A Windy Week in Wiltshire - Ex AGILE JAGUAR  - Fg Off Lis Foster

At the beginning of February a group from Operations Flight travelled to the wilds of Netheravon Camp, in the midst of the Salisbury Plain Training Area, to take part in Ex AGILE JAGUAR.  The week was to be spent preparing for the first of the year’s Field Training Exercises (FTXs), a mandatory Joint Helicopter Command training exercise in preparation for those deploying to theatre in the coming year.

An Army Air Corps Lynx arrives from Germany to take part in the FTX.

We arrived at Netheravon Camp in time for tea.  It never ceases to amaze me how, in conditions which can only be described as bleak, the RAF chefs provide such top quality food.  With roast beef and Yorkshire pudding waiting, we put to the back of our minds any nagging suspicions we may have had about the puddles of water that had greeted us inside our tented accommodation.

Our remit for the week was to prepare the Flight Operations room – or tent – ready for the start of the full FTX the following week.  The week was possibly of most value to the not-yet-qualified Flight Operations Assistants, as it provided plenty of time and opportunity for some serious NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) and Royal Flight plotting practice, both on paper and using AMPA (Advanced Mission Planning Aid) software.  For those of us with more experience, being able to use the AMPA software was of most benefit. 

There was also plenty of opportunity to improve our knowledge of meteorology as we were working alongside a Flight Lieutenant from the Mobile Meteorology Unit (MMU) – a sponsored reserve post.  As it turned out the local forecasts became something of a feature of the day as, perched on top of the only hill for very many miles, Netheravon Camp was buffeted by gale force winds for most of the week, which took the already low air temperatures down well below freezing due to wind chill.  The force of the wind on the tent canvas and shaking the tent poles made so much noise at night that at times it was impossible to sleep without earplugs.  The Met Officer was able travel home in the evenings as she lived nearby, and feeling guilty about leaving us at the camp, she provided us with a tin of wonderful home-cooked brownies.

Although for most of the week no helicopters were based at Netheravon, we did get the opportunity to watch them carrying out judgemental training in the vicinity.  This is where an incident is enacted on the ground and the overflying helicopter crew must make a ‘judgement’ as to how they should react.  Apaches, Merlins and Chinooks visited during the week and on the day before we left a couple of Lynxs arrived from Germany ready for the FTX starting on the following Monday.

All in all the week provided some valuable training opportunities and for those with no experience of live ops, it was a gentle nudge in the right direction, although I’m sure things would have been more exciting had we been present for the FTX.  It was also a good job we were all aware that we had the RAF Fitness Test to complete the day after our return, otherwise we may have been tempted to try rather more of the fantastic field catering than was absolutely necessary.

Getting to grips with the AMPA software

Off-Road Driver Training at Dalton Barracks 

LAC Phill Butwell

Driving the 4-Tonne truck through water.

For the Saturday of the December Training weekend 606 Squadron's Operations Flight (Ops Flt) deployed to Dalton Barracks, formally known as RAF Abingdon, to carry out some driver training.  This was broken down into 3 different sections, off-road Land Rover training, reversing with a trailer and driving large vehicles off-road.  The Flt split into 3 groups and we rotated throughout the day around all of these sections.

The first activity that I did was the off-roading in a Land Rover, under the watch and guidance of Marcus (SAC Van Hagen).  This was something that I had never done before.  It took a while both to get used to driving the Land Rover, but more so getting used to the idea of seeing a steep muddy slope and, rather than finding a sensible route around it, gunning the engine and running straight at it until we reached the top!  The off-road driving was, for me, the most enjoyable part of the day as it gave me the opportunity to do something that I have never had the chance to do before.

RAF 9-Tonne Service Vehicle, known as the SV

After completing the off-roading my group moved onto practising reversing a Land Rover with a trailer.  The activity started with a quick brief and demo from Cpl Stu Edwards, who made it look a lot easier than it actually was.  Following a slow, yet successful first attempt, Cpl Edwards upped the game by reducing the width of the parking space to only a foot wider than the Land Rover and, despite even that, the time it took me to park improved as my confidence grew.  This was an enjoyable experience - not in the thrilling sort of way that the off-roading was - but it involved focus and precision, both of which are needed in the Ops Room. 

Our final activity of the day was the opportunity to drive both a 4-tonne truck and one of the new 9-tonne Service Vehicles (SV) around a muddy track.  This gave us the chance to drive two very different vehicles.  The SV has only recently come into service and is full of electronic aids and features, whereas the’ 4-Tonner’ has been in service for many years, has limited gadgets and is left hand drive, just to add to the challenge!  For me the most surreal moment was driving the 4-Tonner with the front wheels following the ruts in the mud, but the rear wheels weren’t, so the truck was going forwards with the back end trying desperately to go sideways.

All in all it was a fantastic day giving me the chance to do some training that was not the norm, yet still relevant to our life in the RAF Reserves.  The highlight of the day was waiting to start the off-road course and seeing a mud covered Land Rover cresting a slope, yet still being able to see the huge grin on Lucy’s (LAC Roper's) face!

If you go down to the woods today….

Fg Off Lis Foster

 For the November training weekend, Ops Flt relocated to woods on Hankley Common, part of the Longmoor Training Area, where scenes from the recent James Bond film, Skyfall, were shot.  Here we were to undertake a field ops Exercise, alongside other Flts from 606 Sqn.

With an advance party of SAC Stu Taylor, and ACs Roper, Butwell, Church and Carlyle, I travelled to the training area on the Friday afternoon, where we were able to erect 3 of the 4 tents required for the exercise before nightfall.  The remainder of the equipment was then set up the following morning in time for the arrival of the rest of the Flt.

The main training for the weekend was an exercise put together by SAC Stu Taylor and Cpl Les Birch – who has now left the Sqn – using their years of experience from working in Ops rooms in theatre and on live JHC exercises.

 

For the Exercise, Ops Flt was split into 3 groups, plus an Exercise Control (ExCon) team.  Each group had a mentor (Fg Off Cooper, Cpl Wallington and myself) whose job it was to subtly guide, while letting them run the exercise in their own way.  After allowing for time to set up the Ops rooms with maps, flying programmes, ‘Pilots to See’ boards and meteorology, the Exercise  then went on to run for some 8 hours, until 2000hrs. Each group had the same injects, but dealt with them in their own way – from General Whinge demanding a helicopter to take him into a danger area with no notice, to arranging casualty evacuations for a convoy that came under fire.  The pace of injects was good and allowed everyone to experience something of the life in an Ops Room.

During the day there was a visit from the HAC, Air Marshal  Macfadyen and Lt Col Natrass from Reserves JHC. The VIPs talked to us all individually and seemed genuinely interested in the training taking place.

The 606 Sqn chefs provided a cook tent with a communal facility for boiling ration packs, as well as tea and coffee, and this became a focal point for people to congregate in the evening.  With the generator being switched off at 2200 we all settled down to an early night.

The weather throughout Friday and Saturday had been beautiful, however, we were woken in the early hours of Sunday morning by an enormous clap of thunder – the heavens opened and when I turned on my torch just before 0700 I found I was lying in a large, quickly growing puddle.  Luckily the all-weather sleeping system had worked and I was at least warm and dry inside my bivvy bag.

After getting up and moving the kit out of the floodwater I took my packet of ration-pack porridge over to the cook tent, only to find that the chefs had worked their magic and bacon, sausage, eggs and beans were just about ready for breakfast.  Amazing!  Ops Flt had slept in the tents we had been using for the Exercise, but much of the Sqn had slept in bashas in the wooded area.  I’m sure the cooked breakfast was doubly welcome for them.

Unfortunately the torrential rain did not abate and it was decided that it would be best to pack up our kit and return to Benson, where the tents would need to be unpacked and hung up to dry.  It was a good job we had managed to have such a good run of Stu and Les’s excellent exercise on the Saturday.  The weekend had been a real success and many thanks have to go to Stu for organising such high quality and imaginative training.

Day 3 and 4 of training for Festival of Remembrance

Day 3

Another 8.30 start and it was straight into training down the stairs for the Royal Albert Hall. Everyone at this point are looking pretty good,in the words of the SGT 'no point flogging a dead horse'. Everything going well suddenly we were struck with a dilemma where a VR officer had turned up as part of the university air squadron and one person would be taken from the auxiliaries to be placed next to him. Emma had been pick which left me by myself at the back of the lines. More confusing and of course muster training later we went for lunch and more pasta bake. So much pasta! This week seems to be more about pasta and doughnuts than march and drill!

Faced with the prospect of losing one of us, we all at this point put our absolutely best foot forward as to not be dropped. Luckily a couple of hours later a surprise came in the form of a VRT officer who filled the gap. Even though we had to stay a little longer to practise with him none of us minded as it ment we would now all marching together.

Stood down at 4.30 ready to eat and bull some shoes it was a defiantly a team effort in the lounge. 8 o'clock came and we were all ready to head to the bar for an interesting night ahead.

Day 4

Ah day 4 arrives and everyone's up with slightly sore heads after a very good night thrown by the QCS lads. First things first and the WO gives us a quick brief on the Cenotaph parade as today will be practising for the parade in London. 25 min later and everyone is out on the parade square ready to get their marching heads on. With over 50 of us in the parade is was soon noticed that it would be hard for all of us to keep in step as the QCS weren't quite used to having such small legs marching with them. A few more attempts and we were pretty much sorted, now everyone was getting quite excited knowing where we were all going to be in a couple of days time!

After lunch it was our last inspection for No.1s and more training for the Royal Albert Hall and marching with greatcoats which was a rather interesting task! The 'no point flogging a dead horse' phrase came out again so we were all given an early stack.

Seeing the QCS lads march in front of us today was such a sight. The lads really do work hard and for it, they look the absolute part. To be here this week has made us all feel so proud to be part of the military and part of 606. 

Day 2 of training....

Day 2

So our day started at 8.30 with a quick joke from the FS and another check of who was here, then if was off outside to the parade square for a 'refresh' of marching, shun and turning. As the cold nipped at our fingers I think the majority of us wish we had warn our gloves! It was defiantly good to shake off the cobwebs from basic but I think we impressed the SGT after being told we were the best oggies he had seen in years.

A few rest bites later and we were on the up, literally! To the fire escapes we went on the other side of the parade square to practise coming down the stairs at the Royal Albert Hall. After a few quick 1, 2, steps DOWN! We were all pretty good to go though I'm sure Mandy is hoping for railings when we get there Friday after a slight fumble.

After lunch is was another joke from the FS to keep us all in good spirits and a greatcoat check which of course was a disaster as the tailors at Northolt had now refused to do anything with them. A decision was made that everyone that wasn't sorted would be heading to Halton to be kitted properly which included Emma, Mandy and myself, again. So as we all go on the bus one thought went though all our minds, when do we get off, as a collision on the M40 was about to make our journey that little bit longer. 16.50 arrived and with only 10min to spare, in the nick of time we had arrived to Halton where some very unimpressed civvies awaited to great us. Finally sorted we returned to Northolt with our greatcoats and an unusual new passenger with no trousers??

Dinner miss so it was off to Sainsburys for sarnies and a much needed drink down the bar? I'm sure there was a joke in there some where about Emma's muffin?  

606 Sqn win award for notable success.

The Inspector’s Cup is awarded to the RAuxAF unit which has enjoyed notable success during the past year. This year it is awarded to 606 (Chiltern) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force for two initiatives which have brought great benefit not just to the Sqn but the wider Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Exercise CHILTERN KITE took place in Apr 11, although previously run for 606 Sqn personnel, this iteration was the largest collective training event run for RAF reservist personnel in many years. With participants from  a number of RAuxAF squadrons taking part the exercise provided a show case of PTVR capability to visitors including senior Air Command personnel, politicians, employers and members of the  Reserves Forces and Cadets Associations from across the UK. The PR result was a secondary objective since this was primarily about offering stimulating and worthwhile training for those taking part. 606 Sqn through its strong connection with its parent station was able to deliver helicopter support which enhanced the exercise still further. As retaining our people becomes the challenge retention positive activities such as this exercise provide a valuable tool in that endeavour.

606 Sqn again showed the capacity to deliver creative outputs this time at extremely short notice in supporting the Royal Windsor Castle Tattoo in 2011. With the participation of personnel from 6 other RAuxAF Sqn’s, OC 606 Sqn took the lead in conceiving, planning and delivering an arena display in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen. The display can still be viewed on You Tube and significantly in 2011 this was the sole RAF arena representation at the Royal Windsor Tattoo.

2012 Review - 606 Sqn RAF Regiment Flight.

For the 606 RAF Regiment Flt, 2012 sees the push towards a live field firing exercise at the infamous Sennybridge Military Training Area, Wales. It brings together the general warfare infantry skills of surviving and operating in a field environment together with the precision firing skills on the L85 A2 Rifle, LSW (Light Support Weapon) and GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun). Naturally, this type exercise can’t be conducted without the prerequisite training, here is just a flavour of what’s been achieved so far:

The ROFA (Regiment Operational Fitness Assessment), testing both strength and stamina, the assessment consists of:

Day One - A 10km march carrying 35kg in no longer than 1hr 45mins.
Day Two – A speed march of 3.2km whilst carrying 24kg.
Lift a deadweight of 40kg onto the back of a 4 tonne truck.
Carry two full jerry cans each weighing 20kgs over 50m in less than 30 seconds.
Drag a 71kg dummy over 50m in less than 30 seconds.

Seeing a 100% pass rate, it set the year off on the right footing. What better way to blow out the Christmas cobwebs than sticking a bergan on your back and yomping 10km?

OBUA (Operating in Built-up Areas), a theatre-specific environment design to test soldiers’ warfare skills to the max. It requires excellent command and control, fitness, endurance, speed, accuracy, and high team morale to to work in this environment. 606 Regt Flt traveled to RAF Honnington to team up with 2623 RAF Reserve Regiment Squadron to conduct this specialist training. Darting through alleys, crawling through tunnels and climbing onto rooftops is enough for anyone, but add kit, weapons and “enemy” to that, you have one awesome training exercise. Everyone came away feeling the aches and pains but all having fully enjoyed the weekend and learning valuable skills at the same time.

Ranges - Annual Combat Marksmanship Test, Moving-Target and Automatic Ranges, and Fireteam Assessment. A series of ranges is aimed at building up soldiers’ shooting ability over a number practices incorporating different positions (prone, kneeling, sitting and standing) and at distances ranging from 100m-400m. The test is just the beginning before progressing on to more challenging moving-target and automatic ranges, conducted Hythe and Lydd, near Folkestone. The weather was fantastic and it made for an ideal range weekend with some great scores to boot. The fireteam assessment weekend at Pirbright was a stark contrast though, the great british weather fulfilled its obligation: “if it ain’t raining, it ain’t training”. Patrolling through streams, assaulting across flooded grassland and firing in horizontal rain, it was uncomfortable at first but fantastic fun and great training value. The flight showed their progression with some great scores, despite the weather.

Field - Observation Posts (OPs) and Fighting in Woods and Forests (FIWAF)
Operating in a field environment is the fundamental building block for all training and it’s vital to keep the skills refreshed. The flight patrolled in on foot, as if carrying the weight wasn't challenging enough, the weather was very hot, ideal for BBQs, which all our friends and family were doing back home. Once establishing a flight harbour location we refreshed ourselves with close-quarter battle lanes, and fire-and-maneuver exercises; afterwhich some time to relax and get a good meal down whilst orders were prepped for the nights activities. Observation posts were the tasking for the night, patrolling out and watching a target for “enemy” activity and reporting back.... without being seen. The following day saw a lesson in the intricacies of fighting in woods and forests. Complex tactics and scrambling through dense shrub, mixed with an enemy threat makes for a very challenging environment. The flight were familiarised with the basics with a view to in-depth practice at Sennybridge.

On to Sennybridge
The flight have had a fantastic year and now eagerly await putting the past months of training into good practice in the vast, challenging hills of Sennybridge Training Area, Wales. 606 Regt Flt teamed up with 2622 Highland Sqn for Exercise Joint Endeavour. The two weeks were split into two parts, the first, a theatre specific field exercise, and the second, a live field firing exercise.

In true form, the exercise commenced with a loaded ‘tab in’, to establish patrol bases where we would operate over the coming days. The flights mounted standing patrols, set up observation posts and conducted vehicle checkpoints (VCPs) throughout day and night. Observing ‘enemy’ activity and gathering intelligence, information was fed back to HQ in real time which made the exercise as real as possible. Intelligence suggested that the enemy were operating from a wood North-West of the patrol base, which is where we would mount our deliberate op; putting into practice the skills we had learnt on the build up. The Flt cleared buildings en-route to the form-up-point, where , after a simulated mortar bombardment, we launched the wood clearance. The wood was wide and dark and it wasn’t long before we had enemy contact. It was hard to keep momentum, rolling up one position after the next and pushing through the dense undergrowth. Having made it the other side.....casualty! (simulated) The main focus was getting the casualty patched up and extracted to a heli pick-up-point, 1 section looked after the casualty, whilst 2 section recced a suitable landing site, 3 section and gun group providing overwatch. After a long stretcher carry the casualty was extracted and we returned to HQ to complete the field exercise. Hard work and really enjoyable, putting our training to the test in a realistic scenario.

On to live field firing! There would be grenades, rifles and machine guns, we spent some time building up our skills on the weapon systems as well as practicing our movement across the ground. Going through live battle lanes as individuals (1), fire teams (4), and section (8) we progressed through the second week. Patrolling over hills, through ditches, bogs and streams, and carrying a full complement of live ammunition, there was plenty of adrenaline flowing when the ‘contacts’ came. The live field firing culminated in a Flight (24+) attack across a steep open valley, the Flight had spent the night out in the woods and tabbed in to launch the clearance.

Machine guns firing tracer in from the hillside, we launched. Pushing up the hill, we assaulted the first position, the grenade thundered around the hills and was followed by a huge rate of automatic fire. “Position clear”, we moved on to the next.... and the next, it took a couple of hours to clear the whole valley. Last position taken, we sustained a simulated casualty. Already exhausted from the assaults we extracted the casualty back over the ground we had just cleared. The exercise was called to a halt, what an awesome sense of achievement, a year+ in the build up, and we achieved live field firing.

We all worked hard and were pouring with sweat by the end but it was absolutely brilliant and could not have been done without the hard work of the regular, full-time and support staff training and supporting us throughout. Thank you!

General Service Respirator Training

As part of the roll out of the new General Service Respirator RAF Reservists from 606 (Chiltern) Squadron have been undergoing conversion training.


As part of the training there is a requirement to test the equipment and the skills and drills of the individuals in a CS environment.


Below are a couple of pictures of some squadron members preparing for the respirator test facility after their weekend of fitting, teaching and testing.

Once in the CS environment staff will practise the decontamination, drinking and canister change drills.

One member of the Regiment Flight, Lance Corporal Calleja from Didcot missed the recent awards ceremony due to his civilian work commitments.  The opportunity was taken to present him with his Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Exercise Chiltern Kite 2012

Fg Off Lis Foster
As far as Ops Flt is concerned I think Chiltern Kite (CK) 2012 was a great opportunity for everyone to undertake a selection of Ops and FP training. Despite the cold weather – and those buildings in Imber village seemed to give off a really cold dampness – everyone seemed to have a good time.
Many thanks to Cpl Les Birch and SAC Stu Taylor for the excellent Ops Exercise that ran on the Saturday. It was obvious that a lot of work had gone into it and hopefully there will be further opportunities to continue with that throughout the year and into the future. Those of us who didn’t get to work with the helicopters were able to have some fun on vehicle patrols. My own experience of top cover proved to be very exciting with the chance to fire plenty of rounds at the ‘enemy.’
As usual the food provided by the field catering team was outstanding. Who could have believed we’d be eating roast lamb and fruit crumble and custard on the Saturday evening!
On behalf of everyone on Ops Flt I’d like to thank all those who spent many hours, days and months organising such a fantastic weekend.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

For more images of Ex CHILTERN KITE see here.

New Recruits - their story part 2.

How has my two weekend experience of being a "Sprog Airman" on 606 Squadron been so far? I would have to say that it's been good, busy but very enjoyable and the weekends fly by.

There seems to be a widely held belief that anything involving the Military means hours of "Character building exercises" like peeling spuds, bulling boots, marching in the rain and being shouted at to drive some obscure message through your thick skull before you get to do anything interesting. However, so far that's not my experience of 606 Squadron, yes, the weekends have been busy and mostly classroom based but the quality of instruction is excellent and delivered by enthusiastic, approachable people who know their stuff and manage to get it over in an entertaining as well as informative manner.

I suppose the biggest suprise is that we haven't been shouted at or run ragged for no apparent reason and that, as recruits, we are treated like adults, so if that's a worry for someone reading this who is thinking of joining 606 don't let that put you off! My overall impression as an end user is that it is a professionally run outfit, there is no hanging around waiting for something to happen.

It's very structured, the whole weekend is used constructively and I know from previous work experience that doesn't just happen without a lot of effort so it's obvious that the RauxAF invests time in developing it's people right from the start. Then again all the people I've joined with are a good bunch, they all want to be here and they all put the effort in to whatever we have been doing and "have a go" so that no one needs to be carried. The other Squadron members I have spoken to have all been friendly and happy to talk be it just to pass the time of day or to offer some advice. I don't think that there is going to be any secret to enjoying my time at 606, just do what it says in the recruiting blurb, be a team player, give everything your best shot and you'll get a lot out of it, I'm looking forward to it.

Andy.

When applying for 606 Sqn many questions would go through my head. Am I doing the right thing? Am I too old at 41? How will I be treated? What kind of person does the squadron want?

I must start with the fact that all members of the Squadron have been very welcoming, supportive and professional.It was also clear from the beginning that the other recruits joining were like minded individuals who have come from a variety of backgrounds and ages but all of whom work together and get on well. During the first few weekends we have had a vast number of lessons from rank structure of all three forces, history of the RAF and drill to name but a few. The training staff have worked hard to ensure that we are given the correct information delivered in a clear format that makes sure that the time at the squadron is used to maximum effect. It is clear from all the staff that they want the recruits to succeed and be able to start their careers in the best possible way and clearly put a lot of time and effort themselves.

I am certainly not too old at 41 and I definitely have made the right choice in joining 606 Sqn.

Tim

I thought I was way too old at 46 to come back into this environment, but 606sqn have managed to prove otherwise.

Right from my very first contact with the recruiting staff at 606sqn, my experience has been very rewarding. This is a military outfit and there is discipline, and a certain amount of fitness is required. The training staff treat new recruits with great respect, and because of this they achieve such good results. The subject matter is interesting and the method of delivery is structured in such a way that the information is easy to retain and repeat when called on to do so. Regular members of 606sqn have been very friendly, and are genuinely interested in what we have to offer, and this makes me very keen to graduate successfully from my training and join my flight in the squadron. From my initial impression it appears that the squadron holds many and varied opportunities for new recruits.

Pete

The two training weekends so far have been new, informative and very cold. So far we have mostly done our Gsk (classroom based work) and Marching with Cpl T who has a teaching style that is very effictve and great to take part in. Our two weekends so far have only been 4 days so far so more info is sure to come that will be of help from everyone.

Paul

New Recruits - their story part 1.

My first experience of Reservist Basic Recruit Training

A (very) long time ago, I had my first experience of military life as a member of my local Army Cadet unit. Then a young and spotty teenager, I remember a lot of shouting from NCO’s with their face just inches from my own, being ordered to “drop and give me 20” as punishment for any minor misdemeanour and on more that one occasion having to run several miles at the double in boots and webbing because one of our section was out of step on parade.

So, these being my primary recollections of the military (and most people’s belief that this is how it is), you might wonder why I decided to join the RAF Reserves but the truth is that I have much better memories of my cadet life (which lasted almost 8 years man and boy so to speak), the challenge, the friends, the whole experience and I suppose it was these I took with me however it is fair to say that on arriving at RAF Benson for my first training weekend and facing the dreaded fitness test I wasn’t really sure what to expect and was just a little nervous.

It was then most reassuring that when gathered in the tea room of 606 squadron HQ with the other recruits that morning I discovered that I was not alone. Here we all were, drawn from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, a mix of men and woman spanning a spectrum of ages and until a few minutes before all strangers but now we were getting to know each other, sharing our anticipation of what lay ahead. Several of my new comrades had previous military experience so I listened to what they had to say, hoping to glean a few tips and before I knew it we were off to the gym for that fitness test.

The test was tough but not as bad as I had built it up to be in my head and when told I had passed, I had a great feeling satisfaction and achievement but if I’m honest there was also a sigh of relief..!

Having “made the grade” there were congratulatory comments from our NCO’s before more form filling then the attestation ceremony. It was at this point when it all became real for me… I thought “This is it, you’ve made it” and I felt a great sense of pride. That feeling was their again the following morning when I put the uniform on for the first time and it has been there every time since. For me that is one of the best things about being a member of the RAF.

Our basic training started straight away and despite any previous apprehension I may have had, it is fair to say that life with 606 squadron has been a great experience so far. The members of our training flight are all good people and we look out for each other which is important, after all we are in this together. Our NCO’s are not just extremely knowledgeable of their subjects but they have encouraged and supported us throughout. They endeavour to make the training sessions as interesting as possible – not always an easy task with some of the topics – and contrary to common belief Sergeants do have a sense of humour (sort of), provided of course you show the respect due to them. There is a lot to learn in a short period of time but you really believe that the officers and NCO’s want you to succeed and that spurs you on work hard and do better.

We are two thirds way through our course now and there is still the basic training at RAF Halton to come. I’m really looking forward to that two weeks away and I can’t wait to get back to RAF Benson to start my trade training. Joining the RAF Reserve is one of the best decisions I have made... wish I had done it years ago!

Did'nt think the idea would take off, good luck all

JACK fm Oxfordshire Press Release 'Buttock Clenching Radio' as Oxfordshire's 106 JACKfm deploys to Afghanistan After over 12 months of planning, this weekend Oxfordshire's 106 JACKfm's entire breakfast team of 4, 'JACK's Morning Glory' deploys to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan for a UK local radio first. The team will spend a whole week living amongst our military personnel whilst presenting their daily live breakfast show to those back in the UK. The project has been officially endorsed by The Prime Minister David Cameron who personally phoned 106 Jack FM's breakfast show to wish the team good luck and asked JACK's Morning Glory to pass on a message of how proud he was of our servicemen and women. Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has also lent his support, calling with a message of encouragement for everyone at Bastion.Unfortunately as he tried to allay the team's fears about the flight, he ended up telling them about the 'buttock clenching landing' and the time a 'heat seeking missile' was fired at him. 106 JACKfm presenters Trevor Marshall, Sue Carter and Greg Burke will experience life in Camp Bastion whilst their roving reporter Rosie Tratt will visit another Main Operating Base at Lashkar Gah. The show will broadcast live to Oxfordshire from the BFBS studios within the camp between 6am and 9am each morning. The team has been granted access not only to serving personnel, but also the little known areas of the camp in order to show what life is really like 'inside and outside the wire'. They'll be doing this not just on air, but also online via the custom-built website http://afghanistan.jackfm.co.uk. The site, which is now live, will feature video, audio, Twitter and Facebook updates uploaded daily from camp, focusing on daily life and the great work our British forces are doing to rebuild Afghanistan. Programme Director Sue Carter said: "Between us in the team going out, we've got over 50 years of radio experience, and it's definitely the biggest thing any of us have ever been involved with. We just hope we can bring our audience throughout Oxfordshire a taste of what life in Afghanistan is really like for the thousands of our guys and girls who are serving out there." The broadcast would not be possible without the support of our major partner The Royal British Legion as well as The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

Backroom boys and girls make a difference.

The true value of 606 Squadron is often seen only in staff deployed overseas, but behind the scenes another layer of support exists to assist the RAF in maintaining its vital presence. The training weekend on Saturday saw Logistics hard at work in the Technical Stores preparing a very large consignment for the MOD. This work was pure muscle (and of course the usual Logistics` brains and common sense!) as the fork lifts were unavailable. By 1700 on Saturday afternoon the centre aisle of Tech Stores was a mountain of carefully `picked` items all correctly attached to the right paperwork. This will have released the Regulars on Monday to do other vital work as they would simply have to load the goods onto the transport. On Sunday the 606 Logistics` lads and lasses were back in the Clothing Stores undertaking a stocktake. This went extremely well and threw up a number of discrepancies, both over and under, for the regular Suppliers to address on Monday. In each of the above jobs there are multiple positives.

1) 606 gets vital hands on experience

2) 606 gets a great sense of `participation` in being part of the RAF Family

3) The Regulars gain time to perform additonal work

4) The Regulars understand that 606 are not `weekend warriors` but a cohesive unit well trained and able to give them vital support.

There was a great sense of satisfaction in the Logistics team on Sunday evening and we all went away with a spring in our step.

Corporal Fisher

Getting just a little bit more coverage.....

The Independent on Sunday has recently featured just a little piece of 606 (Chiltern) Sqn.

Through our links with local commercial Radio station Jack FM, we managed to get the Jeep Wrangler we use for recruiting activities featured. The vehicle provided in association with Jeep Oxford has been used throughout the region this summer attracting attention and showing what the RAF Reserves do.

Full story is at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/gooood-morning-afghanistan-and-abingdon-and-bicester-2133460.html

Good luck guys and girls enjoy the trip and make loads of great radio!!

RAF Benson Reservist receives award in the City of London

Acting Sergeant Malcolm 'Reg' Goodall from 606 (Chiltern) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force has recently been awarded the Mrs Patricia Brain/ Lightmongers Merit award. The trophy is awarded annually to a person that has contributed over and above to unit activities.

Acting Sergeant 'Reg' Goodall is one of those sorts of people that every commander needs, he never fails to deliver, and always does so with a smile on his face. A member of 606 since its formation in 1996 he has deployed overseas to Iraq, and is always at the forefront of squadron activities. As a Motor Transport Driver he is responsible for moving the key elements of the helicopter force during training, exercises or on operations. His recent move into the management team has seen him oversea the transport requirements for numerous squadron deployments, all that have run without a hitch. Finally not only happy with his own output, he is key to the training of newer squadron drivers, he is able to pass on his great knowledge and experience to all around him.







Acting Sergeant Goodall was presented with his award by Baroness Betty Bothroyd at the Annual Company Installation dinner held at the Haberdashers Hall, Smithfield.


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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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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.