Per Ardua - 10 new members of the RAF Regiment

Ten RAF Regiment Gunners of 606 (Chiltern) Squadron have returned to RAF Benson having passed a gruelling exercise, and graduated earning the much sought after RAF Regiment ‘mudguards’ to be worn on their uniform.

They have spent two weeks at RAF Honnington in Suffolk where they joined other RAF Reservists on a course run by 2623 Sqn.


10 members plus instructors on return to RAF Benson

Exercise OMEGA brings together training taught at squadron level before attending the two week period, and also some new skills. Trainee Gunners are expected to use their weapon training, battle preparation and patrol skills in order to defend RAF assets worldwide. Throughout final exercise lasting five days personnel are really tested both physically and mentally. Both become harder due to a lack of sleep as time goes on. Leading Aircraftsman Martin Ocock, aged 30 from Feltham found the best bits of the course to be ’ all of our time on the ranges and the river crossing exercise’. Leading Aircraftsman Robbie Leishman, aged 20 from Didcot added ‘it was great to be part of the final attack at the end of the exercise, and earning the mudguards was a very proud moment’.


Members of the section whilst on the end of course exercise


Leading Aircraftsman Kevin Mason aged 39 from Tamworth was selected as best student out of the 26 members on the course. This is a great honour both for him and 606 Squadron. 'For a member of our flight to do so well on the sort of exercise is great news for 606’ said Officer Commanding Squadron Leader Gary Lane. ‘All that took part put in great amounts of effort and to have this title given to one of our team is very pleasing’. Mason is a production Assistant at Jaguar Cars and felt that ‘the teamwork that RAF Reserve service requires is useful in his day job’.


LAC Mason on exercise


Fortunately the course members were lucky enough to receive air support in the form of Merlin, Puma and Chinook helicopters from RAF Benson and Odiham. It adds great realism to their training which prepares them for service overseas if that is required.

All participants will now return to their civilian jobs before returning to Benson for their next training weekend in November where they can use some of their new learnt skills.

Back to Halton one week after the last trip

But todays trip to the home of RAF training was for a very different reason, today it was to mark the end of another Basic Recruit Training Course, and the graduation of the newest members of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. A total of 26 completed the course, 8 of which are members of 606 Sqn.

New recruits into the RAuxAF are first given training at their home units for between 2 and 3 weekends. Once they have completed the pre study required they attend a 2 weeks residential phase at RAF Halton in Bucks. During this period they under take an exam to confirm the information they have previously learnt and then move onto a number of new subjects. These include the field skills required to operate alongside their regular colleagues should that be required. The key areas are weapon handling using the Individual Weapon, First Aid and working within a Chemical, Nuclear and Biological environment. At the end of the course these skills are tested in a deployed field exercise run by the regular RAF instructors.



AC Bryer from Hythe in Kent has joined 606 to become a Flight Ops specialist she commented 'I have learned a lot about myself and come away with fresh enthusiasm for my career in teaching'.

AC West-Letford from Bracknell is a chef in his civilian career, but on 606 he will be trained to become an RAF Regiment Gunner. He found the best bit of the course to be the end of course exercise 'putting everything we learnt together, plus it was great fun at the same time'. When asked what parts of the course may be useful at work he thought the first aid, primarily 'for when young chefs start chopping their fingers'.

The next training for all those that graduated today will be at their home units, normally for one weekend a month until they are fully qualified in their chosen trades.


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Great news for 606 Squadron photographer.

Senior Aircraftman James Stier is celebrating today after success in the annual RAF Photographic Competition.




SAC Stier, a 27 year old reservist who serves as the Squadron Photographer with 606 (Chiltern) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), won a total of three awards including the prestigious “PR Photograph of the Year” award for a photograph of a Merlin helicopter conducting pre-deployment in El Centro, California before deployment to Afghanistan. Described as “a talented young reservist” by his Commanding Officer, SAC Stier also won the video category for the 606 Squadron promotional video filmed during a Squadron training exercise.

The video can be seen at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_goWj1k3AhA&feature=youtube_gdata_player




James joined the RAuxAF in July 2008 and has been the Squadron Photographer with 606 Squadron since then where he has taken part in numerous training exercises. The winning image was taken during his deployment on behalf of his home Station, RAF Benson, to Exercise MERLIN VORTEX in El Centro, California. He obtained a significant number of images to reflect the environmental and tactical pre-deployment training that the Merlin Force were undertaking prior to their first deployment in support of Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan.







James is a photographer in his civilian life but, as James explains, the role he completes in the RAuxAF can be quite different:

“It’s hard to compare as both roles bring vastly different challenges. As a civilian my role is always changing, especially now with moving image. In the RAF it’s great to know I can always be hands on with the camera doing what I enjoy the most, without have to focus on some of the downsides to running your own company. My RAF career also pushes me in different ways; the motivation isn't business focused, it’s more about the people and the way the public interpret the work they undertake. I see firsthand what an amazing job all military personnel do, and being able to show that through my work is constant motivation.”

Originally from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, SAC Stier currently commutes to his commitments with 606 Squadron from his home in Sheffield. James was motivated to join the RAF to challenge himself further than he can outside the Armed Forces. He explains, “After I got back from working in Asia on a project that saw the production team walk from east to west of the Himalayas in some really tough conditions, I knew that I wanted to push myself in similar ways, and the RAF provides those challenges. The full time regular forces did appeal to me but the reserves allows me to keep developing my business, without sacrificing all that I’ve worked for. Plus working with helicopters is cool.”




The competition celebrates the production of some of the finest Royal Air Force imagery from the past year, which culminates in an awards ceremony at the historic Royal Air Force Club in London. The awards were presented by Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton. He said ‘The competition entries this year are fantastic and showcase not only the talent of our Royal Air Force Photographers but also the tremendous capability of our people and equipment. These dynamic images reflect the breadth of Service life and the critical contribution that our personnel are making to global operations, in particular our support to operations in Afghanistan.’

Photographs (all images MoD Crown Copyright):

Top – Senior Aircraftman James Stier, 606 Squadron Photographer

Middle – Senior Aircraftman Stier’s winning image, entitled “Over the Desert” and depicting a Merlin crewman training over the Californian desert during the Afghanistan pre-deployment training exercise dubbed ‘Exercise MERLIN VORTEX’

Bottom – Senior Aircraftman Stier in action on a 606 Squadron training weekend

Editor: Nikki Hamilton, RAF Benson



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A great weekends training on exercise Halton Kite

So we have just returned from another training weekend for RAF Reservists this time we made the short journey across to RAF Halton.

The idea of the weekend was to split people into a number of small sections that would then carry out some leadership, personal development and air power study training. All agreed that it was a great way to spend a weekend and made everybody that little bit more aware of where the fit into a team and what they can contribute.

First task build the accommodation for the weekend.







Then it was off to the recently renovated WW1 trench system that was used for training before departing to the front line.








Some really eye opening facts were put across, especially as one of the squadron members present had a relative that had passed through the system on his training.







Next onto a bit of studying and discussion on the use of Air Power in history, if we don't know where we have come from how can we know where we are going, so this was a great eye opener for some.








Like all military exercises we can always find time for a bit of drill, just to keep the mind occupied of course.









Then into Friday evening with a local navigation exercise, not a great distance around Wendover Woods, but enough to get the teams working together.















But after a few hours out on the hill its back to our great chefs for some hot soup. What would we do without these guys.







After a hearty breakfast on Saturday morning it was a chance to really challenge those fears and get onto the high ropes course.







The facility is just great with challenges to meet all skill levels, even the leap of faith!







Sunday saw some more traditional Leadership and Command task work. This is key to making Squadron staff valuable members of the military. As our personnel will always deploy as individuals it's key that they can fit into existing teams.






Some employers would pay quite a lot for this sort of training, we are lucky that we can provide this as part of being a member of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.






The weekend finished off with a parade and medal presentation to 11 members of 606 Squadron, either for service in Afghanistan or for Long Service with the RAF Reserves. Some of these guys were being recognised for 15 years service!






A great weekend for all of those present, and lots of thought provoking activities to be used in the future.

Sqn staff prepare for a weekends training

Once again it looks like the bi-annual Sqn exercise will be graced with good weather.




606(Chiltern) Sqn staff are preparing for a weekend of leadership and team development training.

Expect images and feedback from the weekend to be posted here as the days progress.


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