The Helmand blog is run by PJHQ and the team from UK Forces Media Ops. The team is located in Northwood in the UK and in Helmand at Camp Bastion and the Task Force Headquarters and works to support the coalition forces together with the other government departments such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
Contact Helmand Blog - helmandblog@googlemail.com
The Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) or JHF(A), is a deployed Tri-Service unit from the Joint Helicopter Command. JHF(A) operates five helicopter types and the engineering detachments for each are currently all managed by female officers from all three services. Heading up approximately 250 personnel in the engineering teams of such a crucial part of the support to British forces is vital and was most recently witnessed in Operation TOR SHEZADA in the Sayedebad area of Helmand province.
The five female officers are:
Lieutenant Nicki Wallace, Royal Navy, is the Officer Commanding of the combined engineering detachment of 846 and 848 Royal Naval Air Squadrons operating the Sea King Mk4.
Captain Kate Redfern of 9 Regt, Army Air Corps, Dishforth Airfield is the Officer Commanding on the engineering detachment of the Lynx Mk9A helicopter.
Captain Charlotte Joyce, 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps, Wattisham Airfield, is the Officer Commanding of the Apache attack helicopter engineering detachment.
Flight Lieutenant Laura Morfee is a Junior Engineering Officer on the 1310 Flight Chinook detachment leading personnel from 18/27 (Engineering) Squadron, RAF Benson.
Flight Lieutenant Katie Muldoon is a Junior Engineering Officer on 78 Sqn, RAF Benson and is currently leading the men of the engineering detachment of 1419 Flight operating the Merlin helicopter.
From left to right: Lt Wallace RN, Capt Redfern, Flt Lt Morfee, Capt Joyce, Flt Lt Muldoon Photo: Sgt Martin Downs (RAF)
The primary purpose of JHF(A) is to facilitate tactical mobility, reconnaissance and overwatch support to the UK task force in Helmand Province and to the multi-national force of Regional Command (South West). The unit provides Immediate Response Teams, armed escort, situational awareness and fire support to troops engaged in combat with the enemy on the ground. JHF(A) operates Chinook from RAF Odiham, Merlin from RAF Benson, Royal Navy Sea Kings from RNAS Yeovilton along with Army Lynx from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, Dishforth Airfield and Apache from 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, Wattisham Airfield. JHF(A) also has its own integral engineering, logistic and signals support personnel to ensure that aircraft availability can be maintained to mount operations 24 hours a day.
JHF(A)’s primary mission is to support Commander UK task force and Commander Regional Command (South West) as they seek to set the security conditions to permit vital reconstruction work in Helmand. Aviation support in the harsh terrain and high threat environment is key to success. The United Kingdom has a significant rotary commitment in Afghanistan and other than the United States is the largest provider of helicopter capability in Afghanistan. The officers themselves and the crews that fly them are extremely praiseworthy of the teams that keep the helicopters flying and directly support the frontline. The climatic conditions are challenging and Flt Lt Morfee describes the rewarding work “the team move heaven and earth to maintain the serviceability of the Chinooks in extremely excessive temperatures, however, they know their work is directly supporting the troops on the ground.”
The Chinook and Merlin aircraft are also used in the Medical Emergency Response Team role which sees a mobile airborne operating theatre deploy to collect coalition casualties. Flight Lieutenant Muldoon adds that “team spirit and morale is high throughout the entire JHF detachment as such missions are saving the lives of British and coalition troops.” Despite this, there is still a fair degree of banter and rivalry between the different services. Unsurprisingly they all think their own Service and helicopter type are the best. The various fleets have been subject to various upgrades for service in Afghanistan and Captain Redfern has relished the challenge of bringing the new Lynx into operational service which she has described as “immensely challenging but hugely rewarding as it has brought significant extra capability.”
The diversity of the helicopter fleet is evident as Lieutenant Wallace has preferred the hands on traditional engineering of the venerable Sea King whilst Captain Joyce is at home in the digital environment of the Apache attack helicopter.
Twenty one years ago, Jo Gordon joined the Women’s Royal Army Corps as a Private. After training to be a Chef, Jo transferred to the Army Catering Corps and travelled the world. As part of her duties, Jo (then a Corporal) was posted to be a chef with the Army Air Corps in Germany and it was during a deployment to the Balkans that she realised that she wanted to fly helicopters herself. Despite her humble beginnings as a chef, Jo has recently turned thirty nine and she has just completed her second four month tour in Afghanistan flying the potent Apache AH Mk 1 helicopter.
Jo is very keen to highlight the opportunities available to females in the Army Air Corps and the wider Armed Forces. In particular, Jo singles out the uniqueness of the diverse rank range flying Army helicopters, starting at Sergeant through to commissioned junior officer. Although Jo left school with a handful of CSE’s, her rapid climb through the ranks continues and she was recently commissioned and now wears the rank of Captain.
Constantly seeking the next challenge in life, Jo emphasizes that women in the Army need to be prepared to take the plunge and give it a go. Following successful completion of her helicopter flying training, Jo flew the gazelle helicopter and undertook her first operational flying in Northern Ireland. Back then she was already looking for her next challenge so she volunteered to become an instructor and trained the next generation of pilots at Middle Wallop. Getting restless once more, Jo pressed to convert to the highly capable, but immensely complex Apache attack helicopter.
The intricacies of learning to fly the Apache (which takes around seven months) entails a long ground school and initial conversion course. Weapon systems and tactics then follow and this takes a further eight months. Posted to 653 Squadron of the Army Air Corps based at Wattisham Airfield, the home of 3 Regiment Air Air Corps, Jo then completed a period of consolidation and enhanced training that saw her finally declared ‘combat ready’. This takes about two and a half years in total and is one of the longest training programmes in the Armed Forces.
Jo sometimes misses the lack of many other female pilots and highlights that it is important to get more women to consider the Army Air Corps. Light-heartedly she says that fewer women than men have the spatial awareness to fly and draws humorous comparisons to the female ability to reverse cars. On a more serious note, she firmly believes the Army needs more female helicopter pilots and with the right level of conviction more are capable of achieving this than they might believe. She adds “The Apache is very complex and can be quite daunting at first; the girls just need self belief, confidence, application and skill as well as being a fast learner and quick thinker.”
The Apache helicopter is at the cutting edge of technology. It can operate in all weathers, day or night, and detect, classify and prioritise up to 256 potential targets in a matter of seconds. It carries a mix of weapons including rockets, Hellfire missiles and a 30mm chain gun. In addition to the distinctive Longbow Radar located above the rotor blades, the aircraft is equipped with a Day TV and Thermal Imaging sight. Quick decision making is crucial; superb judgement is required when supporting the troops operating on the ground, in particular to avoid collateral damage and danger to Afghan civilians.
The Apache is a vital element of the rotary capability being provided by the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) based at Camp Bastion in the heart of Helmand province. The Tri-Service detachment comprises personnel from all three services and operates Royal Air Force Chinooks and Merlins, Royal Navy Sea Kings and Army Air Corps Lynx and Apache helicopters.
Being an Apache pilot in Afghanistan sees long working hours, often at ‘VHR’ (Very High Readiness), where crews scramble to respond to incidents that support troops ‘in contact’ with insurgents. Alternatively they escort the vital Medical Emergency Rescue Team (MERT) Chinook helicopters which extract casualties often under enemy fire.
There is probably no such thing as routine business, but the more traditional missions saw Jo providing mutual support to larger support helicopters transporting troops or equipment. A lot of these missions have been part of OPERATION MOSHTARAK, a joint operation with Afghan and coalition forces to bring greater stability to areas around Marjah and Nád-e `Ali.
Jo describes the best part of her current job being “The satisfaction that we get from the feedback from the troops on the ground.” Jo articulates “When you leave a situation on the ground that has been quite arduous for the guys and they actually thank you when you move off station is very humbling.” Jo knows that they genuinely mean it, and she adds “It is fantastic and you can’t beat that feeling as you can hear the gratitude in their voices and you feel so proud to be able to help when they really needed it.”
The arrival of the Apache to the scene of an incident often sees the insurgents blend back into the local population but able to fight another day. Jo is pragmatic and believes such an approach is appropriate and this reflects the policy of ‘courageous restraint’ which aims to minimise collateral damage and regain the trust of the local population. The same effect has been achieved in the tactical situation, the safety of our troops at that time, but the risks to the local civilian population are dramatically reduced.
The challenges of making such decisions so quickly should not be underestimated. Jo describes “Making the right decision in a very short amount of time is very challenging; we only get one chance to get it right.”
Camp Bastion is comfortable compared to the conditions experienced by the troops in some of the Forward Operating Bases (FOB) and Patrol Bases (PB). Jo makes good use of the limited spare time she has and regularly undertakes fitness training in the well equipped Gymnasium at Camp Bastion. She also does indulge occasionally and treats herself to a pudding on a Friday night! Jo has been looking forward to returning home to some creature comforts. Having a bath for the first time in four months was top of her list as there are only showers in Camp Bastion. Hair and nails quickly followed and then some much needed retail therapy before a well earned holiday with her partner. Jo was also looking forward to a curry in England with a refreshing Tiger beer as there is no alcohol in the British bases.
Jo has now completed twenty one years Army service, twelve of which have been flying. Never one to sit around, Jo is already seeking out her next challenge and certainly holds her own in what some would see as a traditional male dominated environment. She enjoys the banter and camaraderie with her male colleagues but is happy to be treated as one of the boys. She does not wish to be judged on her gender as that is just condescending. She is doing the same job to an equally high standard as her male colleagues and highlights that teamwork is vital.
Jo is frustrated when she is singled out in isolation to her male colleagues just because she is a woman. In addition, she shies away from being compared to a heroine “I would never call myself brave. The guys on the ground are the brave ones – we just do whatever we can to support and keep them alive. I am just another person in another vehicle; it just so happens that I am a woman and I am in the air.”
It's well known the most feared weapon in the British Army's arsenal in Afghanistan is the Apache attack helicopter. The Taliban accept that when it arrives overhead, the battle on the ground is already lost. But now a new upgrade to the fleet of these aircraft has given commanders in theatre a new way to track down those who threaten the lives of British soldiers in Afghanistan.
The pilots, engineers and ground crew from Wattisham have now been fully trained in the use of the new target acquisition system or M-TADS. Many of them are currently preparing for a tour of duty in the region by honing their battle skills in the deserts of Arizona.
A grandfather who was decorated for bravery in the Falklands War has become the oldest member of the Armed Forces to go to war in Afghanistan - at the age of 54.
Lieutenant Commander Bill O'Brien, a Royal Navy pilot who won the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) in the 1982 conflict, is now flying Apache attack helicopters in Helmand.
The married dad-of-three retired from regular service four years ago but remained a Navy reservist.
He decided to return to the frontline because he had an "itch to scratch".
Speaking from Camp Bastion at the start of a three-month tour last night, he said:
"I believe I have a contribution to make - there's some life in the old dog yet!
"The intensity is greater than I was expecting. It's fullon all the time. But we're here to support the guys on the ground. We're here to support the Afghan people. The job needs to be done properly and I believe I can make some small contribution to that."
A grandfather who was decorated for bravery in the Falklands War has become the oldest member of the Armed Forces to go to war in Afghanistan - at the age of 54.
Lieutenant Commander Bill O'Brien, a Royal Navy pilot who won the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) in the 1982 conflict, is now flying Apache attack helicopters in Helmand.
The married dad-of-three retired from regular service four years ago but remained a Navy reservist. He decided to return to the frontline because he had an "itch to scratch".
Speaking from Camp Bastion at the start of a three-month tour last night, he said: "I believe I have a contribution to make - there's some life in the old dog yet!
"The intensity is greater than I was expecting. It's fullon all the time. But we're here to support the guys on the ground. We're here to support the Afghan people. The job needs to be done properly and I believe I can make some small contribution to that."
By Sima Kotecha Newsbeat US reporter in Afghanistan
All week Newsbeat is with British troops in Afghanistan for a series of special reports on life in one of the world's most dangerous countries. In her third diary entry, Sima Kotecha gets to grips with one of the most powerful bits of kit in the Army Air Corps.
I love the film Top Gun. I couldn't stop thinking about it as I was shown the Apache helicopter - the pride of the Army Air Corps. It's one of a small fleet of these helicopters which give close air support to troops on patrol.
The black beasts line the runway - full of menace and silent power. They're raring to go if need be. The two person crews know the drill and are off the ground in minutes.
It can operate in all weathers - day or night - and pick out and prioritise more than 250 targets in a matter of seconds.
We chatted to 25-year-old Lieutenant Jim Trayhorn who flies one.
He said: "I wanted to be a pilot and I always wanted to fly the Apache so I signed up to the Army Air Corps.
"I love the Apache because of its exposure and the role it does. I prefer the challenge it presents."
The RAF Chinook pilots and their British Army Apache counterparts have a playful rivalry. Both bragged to Newsbeat they were the better airmen. Typical inter-service rivalry!
But when it comes down to the serious stuff, and lives are at risk, the pilots say they work together as a team.
From the way they interact, there seems to be an almost intimate understanding between them. After all, they're here to serve the same purpose.
Following an intelligence tip-off the mullah was tracked by surveillance aircraft and killed in an attack by an Apache helicopter.
John Hutton, the Defence Secretary said the attack was a "significant blow" to the Taliban as the bomb-maker was at "the heart of the insurgents' attempts to kill and injure British troops" and "brought misery to innocent Afghan civilians". Four British soldiers were killed last month.
The Ministry of Defence said the Taliban commander was behind a suicide bomb attack that killed Sgt Ben Ross, 34, and Cpl Kumar Pun, 30 in the town of Gereshk in which 19 civilians, including women and children died.
He was also behind an attack last month that killed 13 Afghan police and civilians and one on the Helmand Police Headquarters in March that killed nine Afghan policemen and two civilians.
Following a surveillance operation, that might have used special forces and voice recognition technology, Mullah Mansur was positively identified as a "high value target" in the early hours of Monday in an isolated area near Nahr e Saraj, north east of Lashkar Gah.
The attack is also believed to have killed and injured a number of accomplices of the bomb mastermind.
Lt Col Nick Richardson, the spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said British forces conducted "a successful precision strike against the most dangerous man in central Helmand".
"The attacks Mullah Mansur helped plan and execute have probably killed or wounded hundreds of people, and most of them have been either Afghan civilians or police. This operation was the culmination of months of effort and the strike itself was carefully coordinated and checked to ensure there were no civilians in the area."
Mullah Mansur was known to have strong links to insurgent commanders from the Baluch tribe in the south and acted as the link between the insurgency in the south and central Helmand, the MoD said.
The news comes after the head of the military's helicopters said Apache pilots are operating at "maximum stretch" in Afghanistan due to a significant shortfall in aircrew.
The Apache force, which became operational when British troops entered Helmand province in 2006, is currently 20 per cent short of its full complement of 50 pilots.
Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, head of Joint Helicopter Command, said "We are at maximum stretch and there are hotspots in certain areas."
"Apaches have been committed with more pilots than we have got," he told the Commons Defence Committee.
The shortages had reached the point that the RAF and Navy had provided helicopter crews to qualify on the Apache.
From left to right: Lt Wallace RN, Capt Redfern, Flt Lt Morfee, Capt Joyce, Flt Lt Muldoon
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