the infra-red (IR) round. Once fired, it explodes in the night sky and produces the equivalent of a million candles' worth of light but you wouldn't know it:

"An IR round looks like a little star to the naked eye, but if you use night-vision goggles the place is lit up like daylight for around 400 metres of the shell burst, which can be over a kilometre away," said Sgt Hardy.