Wherever You Are - My Last Afghan Post

Well, with my end of my tour fast approaching I thought I would write one last blog post before I head home.

The last couple of weeks have been busy as usual. We have also had some very tragic events occur recently. I am sure most of you keep up to date with the news and the sad loss of six of our boys. Needless to say, the atmosphere has changed since that day. 

The new Combat Camera Team has recently arrived, done their mandatory training package, and are now ready to hit the ground running. Despite this, the jobs have still been flowing fast for both teams, and with the temperatures hitting the 30s now, it's sweaty business.

I thought in my last post I would try and summarise my six-month tour, talk about highs and lows, and finish off with a look ahead. But clearly this is going to be the short version.

The tour itself has been a good, yet slightly frustrating one. As one photographer said about their time out here "it's 99% boredom, 1% chaos." I don't quite agree with this statement, however, I would agree that we do sometimes get bored here. The workload we have had over the tour has been massive, so the main boredom point is normally waiting around for flights and vehicle convoys.

I think the most frustrating part of the tour was not getting to see all the units in Theatre within the six months here. Having said that, it would have been quite hard due to the numbers in Afghanistan at present and clearly our work dictates our location. Those that we did get to work alongside were complete professionals and an honour to work with. The living conditions and the environment in which they operate may not be the best, but the morale of the guys was always on top form. To be honest, living out of a remote Checkpoint was far the preferred option for the CCT, however, short periods in each location was all we needed to gather our stories before moving onto the next job.

Those who have been following my blog religiously will have seen a large number of the places we have been to, and the people we have met and worked alongside. We have been fortunate enough to work with the Danish, Estonian, Tongan and Afghan Forces, as well as our own. Each of them operate slightly differently, however, all are working for the same goal, which is good to see.

There have been instances where units that have hosted us in their location, have been so hospitable it's unreal. The Danish giving us fresh food for a BBQ and the Estonians inviting us for a sauna to name but a few. Yes, you heard me right, a sauna! When the weather started to get cold, there was nothing better than a nice sauna and an alcohol free beer sat on the decking in their compound. Bliss! The only downside...having to sit naked with the rest of my team, and several Estonian men. Not ideal, but hey ho!

The tour has given each of us our own challenges. For me, it was just getting used to the restrictions of what you can and can't do with your imagery, which differs from the UK, in order for it to hit the press. Sadly, that is something controlled by London, which frustrated us all no end! I think I am definitely going greyer on top due to that one. Despite all that, the tour has gone very quickly, and we have had some great jobs. I have now officially completed just under a year here in a two-year period! My poor wife sometimes forgets what I look like! Rest is definitely needed right now!

Well, if you have read this far, you are probably wondering where all the pictures are. Sadly, in the post, their are none. Not standalone images anyway. Here is why.......

Since Christmas I have been working on a project, that some of my Facebook and Twitter followers may have picked up on, but no details have yet been disclosed.........until now.

Being away on tour is an emotional time for everyone. Emotional for the soldiers here, but also the families and loved ones back home. Six months separation is a long time. I have personally found it hard living separate lives for so long. Trying to deal with day-to-day dilemmas at home during a 10-minute phone call, but also staying focused on the job at hand. My poor wife broke her leg quite badly back in November and was confined to her bed for weeks. Getting things done around the house was not easy, nor was getting my stepson out of bed for college, but she worked through it. I have also had to deal with my Nan passing away two months into my tour, which was hard. But sadly life goes on; your work here never stops.

Still no images? No!

Just before Christmas, Gareth Malone aided the setup of a Military Wives Choir at Royal Marine Base (RMB) Chivenor. Using a track composed by Paul Mealor, their mission was to raise money for the Royal British Legion and SSAFA.

With the track being sung by wives of serving soldiers, who were in Afghanistan at the time, it struck me as quite an emotional track. The words were from letters they had written or received, and the video contained lots of pictures of them and their loved ones. As most of you know, they got the Christmas #1 and the support they received was massive. So I set myself the task of getting permission from the music company to use the track for an end of tour picture slideshow. This was no easy task. It took me around three months of emailing various departments within DECCA, the music company, but also MOD main building, where our legal team had to get a contract agreed, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence. It was damned hard work, but I have finally pulled it off! 

Why? Well, I wanted to give a flavour of Afghanistan to the people back home. I wanted to show them their loved ones, working, relaxing, patrolling and so on. I wanted to pull on the heartstrings of the wives back home by using this emotional track and images of our lads. I wanted to show the families parts of Afghanistan they would never see, or places their loved ones have been, and describe those places with my imagery. Hopefully some of you will recognise some of the people in my pictures.

As you can imagine, I have taken thousands of pictures in my time here, but I could only use a few, so I wanted to focus on our boys, not the Afghans for this theme.

Having sent this slideshow to someone back at the Army Headquarters, in order to check the output quality for this post, it made her cry. So I think I have done my job in setting the tone of my piece just how I wanted it. I don't mean that in a bad way, but at the same time, I didn't want it to make people laugh (apart from a couple of pictures). Afghanistan isn't the sort of place that is to be laughed at.

So, with that in mind, the theme was set to 'Wherever You Are.' My take on the Military Wives Choir video, but from a personal perspective, hoping to give people a realistic insight into life in Afghanistan and places where their loved ones could well be working or living.

So with all of that said, I wish all of those on Op Herrick 16 a very safe and productive tour. 

My sincere thoughts and condolences are with all of the families that have lost their loved ones during the Afghanistan conflict. I hope that my imagery of the Repatriation Ceremonies, during Herrick 15, have given you some form of closure through these difficult times. 

I now look forward to getting back to my family, who I have missed dearly, and jetting off on holiday for a nice family break. My wife deserves it for putting up with me for a start, but also for me being away loads, travelling the world, capturing what the British Army does.

You can also look forward to hearing more about my goings on and reading my blog from a UK angle. I must say thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read or comment on my blog, and to all those who actively follow me on twitter (@CombatPhot).

I will leave you now with a quote that has also been stuck in my head for some time and the picture slideshow I promised you about 843 words ago! I think it sums up the majority of people I have met here quite nicely.

'It's often said of our Armed Forces that they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Well, I don't entirely buy that. Ordinary people don't run out under withering enemy rocket and heavy machine-gun fire to rescue a wounded comrade. For that matter, ordinary people don't put their lives on the line for distant folk, such as the Afghans, who need our help and are now turning their country round because of it. No, you may feel ordinary — most extraordinary people I've met do. But you're not. Even if you were once, you aren't now.' - HRH Prince Harry at The Sun Military Awards. 

So, Wherever You Are, please spare a thought for a Sailor, Soldier or Airman, doing his or her bit for Queen and Country, in a hostile environment, thousands of miles away from home.

Steve

One Last Trip Around The Bazaars

Having had a very busy couple of weeks, I thought it was about time to update you on the team's goings on.

As mentioned in my last post, we recently had a trip to Loy Mandeh Kalay, which is situated in Nad-e Ali. The reason behind this trip was to do some filming for UpperCut films, who are completing a documentary on the area.

Despite the job being predominantly video based, there are always stills that can be taken for future use.

After a short night flight into Patrol Base (PB) Wahid, we had a quick brief on the morning's patrol before we got our heads down for the night. The patrol was being run by the Police Advisory Team (PAT) from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR). Accompanying the patrol would also be a Naval Petty Officer (PO) from the Military Stabilisation Support Team (MSST), and a Private from the Female Engagement Team (FET). These guys and girls do amazing work within the communities, and are a vital link between the military and the Afghans. They aid in the set up of local projects, and help communities turn their villages back to the thriving places they once were. The FETs are also a key attribute to any patrol. Afghan culture frowns upon their women being seen, unaccompanied, by other men in public, so the FET is able to approach areas the male soldiers simply can't. They can liaise directly with the females and help them with any issues they have.

On route to the Bazaar

After breakfast, we had a quick 'bonnet brief' before preparing to move. The Loy Mandeh Kalay is only a stones throw from Wahid, so before long we were into what we hoped was a bustling bazaar. Sadly, none of the Afghans had really ventured out due to the cold, so we patrolled on up to a local police checkpoint where we would wait until it got busier.

After about 30 minutes, and a cracking cup of chai, we were back out the gate. The bazaar wasn't particularly big, but in comparison to a few months ago when the MSST first went their, it had changed massively. 

Loy Mandeh Kalay

Over the previous few months, the MSST and the FET had been working in conjunction with each other to improve the once run down bazaar. They had instigated a works project to repair the bridge on the other side of town, hoping to bring in more business for the shop owners.

Shop owner and Local Policeman pose for the camera

It's always hard trying to explain to people back in the UK what Afghanistan is like, but when you are here, you take what you see as normality, as you are living amongst it. The bazaar had a mobile phone shop, a pharmacy, fruit and veg shop and a mechanics workshop, of sorts.

A young child stands staring at the British patrol

So after a couple of days in Wahid, we were off again, back to Bastion to edit and turn our kit around for the next task.

As most of you are aware, we have an amazing medical facility here in Camp Bastion. Probably one of the best hospitals in the world, in my opinion. The work these unsung heroes do, is amazing, and I spent a week with them witnessing it for myself.

As you can imagine, photographing such a place can be quite tricky, and took months of planning and permissions to be sought. But we got there at last. Due to the sensitivities of the hospital, we (the military) had not been able to update any of our medical archives since mid 2009, so getting full, unrestricted access was a real achievement!

Well to keep it brief, I saw some amazing, but stomach wrenching things that week. I covered every part of the hospital, from the pharmacy to the operating theatre and the GU Doctor. It really is amazing what these people can do, not only 201 (Northern) Field Hospital, but the medical profession as a whole, especially with some of the cases you have to deal with out here. Sadly, I can't show you any of those images, but I am sure most of you won't want to see them anyway.

Padre McCourt takes Mass

As part of my week, I also covered the Pastoral care within the Hospital, and spent a rib tickling day with the Geordie Padre. What a laugh he was! I followed him on one of his three daily trips around the hospital, where he spoke to every patient and member of staff that crossed his path. It was good to see him interacting with everyone, including the Americans and Afghans by using an interpreter. I won't lie, he loved the attention! That night I attended Mass, to photograph him in his 'home,' the hospital Chapel.

A couple of days later I was supposed to be following James Blunt and Katherine Jenkins around Helmand, but sadly they never got here due to flight issues. Quite a shame really as they were supposed to be performing at some of the more remote locations in Helmand to cheer up the troops. Instead, I went off to photograph some cricket.

The Afghans in the final few overs

There had been a cricket match planned in Camp Shorabak on the edge of Bastion. I know nothing about cricket, but apparently it was a 20/20 match. With Sgt Wes Calder, the Army Photographer for 20 Armoured Brigade in attendance, he saw the Brit team get knocked out after losing to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the interpreters team. Day two, which I was covering, just left the two Afghan teams battling it out.

The Afghan National Army cheer from the stands

After a couple of hours the game was over, the Afghan National Army won, much to the delight of Brigadier General Sheren Shah, Commander 3/215 Brigade, who was in attendance. The ANA were ecstatic, so much so, that I had about 100 of them all climbing over me trying to get a picture of the winning team. Mobbed is an understatement. 

Lap of honour

Luckily for me, the winning team soon ran off on a lap of honour, waving the Afghan flag about, giving me some space to get the shot I wanted. After a few shots of the presentations it was back to the office to edit.

Sgt Wes Calder RLC

A couple of days ago, another one of the Army Photographers in Afghan popped by Bastion en route to an operation he was covering. For those of you that don't know, apart from Sgt Nesbit and I on the CCT, Wes is the only other Army Photographer in theatre. Wes works for 20 Armoured Brigade and covers various aspects of what his Brigade get up to across Helmand. As you can imagine, with the amount of personnel in Helmand, the three of us are quite busy, and very rarely see each other for a chat and a brew.

Wes, like us, has been bouncing from one Op to another for the majority of his tour, so having chance to catch up was good.

Wes asked me while he was here if I could take some portraits of him to go into our Army Photographers' Yearbook. As with any photographer, you spend all your time photographing other people, and never get any good ones of yourself, so this was a good chance to get them done.

With the weather hotting up here, and the sun being so bright, we found a nearby ISO container to shoot in. That way I had better control over the ambient light, and used my softbox as a fill. 

After a quick edit, and copying them onto Wes' laptop, he was packed and off. Hopefully we'll get chance for another catch up before the end of tour, as he heads back to Sennelager for the birth of his first child, and me back to the UK.

Well, I think that's about it for now, I need a coffee.

What will my next blog be about? Who knows. 

Operation Horhari Afghan

Over the last couple of weeks the CCT have been over run with job requests. So much so, that the team had to split down in order to cover two concurrent operations.

Sgt Mark Nesbit deployed with Maj Mark Scadden on Operation Kapcha Zhrandagaray (KZ), leaving me to cover Operation Horhari Afghan. Surprisingly, Op KZ didn't require any video footage, so Mark Nesbit was let loose with his stills camera. Something he got a little excited about to say the least!

With me originally packed for Op KZ, the last minute call for Op Horhari Afghan coverage didn't cause a problem. With the weather here still hitting the minus degrees at night, this Op, in the middle of nowhere was no doubt going to be a cold one.

This particular Op was arranged by Brigadier General Sheren Shah, Commander of 3/215 Brigade, Afghan National Army, with the Brigade Advisory Group (BAG), made up of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, on hand.

The main aim was to clear insurgents from an area close to a bustling town in Helmand province. 

Around 1,000 soldiers and police from the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) were to clear an area known as the Bowri Dashte, situated to the west of the bustling town of Gereshk in Nahr-e Saraj district. On top of this, were about 250 British soldiers from the BAG, along with small elements of other units who acted, purely, in an advisory role as the operation progressed.

Early morning start

The first day of the Op was an early one. After waking up at 0400hrs, I did some final admin, before hitting the road, in a Jackal! The temperature must have still been below zero, and their I was, in an open top vehicle!

The ANA prepare their vehicles

So, we left Patrol Base (PB) Hayatullah, heading to the nearby Afghan Check Point (CP), Spin Majed. The journey was fairly short, however, I was pretty numb by the time I arrived, and still had a full day ahead of me.

An Afghan Warrior

Once we arrived, the small CP was almost full. Soldiers from various Tolays (Companys) were getting their kit ready to deploy out on the ground. For the Afghans, this was a crucial operation. Nahr-e Saraj is the last district within Helmand that is still secured predominantly by ISAF troops, unlike Nad-e Ali and Lashkar Gah, which have recently handed over security to the Afghan forces.

Weapons at the ready

With the hustle and bustle of radios being checked, weapons loaded and vehicles mounted, I was quick to work. Despite not having an interpreter, and knowing only 'Hello' and 'How are you?' in Pashtu, my universal sign language came into play. Simple points at the camera, and a clicking gesture gets the point across. Occasionally having to pose the weapons where I wanted them, and turning the subject to the right angle is all part of the fun too. Once you take the first shot and show them the picture, they get the idea, and shout all their mates to line up for a picture too! You are never short of Afghan portraits out here, they love it, some even pull some amazing poses.

Sunrise at last

After an hour or two, the sun started to rise, and what an a amazing sky we had. I just had to get some silhouettes. Within what seemed like minutes, the stunning orange glow of the sky went, turning a nice pale blue. By this point, half of the Tolays had lined the route ready to proceed across the desert.

Patrolling commences out of the CP

Following on behind, as mentoring was the role of the BAG during this Op, we only managed to race ahead once or twice on the road to get a few shots. The whole Operation was planned and executed by Brigadier General Sheren Shah and his operations officer. Something that has only happened a few times recently with the greater push towards transition.

Desert bound

The operation was split into sections, covering various bits each day. The part in which I was tasked to cover was the initial start, and the clearance of the first 5 kilometres or so. Following men on foot, by vehicle, was a long process. We managed to stop several times, often in good locations for photos. 

Overwatch by CP Seraj Ulhaq

Towards the end of day one, we headed to a nearby CP, Seraj Ulhaq, to watch the ANA cover the ground to our front. The overwatch was provided by soldiers from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. With the sun starting to set, I had to grab one last silhouette before heading back to Hayatullah for the night.

We covered a little more of the Op on day two before heading back to the office to edit, and push the story out to press. With only one day before my next trip to Gereshk, I had a very quick turnaround of kit, washing and the usual admin tasks to do. 

All in all this was quite a good operation to view. The Afghans are becoming more and more competent by the day, with the incentive of taking over security for this last district of Helmand in sight. 

My next blog post will cover our trip to Loy Mandeh Kalay, and hopefully a few other good jobs which I can't tell you about just yet. I will have to leave you in suspense for now.

First drink on leave - Peppermint Tea!!

Well, what an outstanding RnR that was!

I managed to get home a day early, which was a great bonus to start my leave off. My leave was to be a fun packed one, which started off the day after I landed. My wife had previously booked a 5* Spa Day, at the Hilton in Heathrow, as a treat for her and a close friend, and as I got back early I tagged along. What a day! It was probably the most relaxing day I have had in a long time. Such a nice change from the dust, cold and rain of Afghan. I soon forgot about it all while I enjoyed the hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and a water massage bed! Pure bliss! Sadly they didn't have beer at the health spa, so peppermint tea was all I got! ha

The next day was Christmas Day! Yep, on January 17th we had Christmas in our house! Seemed so weird, but so nice that my wife had organised this for me. Wine, Turkey, presents, more wine and maybe a bit more wine. The weirdest thing about it all was using real cutlery, plates and glasses as opposed to paper and plastic in Afghan. Really freaked me out! Stainless steel cutlery seems so heavy after 4 months using plastic.

 Christmas day was followed by a packing/admin day. I was off on a surprise overseas trip. Mrs B had arranged a nice relaxing break in the sun for the two of us, but where were we going? Everyone knew apart from me! 

After a night in a Gatwick hotel we were Benidorm bound. Brilliant, some sunshine at last. We had a fantastic four day trip there, which was just what the doctor ordered. We were met at the airport by my parents, who are currently on a nine week holiday there. The joys of being retired eh? Then it was sun sun sun. Oh.........and lots of beer too!!

No sooner had we got back from Benidorm, we were packing another bag for an overnight stay in East Sussex, where I would be collecting my Son for a long weekend. My little boy, who isn't really that little anymore, was ecstatic to see me. Along with my wife, we had a 'sleepover' with him, I got to see him open his christmas presents from me, and see the look on his face when I gave him a dead Afghan Scorpion paper weight!! Hilarious!

Well the travelling continued............

After driving home from collecting my son, I unpacked and repacked! For about the 4th time. This time we were Newcastle bound for my Step-Daughter's wedding. The drive up was a slightly emotional six hour journey. Most of the family and friends had arrived by the time we got their, so we all went off to dinner together to catch up before the 'Big Day.'

It was great to see everyone, and everything for the wedding seemed to be going to plan. Being the step-father of the bride, and also a photographer, I spent the day capturing images of the happy occasion for them as a bit of a gift. No pressure then! Gladly, they both love the pictures.

The day started off with a bit of a hitch, luckily it was the only one all day. That was when the fire alarm at the hotel went off, just as my step-daughter had got out of the shower, prior to getting her hair and make-up done! Needless to say we were all in hysterics seeing her outside, with a towel wrapped around her body, one on her head, and a fag in her mouth, in -2 degrees! Brilliant!

The rest of the day was fantastic, cracking service and an amazing reception. I don't think my son left the dancefloor all night, after declaring that "the sitting down bit was boring dad!"

Then that was it, RnR was almost done. An eight hour trip back home, dropping my son on the way, then uniform ironed and prep for the flight back the next day!

Phew, busy two weeks, but loved every minute! Got to see my amazing wife, kids, dogs and close friends and family. 

As expected, it's been hectic since we arrived back in theatre, but unfortunately I can't share anything about that with you at this point.

I will leave you with some images of a heavy weapons range day that I shot prior to leave.

Until next time..............

Afghan and Brit Flying Machines

As Christmas was over, the CCT were off, straight after boxing day to Kandahar, in the East of Afghanistan. One of our main focuses was on the Afghan Air Force (AAF), and an open day they were planning. This was their 3rd annual open day, that hoped to draw the attention of around 700 local children and elders. 

Their aim was to highlight the cooperation between NATO and Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) and also to illustrate the capabilities of the AAF. This was done in hope that the youngsters would one day join the AAF or another part of the ANSF and work together for a peaceful Afghanistan.

On Parade

The whole of the AAF were on parade, awaiting the arrival of their Commander. Once that was over, and he had briefed his men, it was inside to await the arrival of the locals.

Afghan Military Police

At first, we thought no one was coming, until we remembered that we were on Afghan time. Before long, the locals arrived, first in small groups, then in bus loads.

A small group of Afghans arrive at the Kandahar Air Wing (KAW)

The opening ceremony was led by AAF Commander Major General Wardak. He welcomed all visitors to the Kandahar Air Wing (KAW) and from there, the visitors explored the Afghan and Coalition static aircraft that were parked on the flight line.

An AAF Commander

An Afghan elder enjoys some shade

The visitors that day, consisted mainly of children, ranging from about 10 to 16 years of age. As with all Afghans, guessing their age can be difficult. We also had a school teacher accompany his pupils, which came in handy for those not very good at English, which surprisingly, was very few. 

Freedom!

Within the area that the AAF operate in Kandahar, the hundreds of children enjoyed a fun packed day. They were able to climb over the Afghan Aircraft, as well as see several American and British fixed wing and rotary aircraft.

Wing Commander Jim Frampton (OC 12 (Tornado) Squadron) talks to the Afghans

After their time on the flight line was over, they all went back to the AAF hangar for lunch and a few lectures before leaving. By the looks on the kids faces, they all had a good time.

Shortly after this job, we departed Kandahar for Bastion. We had a couple of days editing and admin before our next jobs rolled in.

As the first part of this blog is about aircraft, I thought i'd follow on the theme throughout.

This job was about Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) (JHF(A)) who are based out of Camp Bastion.

Merlin leaving Bastion

The pilots, ground crew and engineers do a round-the-clock job, in order to keep our aircraft moving, which in turn, keeps our troops operating, our mail getting through and our vital supplies getting to the front line. This role often goes unrecognised, so it was our job to update their image library, and provide suitable material for an up and coming story in the national press.

Desert bound

The main focus was to be on the Merlin and Lynx helicopter.

We went for our morning brief, collected our flying helmets and were set for the off. We had six drop off to do across Helmand, some stores, but mostly troops returning to their Patrol Bases (PBs). We started in the Lynx for the first three, before changing to the Merlin.

The vast desert that is Helmand

The Lynx was very cold and windy, so sticking your lens out of the door trying to photograph the accompanying Merlin proved interesting. We provided overwatch for them while they landed at the locations, giving us scope to get some images of them static on the ground too.

Once the first three drops had been done, we had a quick trip back to Bastion to change aircraft. With the rotors still running, and fuel going in, we loaded into the merlin, put our harnesses on and got ready to go again, much to the confusion of the boarding soldiers.

On the Merlin we had more room to move, allowing me to get onto the tailgate for some close-ups of the gunner while he does his thing. Another three drops offs done, it was time for the final part of the day.........dust landings. 

Afghan desert......somewhere!

We headed to a well known area to the flight crew to perform the landings, which is a bit of an art in itself. Once you start to lower the aircraft and the dust starts churning up, you lose visibility in the cockpit, making things tricky. You have to rely on your two loadmasters to guide you down, and give you some indication as to how close to the ground you are getting, otherwise landings can be very hard, and potentially damage the undercarriage mechanics.

The Lynx leaves us

So we land, with other passengers onboard who probably wondered what the hell was going on, and run off the tailgate into nowhere. The Lynx departs just before the Merlin leaving two of us, alone, in the middle of the desert! Weird feeling I can tell you, quite surreal and peaceful.

Dust storm brewing

By the time the aircrafts return, they must have done a mile or more round trip, to get the right heading for the landing. The Lynx landed first, in a big dust cloud about 40 metres away. Not too bad. But then Merlin headed towards us and started to lower about 20 or 30 metres away. All seemed fine, but then, the dust starts rolling, and before you know it, we are covered from head to toe. The down draft is bigger than the Lynx, and boy could we tell!

Ready to go?

Once the Merlin loadmaster gave us the 'thumbs up' we ran back on and headed back, doing some awesome tactical flying the whole way in. At this point, the lads in the back were still as confused as when we first ran out the tailgate some 30 minutes ago. Hilarious! I bet they thought something was wrong. If only the aircraft wasn't so noisy, or we could have told them.

Cracking scenery

On the way back, the crew on both aircraft popped some flares for us. We were lucky they could. The ones currently onboard were about to expire their serviceability date, so that meant everything had to get used, or sent to the 'controlled explosion people' in Bastion to be destroyed, which is no fun!

So, that was it, job done! A cracking day out, and some great images in the bag. Sadly their isn't room for them all here, but I hope you like the ones i've selected for you.

Well, this will be the last post from me for a couple of weeks, as I head home for my Rest and Recuperation (RnR) leave soon.

With several good jobs already planned for our return, I look forward to updating you with all our news!

Steve

Chai with the Royals before Secret Santa arrives

Well, today is Boxing Day. For most of you, the festive season is still in full swing, but for us, the Christmas rush, and it's festivities are over.

The last week has been a manic one. With several key visits all before Christmas, there has been no rest for the CCT.

The first visit, which was not done for media publicity, was the Earl and Countess of Wessex. They both flew out to Afghanistan for a two day programme. The first day was in Helmand, before heading to Kandahar for the second day.

CO 5 Rifles gives an operational brief

So on the first morning, after an initial 'meet and great,' we flew out to Patrol Base (PB) 2 in Nahr-e Saraj South

As the Regimental Colonel's for both 5 and 2 Rifles, it was key for them to see as many men from their Battalions as possible. So after a quick morning brief on the current situation within the area, they got a guided tour of camp.

The Regimental Aid Post (RAP)

The Earl and Countess had several key bits to see within the PB, including the Operations Room (Ops Rm), the Welfare facilities, and the Regimental Aid Post, or Medical Centre. After this, the Royalty split down into two, slightly different visits, where the Earl of Wessex got to meet soldiers from A Company, 2 Rifles, who had just arrived at PB2 from a nearby Check Point (CP).

The Earl studies the Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

With A Company fresh in off the ground, they were able to demonstrate their capabilities within their patrol. The Earl was briefed by the team medic, the lead man of the patrol, the patrol commander and the Signaller. This all highlighted key points about how they operate as a patrol, what kit they carry, how they carry it and so on.

Another part of the visit, was showing the Earl the latest Counter IED measures, showing him the kit used to detect IEDs, and also an example of an IED. Very eye opening stuff for him to see.

After the visit was over, and lunch was eaten, we flew back to Bastion. I think the RAF Chinook crew enjoyed their flight back, giving the Royals a real taste for 'tactical' flying! It was a real cheeky ride back, but quite a good one. Not sure the Countess of Wessex enjoyed it as much as the crew did though.

The Earl of Wessex meets Brigadier General Sheren Shah

That night, we were off to meet 2 Rifles, the Brigade Advisory Group (BAG) in Camp Tombstone. There first point of call was to meet the Afghan Commander of the 3rd Brigade, Afghan National Army, Brigadier General Sheren Shah.

The General spoke about upcoming Operations with the BAG, and the recent training they have undertaken. The General enjoyed a cup of 'chai' with the Royals, before presenting them with traditional Afghan gifts.

Then it was time for a spot of curry at the BAG before having a group photo at the end of the night.

A Royal Group Photo

A day or so later, Christmas preparations seemed to be going well. 

Christmas Carols

The Royal Regiment of Scotland Band, had recently arrived in theatre, with a master plan of visiting as many PBs as possible. The weather mucked up their plans a bit, but nevertheless, they put on a good show at the carol service.

Troops enjoy a bit of singing

The Chief of The General Staff (CGS) General Sir Peter Wall was in theatre at the time, so he was also in attendance. The hangar where the service took place was packed. Lots of people were getting in the festive moods, with Christmas hats, santa outfits etc, and believe it or not, they all seemed to sing, something squaddies are renowned for hating.

cheese!

With several multi national forces in attendance too, the night went well. We had a choir from the United States forces sing to us, as well as the Tongan Marines serenade us with a Christmas Carol, but sung in their native tongue.

The CGS addresses the troops

The CGS then addressed the troops, thanking them for their hard work and wishing them the best for the festive season.

Christmas day, was just another working day for the CCT. We had planned to get out to the PBs, but our plans fell through. We decided to cover the day with the BAG in Camp Tombstone, who were going to be hosting the Commander of the 3rd Brigade, Afghan National Army, Brigadier General Sheren Shah.

The day was relaxed, with the guys making the most of a day off, since completing an Afghan Operation just prior to Christmas.

Lieutenant Roz Ashworth surrounded by presents

The day there was good, despite not having a drop of alcohol in sight.

Christmas jumper

The BAG all had their presents from the charity UK4U to open among many others, with WO2 Kev Diggle dressed as Santa, on a quad bike sleigh, dishing them out.

Thanks UK4U

Ho Ho Ho

After the presents were over, the carol service began, with the padre leading the proceedings.

Christmas Carols

The Officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officers then opened their 'Secret Santa' gifts from one another before heading over to lunch. 

Lt Col Bill Wright - CO 2 Rifles opens his Secret Santa gift

Lunch, as you would expect, was the full trimmings you probably had at home. Homemade tomato soup, beef, turkey, ham, pigs in blankets, sprouts, carrots, gravy and some of the most amazing puddings and cakes imaginable.

Everybody got served and sat to eat. Probably the quietest 20 minutes of the day, as everybody tucked into a cracking meal.

The Afghan General enjoys the festivities

As mentioned, the Afghan General was also in attendance, which is something I am not sure has happened before. The day went well, and everybody enjoyed themselves.

For us, it was then back to the office to edit, making sure I got the pictures out for todays press. 

With the Christmas rush now over, work resumes as normal with my bags getting packed for an imminent trip out.