Excalibur Nov_Dec 2011 Issue Part 1 - RFCA

ROYALAIR FORCE STATION
• L EE MIN G •
STRAIGHT
AND TRUE
2011
November/December
THE MAGAZINE OF ROYAL AIR FORCE LEEMING
In this issue:
RAF Leeming Welcomes
The Foreign Secretary
90 SU - RIAT 2011
Exercise Kintyre Escape
Dawson Trophy 2011
PLUS MUCH MORE…

Contents
4 Station Commander’s
Foreword
5 Editorial
UNIT ARTICLES
COMMUNITY
8
RAF Leeming Welcomes The
Foreign Secretary
CHARITY
12 Para 10 P Company
Challenge
13 RAF Leeming Station
Charities Committee
16
22
26
28
90 SU
JFACTSU
100 Sqn
609 Sqn
EXTRAS
34 Exercise Kintyre Escape
38 Exercise Rossano
42 Personnel File
P27
P30
Editorial Team
Editor
Flt Lt Colin Rice
2 I/C ATC
Ext 7210
Deputy Editor
Mr Tim Reid
BSW Engagement Officer
Ext 7069
Media Communications
Officer
Mrs Lynn Dunne
BSW HQ
Ext 7281
SPORTS & CLUB NEWS
46
46
Dawson Trophy 2011
MMDF Coarse Fishing
Match
ROYALAIR FORCE STATION
Dates for next issue:
• L EE MIN G •
STRAIGHT
Submissions by 3 February.
Delivery on 14 March.
AND TRUE
© This magazine contains official information
and should be treated with discretion by the
recipient. No responsibility for the quality of
goods or services advertised in this magazine
can be accepted by the publishers or printers.
Advertisements are included in good faith.
Published by Forces and Corporate Publishing
Ltd, Hamblin House, Hamblin Court, Rushden,
Northamptonshire NN10 0RU. Tel: 01933
419994. Fax: 01933 419584. email: editorial@
forcespublishing.co.uk
Design/Sub-editor: Jo Glen
Managing Director: Ron Pearson
Sales Managers: Amanda Mains/Sally Haynes
Contents 3

Foreword & EDITORIAL
4
FOREWORD
As you can imagine I have dutifully donated
significant sums of money (including gift
aid) to many deserving causes. However,
in doing so I have often reflected on how
much charity and fund raising work that
we do on Station. For example the Station
RAFA Team cycled 1000 miles and raised
a staggering £12,000 for charity, 10 Field
Squadron cycled from John O’Groats
to Land’s End and raised over £4,000
for charity, the PEd Flt and Police Flight
recently held a 24-hour ‘Spinathon’ and
raised over £1000 for charity, the Station
Motorcycle club held a track day and raised
over £4000 for charity, and just recently
many many Station personnel, including
Flight Sergeant Dean Bradley who ran the
race dressed as a RAFA Story Book Wings
character, completed the Great North run
in order to raise significant funds for many
good causes both local and national. This
list is not exhaustive and I am acutely aware
that there are many other charity events
that I have not listed that have been or
are being organised and undertaken by
Station personnel on a daily/weekly basis.
Moreover, I am also acutely aware that
many of these events are not publicised
or appropriately recognised and therefore
I would like to take this opportunity to
offer my sincere appreciation and thanks
to every single person that has, or intends
to, participate in a charity event in order to
raise money for many worthwhile causes.
In addition I would like to encourage
organisers of the charity events to raise
the profile of their event by publishing an
article (before or indeed after the event) in
Excalibur. Finally, many thanks to all those
that have sent me requests for charity
donations via my work email address –
while I will always endeavour, despite
being Scottish, to support you financially
they do say ‘charity begins at home’!
Staying on a financial theme I was
delighted that, despite the significant
financial restrictions currently in place,
that AIR Cmd have authorised a total of
£3.6M to Stations as part of this year’s
Local Initiative Grant funding. For us at
Leeming we received a staggering £130K
which the Command Group have been
working hard to spend on behalf of the
Station. My number one priority for this
year’s money is the provision of a wireless
broadband capability to every single one of
our 440 on-base Service Families Quarters.
The quality of the land-line broadband
has been a constant frustration to all
occupiers of our Families accommodation
and I am delighted to confirm that we
believe that we have a technical solution
and an Internet Service Provider to provide
a wireless broadband network to the
Quarters with promised speeds of anything
From The Station Commander,
Group Captain AJ Innes OBE RAF
They say ‘charity begins at home’ however, during the
last 12 months I have been inundated with requests from
numerous friends (I know I only have 2) and relatives
asking me to donate money via numerous online charity
websites such as Just Giving and Virgin Giving.
from 5Mb to an unbelievable 50Mb. More
importantly the cost of a 5Mb broadband
service will be around £13 per month with
a no-cost 1 month cancellation option.
As soon as we have more details we
will get them out to you. In addition to
the broadband, we will spend the Local
Initiative Grant funding many projects,
including a small purpose built play park
outside the new Play Hangar for our
younger children, a Skate Park and Youth
Shelter next to the MUGA for our older

children, a grant to deliver Youth activities
via the Station Community Development
Officer for all of our children, and finally we
plan to fund a Motorcycle Safety Training
Course for some of our extremely old
children!!! I am in no doubt that these
projects will make a real difference to the
quality of life for both Station personnel
and our families; if you have any bright
ideas for future projects then please
contact Wg Cdr Pruden, OC Base Support
Wing (I also hear that he is keen to support
charity events too so please feel free to
email him at LEE-BSW-OC).
Finally, I could not end this foreword
without saying a few words on the
introduction of Catering, Leisure and Retail
(CRL)at Leeming. I am delighted with the
significant changes that have been made
to both the Oak Leaf Café Bar and the
editorial
by the Editor, Flt Lt Colin Rice, 2 I/C ATC
But, not only that, it’s nearly Advent, the
shops are already stuffed with seasonal
goodies/tat and it probably won’t be long
before you’ve heard Noddy Holder officially
announce that ‘It’s Christmas’ for the first
of several dozen times this year. Yes, when
this issue of Excalibur hits the streets, there
will only be around 40 shopping days
until Christmas, but, on the plus side, that
also means that there are probably only
5 weeks until you are due some leave.
There’s plenty more to look forward to as
well: Xmas draws, somebody inevitably
overstepping the mark with their Secret
Santa gift and, of course, some peace
and goodwill to all men (and women,
SPAR shop. Both facilities are proving
extremely popular and I am very grateful
to ISS Defence for the changes that they
have made. In addition, on 1 August
the Station transitioned to a Pay As You
Dine (PAYD) system. PAYD replaced the
Daily Messing Charge and is designed to
provide Service personnel with the option
of deciding for themselves how they
wish to spend their hard earned money
instead of simply taking it from their wage
packages at the end of the month. This
change has affected us all to a lesser or
greater degree and therefore, I am not
surprised that the transition to PAYD has
attracted a number of complaints in all
3 of our Messes regarding price, quality
and choice. While it would be easy for
me to ignore the complaints and say
get on with it, I am determined that we
The clocks have changed, Jack Frost is not only nipping at your nose
but needs scraping off the windscreen before a commute in the dark
and it’s at this time of year that thoughts turn to that special time that
comes around every winter: Blacktop season.
RAVENSWORTH
NURSERIES
Ravensworth, Nr Richmond, North Yorks. Telephone: 01325 718370
(4 miles from Scotch Corner A66 on the left)
For all your gardening requirements including established shrub area
Bedding Plants • Hanging Baskets - Ready Planted
TOPIARY SECTION
Come and enjoy a day out at our Nursery - there is a large range of choice outdoor shrubs & hardy
plants to tempt you, also plants that will look good in your conservatory.
The children can let off steam in the play area. There is also a large car park and large shop area for all the
gardening sundries you need - tubs, containers, statuary.
The Nursery is open from 8am to 4.30pm 6 days a week, 10am to 4pm Sundays
E&D police).
It’s also as the year draws to a close that
we can review the previous 12 months and
look ahead to what we might take on in
the coming year. I’m sure that many of you
may be making a New Year’s resolution
to take on a challenge for charity. They
do say that you are more likely to stick to
a resolution if you let people know and
the Station Charity Committee would
be very keen to hear from you, not only
that but Excalibur is a great place to get
you and your charity some publicity. My
own resolution has been repeated often
enough to have become nearly a tradition
in its own right: to learn to swim, but this
The Home of
‘Watch ‘em Grow’
starter plants
address all issues and work very closely
with ISS Defence in order to improve the
provision of the service. Moreover, we are
extremely privileged to have 3 very good
Messes with excellent chefs and catering
staffs at Leeming and I am determined
to ensure that the Messes remain vibrant
and provide the level of service that as
customers we have become accustomed
to at Leeming. However, what I cannot do
is change the system back to what is was
before and therefore we are going to have
to work even harder to ensure that where
we need to and can make changes, that
we do. In order to do this I need you all
to raise constructive comments regarding
PAYD up through your chain of command
or Mess committee in order that we proactively
address the issue and improve the
service for us all.
year will be different... probably. 2012 is
an Olympic year and although, with only
about 10 months to go, I’ve nearly given
up hope of competing in the triathlon,
there is a strong likelihood that some of us
will be involved in the games, whether it
be in managing London airspace, manning
an airhead or just meeting any shortfall in
volunteers. One thing for certain is that
2012 will be another busy one.
But for now, we hope that you enjoy this
edition and the festive season, thanks to
everyone that has contributed to Excalibur
in 2011; we’ll be back with more in 2012.
5

6
Surveyors, Auctioneers, Valuers,
Letting & Estate Agents
Searching for Lettings or Sale Properties
take a look at our website
www.joplings.com
www.rightmove.com
19 Market Place, Thirsk, YO7 1HD
Tel: (01845) 522680
Fax: (01845) 526055
Email: info@joplings-thirsk.co.uk
10 North Street, Ripon, HG4 1JY
Tel: 01765 694800
Fax: 01765 694801
Email: sales@joplings-ripon.co.uk
Eat in or Take away
Homemade cakes, tarts, buns & pastries
Freshly made sandwiches
Full range of coffees and yorkshire tea
All ranges of buffets catered
for your needs
01677 424411
15 Market Place,
Bedale,
North Yorkshire DL8 1ED
Alverton Bacon Supplies Ltd
Bacon, Gammon, Pork and Cooked Meats
Quality products at competitive prices
Unit 4, Tennants Close,
Standard Way Business Park,
Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 2XL
Tel: 01609 788030

Large function room ideal for parties
Excellent food, friendly service, a choice of five real ales
Thornton Watlass
Between Bedale and Masham
www.buckwatlass.co.uk
01677 422461
Christmas menus now available
See our website for directions, dining, accommodation and events
Alternate Sunday lunchtime jazz sessions
The Yorkshire Hotel is perfectly situated
in the heart of the beau ful spa town of Harrogate,
with everything you need being within walking distance,
opposite Be ys Cafe Tea Rooms. Harrogate train sta on
is an easy three minute walk away.
Rates from £65-00 per double room Bed and breakfast
Tel: 08448559114 • www.akkeronhotels.com
Email: reserva ons.yorkshire@akkeronhotels.com
Prospect Place, Harrogate, HG1 1LA
CHRISTMAS CRAFT
AND GIFT FAIRS
The St Nicholas Fair, St William’s College, York.
(adjacent to the Minster)
Thursday 24th November to Sunday 27th November
10.00am to 5.00 pm daily
Over 50 stalls to shop
The Golden Lion Hotel, Northallerton
Saturday December 3rd & Wednesday December 7th
9.30am to 4.00pm
The Town Hall, Stokesley
Saturday December 17th - 10.00am to 4.00pm
Great craft & gift stalls selling items
not normally found on
the high street.
Yorkshire Craft Fairs
01274 835588
7

community
8
RAF Leeming Welcomes
The Foreign Secretary
The Foreign Secretary,
The Right Honourable
William Hague MP was
given an insight into
the diverse range of
units and tasks carried
out by RAF Leeming
personnel when he
visited the Station.
The Station Commander
described how the role of
the unit has evolved in recent
years, and how it provides
vital support to both UK and
expeditionary air operations.
Mr Hague then met personnel
from 90 Signals Unit, 2 Force
Protection Wing and 34
Squadron RAF Regiment, all of
which have personnel deployed
on, or recently returned from
Operations in Afghanistan. He
was also shown the capabilities
and outputs of JFACTSU, 100
Sqn and The Mountain Rescue
Team.
Over lunch at the Junior
Ranks Mess, personnel from
across the Station met with Mr
Hague for an informal question
and answer session.
Prior to answering questions
about Libya and Afghanistan
Mr Hague said: “I visited RAF
Leeming when the F3 Tornados
were here. There has been a
huge change since then and I
am impressed by the diversity
and the professionalism of the
units based here”.
He added: “You have very
strong local support for the
work you do and there is a
enormous pride in having the
RAF here”.
The visit closed with a tour
of a recently completed
accommodation block, where
Mr Hague was able to see the
impressive en-suite facilities
in which the majority of
junior ranks now live.
The Station
Commander, said:
“It was a privilege
to be able to show
Mr Hague around
the station and to
be able to highlight
the significant
contribution that RAF
Leeming makes to
ongoing operations”.

10
Old Royal George
morton on swale • northallerton • 01609 780254
We are a family run business catering for families
Food served daily from
Tuesday to Thursday
12-2:30pm • 5:30-9:00pm
Friday to Saturday
12-3:00pm • 5:30-9:30pm
Sundays 12-8pm
Mondays 5:30-8:30pm
Bookings now being taken for Christmas

CHARITY
12
Para 10 P Company Challenge
You might have read an
article entitled “The Only
Promise Is Pain” in Excalibur
recently. For those who
did not, it detailed the
challenge undertaken by
two armourers (Cpl Owen
Muskett and Cpl Iain Clarke)
from RAF Leeming and a
friend (Darren Jessop).
The Para 10 P Company Challenge
involved a 10 mile route on the
off road training area at Catterick
Garrison on September 11th, to be
completed in military style boots whilst
carrying a 35lb pack (plus water). Being
an off road course, it is not at all flat, and
includes some of the most horrendous hills
I have ever laid eyes on, let alone tackled
with a bergen and boots.
Upon arrival, we were directed to the
military personnel car park by Parachute
Regiment trainees and then hauled our
bergens up to the weigh-in area, where
Parachute Regiment instructors ensured
everyone had sufficiently weighted packs.
We were then directed into a holding area
until the race began.
At 1100, a one minute silence was
observed in memory of those who lost their
lives in the 9/11 attacks in New York, ten
years ago to the day. Following this sombre
moment of reflection, a light 105mm gun
was fired to signify the beginning of the
race. What followed was certainly the
guaranteed “Promise of Pain” given on
the Para 10 webpage.
Over 1000 people completed the race,
including us thankfully! The course was
consistently undulating, with a number of
what can only be described as outrageous
hills. One such hill is at the 8 mile point and
named The Guv’nor, and was particularly
unpleasant to say the least, worsened by
the fact that there were still two miles
to go.
The intention was to complete the event
in 1 hour 50 minutes or less, which is the
cut off time for the Parachute Regiment
selection. Owen achieved an excellent
time of 1 hour 38 minutes, with Darren
close behind at 1 hour 42 minutes. I came
in at over two hours, but was very happy
(and hugely relieved) to have completed
the event.
We chose to raise money for the Cleft
Lip And Palate Association (CLAPA), who
do great work all over the world with
families and babies with cleft lip and palate
conditions, and in particular have provided
valuable advice to dear friends of mine.
We have done very well so far and should
reach our £500 target. However, there is
still time to sponsor us, so if you have not
already and wish to please do so at the
following site:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/
Para10-CLAPA
Alternatively, there is a CLAPA sponsor tin
in the Family Spar.
We already have plans to enter the event
next year, hopefully with a few more of
us. If anyone would like a challenge that
is a little out of the norm, the Para 10 P
Company Challenge certainly fits the bill.
Finally, thanks very much for all your
support.
Cpl Iain Clarke
CHRISTMAS FETE
FOR DOG OWNERS
SUNDAY 27 NOVEMBER
11AM - 4PM
LEEMING VILLAGE HALL
All you will need for your Dog this Christmas
From Dog treats to dog beds
Raffle and Homemade Refreshments
In aid of Samsalin Dog Rescue
Tel: 01677 427774 for further details

RAF LEEMING STATION
Charities Committee
The RAF Leeming Station Charities Committee was established earlier this year in order to
provide co-ordination and tracking of station-wide fund raising efforts. It has an approved
constitution and can be viewed in the e-registry. Prior to the establishment of this committee,
charitable fund raising was ad-hoc and un-coordinated, and there was no formal tracking of
who had raised how much, for which charity.
Items 1 and 2 above bank their funds
through the Station cashier, so there is
some degree of tracking what has been
deposited, however, those funds raised
that fall under item 3 tend to pass onto
the charity concerned without the team’s
or individual efforts being recognised by
RAF Leeming.
To that end, the Station Charities
Committee would like to ask for your
support in rectifying this. When a team or
individual from your section undertakes
an endeavour to raise money for either
our Station charities or one closer to their
heart, please can you ask them to liaise
with their Wing Charities Rep so that at
the end of the year, we have a sum total
of what our unit has raised for worthy
causes. It is only right and proper that
Charitable fund raising can be seen as falling
roughly into three categories;
1. Funds raised for the chosen Station charities,
2. Funds raised for specific charities by a section (such as the Butterwick Children’s Hospice),
3. And those funds raised by teams/ individuals that are collected via websites such as ‘Just Giving’.
we as a unit recognise the hard work of
individuals and teams that have giving up
their time for worthy causes. A list of the
Station Charity Committee members is at
the end of this letter.
Each year, the RAF Leeming Station
Charities Committee supports five charities;
three national and two local (within a 25mile
radius of Leeming). These are chosen
by nominations cast by station personnel.
This year the charities are:
RAF Benevolent Fund
RAF Association
British Heart Foundation
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
The Beckside Project, Bedale
The committee will be seeking nominations
for next year’s charities (2012/13) during
April and May of next year. We will
promulgate this information closer to the
time, so please let your team know that
this will be their opportunity for Leeming
to support their charity. Our fund-raising
year runs from 01 Jun to 31 May.
Please note that there are collection
boxes around the unit for the Station
Charities, if you would like a collection
tin in your department please contact
the Treasurer.
Please do not hesitate to contact Tim
Reid, Station Engagement Officer, if
you have any questions.
Station Charities Committee Members as at 30 Sep 11
Member Name Extension
Chairman Wg Cdr Pruden 7991/ 7203
Secretary Sgt Gav Morris 7305/ 8122
BSW Rep Flt Lt Yan Bowie 7492
Ops Wg Rep Plt Off Liam Cooper 7210
100 Sqn Rep Flt Lt Phil Stewart 7959/ 8063
ELW Rep Sgt Brett 7285
ELW Rep Cpl Plummer 8326
2 Fp Wg FS Rose 7133/ 7124
90SU Rep & Treasurer Flt Lt Tom Fail 6651
JFACTSU Rep Cpl Price 7856
Stn Accounts Manager Mrs Christine Gatenby 7487
SNCO Accounts Sgt Howie Fishwick 7463
Publicity Mr Tim Reid 7069
NUAS Rep TBN 7293/ 7428
10 FS Rep TBN 7888/ 7848
CHARITY 13

14
01439 771020
general@toyshophelmsley.co.uk
2-4 Meeting House Court, Helmsley, York YO62 5DW
Toyshop (Helmsley) is how most people imagine a toy shop should be, with
everything at a level where it can be picked up and played with. You wont find
Barbies guns or computer games here, but you will find everything from teddy
bears and other soft toys to tractors, trains and mystical flying machines. From the
oldest to the youngest, there is something for everyone at the Toyshop (Helmsley).
We have everything from collector's edition one-of-a-kind teddy bears waiting to be
treasured, to thousands of tiny toys for your children to spend their pocket money
on. We take pride in stocking traditional and individual toys as well as fun
educational toys to stimulate your children.
www.toyshophelmsley.co.uk
Bedale
Day Nursery
We are open Monday - Friday,
7.30am - 6:00pm
Offering full or part-time day care
for children 6 weeks - 4 years old.
Also before/after school care for
children aged 5-8 years old.
Tel: 01677
422991
Tutin Road,
Leeming Bar,
Northallerton
DL7 9UJ
Our excellent reputation is based upon
providing high quality care in a home from
home environment your child will love
We are an inclusive, award winning setting and have an excellent
reputation within North Yorkshire. We open Monday to Friday, term-time
only and pre-school sessions run from 9.00am until 12.00 noon. We are
situated on the same site as the village primary school and have extensive
access to the outdoors. The setting is well resourced and promotes
free-flow continuous provision with an emphasis on being ‘forest friendly’.
Staff respect children’s uniqueness and individuality and work very closely
with parents – we focus on holistic development and Ofsted judged us
outstanding in many areas. Our latest Ofsted inspection was in March
2010 and our report speaks for itself. Log onto www.ofsted.gov.uk for
further details. Gill Hunton is an experienced and highly qualified manager
and an early language lead practitioner with the Every Child a Talker
(ECaT) project. She is also a qualified forest school leader and a leading
early years practitioner with the local authority. The setting also employs
staff who hold paediatric first aid and level three qualifications. We offer a
breakfast club from 8.00am for pre-school children and Osmotherley
Primary school pupils (escorted to school at 8.50am). The setting also
offers a lunch club from 12.00 noon until 1.00pm on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please do not hesitate to telephone for
further information.
Gill can be contacted on 01609 883138
info@osmotherleypreschool.co.uk
School House, 3 School Lane, Osmotherley, Northallerton North Yorkshire DL6 3BW
Registered charity number 1035485

“Educationally Exceptional”
Daily Mail
HMC Day and Boarding School
Girls and Boys aged 4-18
Barnard Castle County Durham
www.barnardcastleschool.org.uk
To arrange a private visit please contact Julia Simpson - 01833 696 030 - jas@barneyschool.org.uk
15

UNIT ARTICLES
16
90 SU - RIAT 2011
The Royal International Air Tattoo is
held annually each July at RAF Fairford,
Gloucestershire. It is the world’s largest
military air show, and has gained the
reputation as one of the UK’s top outdoor
family events. 13 personnel from 1 Field
Communications Squadron, Tactical
Communications Wing, 90 Signals Unit
took the opportunity to represent the unit
during the tattoo’s 40th birthday.
On Friday July 15th, after a week of begging, stealing and
borrowing display kit, 12 members of the Squadron under the
direction of Sgt Maguire embarked upon a long journey down
to RAF Fairford. With hair clippers and marker pens at the ready,
we were to fall asleep at our own risk. After navigating through
the labyrinth of roads in Fairford, we finally arrived at the airfield
where our display would be on show to the world.
We arrived at 1430 and quickly set about erecting our display
before the deadline of 1700. As most of our current equipment
is deployed, this consisted of a mobile display van, a cormorant
wagon, a 501 satellite ground terminal, a decommissioned
dial-up kit, land rover and a 9x9 tent, with copious amounts of
camouflage netting and various other pieces of kit that could
arouse public interest. With our oversized sound system and large
display, we felt far superior to our No1 Radio School neighbours
and were confident of giving all the other stalls around us a
run for their money. If not to learn about our trade they would
certainly come to dance away under our Gazebo to the sounds of
our iPod!! We were all in high spirits by the end of the day after
a brief meeting with the legend that is Group Captain Moore,
and in typical style he advised the hospitality liaison officer that
we were to receive Hangar Party tickets and free beer all night
on the Sunday. Unfortunately after this meeting she was never
to be seen again.
With the setup complete we packed away anything the
Regiment or Army could ‘tag’ and headed back to the Royal
Agricultural College that we would call home for the next three
nights. It was reminiscent of Hogwarts School of Wizardry but
seeing as it was half term, we had to share with a new batch of
Italian and Greek students. Our briefing about the weekend was
delivered by a friend of the Unit, Flt Lt McElhinney and consisted
of a stark warning to stay away from the (younger than they
look) students. Other than that the instruction was to promote
the RAF and 90SU in a positive light and enjoy ourselves as much
as we could.
0530 July 16th 2011 and the alarm clocks are ringing. We had
another early start that turned out to be a wet and miserable
summer morning. Despite gale force winds and torrential rains
we set about making the display look presentable for the day’s
events. So, cold wet and miserable we had to now maintain a
positive attitude throughout the day and promote the RAF and
90SU in a positive light. Despite the adverse conditions this was
achieved to a high standard.
The task was to interact with the public attending RIAT and

give them a feel for the kind of work we do both in the UK and
on overseas Operations. With the music blasting out at the front
of the display we had people pouring in like the rain and were
soon overwhelmed by the amount of interest in our display. It
soon became apparent that people were there to dress up in the
body armour and ask questions such as ‘So can this withstand
an RPG?’ To which SAC Hanley jokingly replied ‘Yes’ before he
set the young man straight on how much protection the ECBA
actually offers. At one point there was a whole family caked in
camouflage cream just as we ran out of wipes. Whilst the kids
loved it, the parents were coming to terms with the fact that
they had to spend the day walking through thousands of people
with a painted face. There were plenty more cases like this over
the weekend. One of our most popular exhibits was the Body
Armour. A young future soldier donned the armour and told us
it would be easy to run whilst wearing it. He looked across the
display at his finishing line, and started to run. The weight and
forward momentum became too much for him and before he
knew what had happened he had a face full of dirt. There were
gasps of concern at first as we waited for the crying to begin.
To our surprise he looked up with a big smile on his face, got up
and tried again. That’s the type of attitude we should all aspire
to. In all seriousness the stall generated an awful lot of interest
and after speaking with us, a few members of the public went
straight over to the careers tent to enquire about recruitment
into Trade Group 4. Eventually the wind and rain subsided and
the sun appeared, which meant the jets took to the skies in an
awesome display of airpower. Unfortunately for our stall this
meant the public were off to the Air Display area to watch the
aerial prowess of the Typhoon and such like. We packed up at
the end of the day and made our way back to the castle of the
wizards with sunburnt faces, except for the folically challenged
SAC Burgess, who burnt his whole head.
Day 2 of RIAT, Up before the crack of dawn we made our way
to the Airfield through an agonising series of traffic jams. There
were some tired eyes among the group but we were all still raring
to go. Upon arrival and quick setup, we immediately cranked
up the sound system and did a synchronised dance version of
Robbie Williams No 1 Hit Rock DJ, this had the public crowding
our stall and queuing to get a piece of the action. It must have
been designer’s day at RIAT on the Sunday as we had members
of the public claiming to have designed the 501 satellite terminal,
Bowman and Cormorant. We continued to ask them if they
would like a look at our equipment and what we do with it to
be met with an abrupt ‘No Thank you!’ and carried on with their
day. Today was also picture day. We were given a camera and
told to take as many pictures of the public as we could. By the
end of the day we had pictures of all the other RAF stalls, a trio
of Storm Troopers, Spiderman and loads of little soldiers with
respirators on. We met a diverse crowd of people there including
an angry Swiss Soldier that wasn’t happy with the Transmission
on Cormorant Vehicles. The kit did generate interest from the
public, a lot of people were keen to learn about the ins and
outs of how we can deploy anywhere in the world and maintain
communications with the UK. We had the back of the Cormorant
Wagon open and people were climbing in and out all weekend.
The adults interested in what it’s capable of and how we utilise
it, the kids saw it as a jungle gym and once they were in it was
hard to coax them out again. Amazing what a bit of imagination
can do. Someone made the mistake of showing them where the
horn was which never stopped for well over an hour, we actually
had a queue waiting to beep the horn.
The afternoon arrived and just as the day before, the sun poked
out through the clouds and SAC Willis decided on a change of
uniform, full CBRN kit! Sitting in the driver’s seat of the Land Rover
as still as a statue, kids unassumingly climbed and believed they
were sat next to a mannequin. Every time they turned excitingly
towards their parents, the mannequin would change position.
This was met with confusion, more from the mothers than the
children who just thought it was funny that a robot was sat in
UNIT ARTICLES 17

UNIT ARTICLES
18
the front. After a few hours and the loss of 3 stone in sweat, SAC
Graham took on the Dress State 4 Romeo. After walking around
and pulling in the public an interesting tune came on over the
sound system, Flower by Moby, AKA the press up challenge. The
tune was restarted and lying face down on the ground, with a
gathering crowd, he proceeded to follow the instructions of the
song, bring Sally up, bring Sally down. After about half of the song
and a few painful grunts, his arms gave way and the respirator
came off within seconds to roaring applause and cheer from the
crowd, who we then showed around and sold the Air Force to.
Great tactics if you ask me.
As the end of the day approached, during a dance off to Chelsea
Dagger, two men and a camera appeared on the lively scene.
‘Alright lads, official DVD here, can we film you?’, to which the
reply came ‘Of course you can’. The cameraman hit record as we
screamed happy birthday into the camera and continued to dance
until we could dance no more. I think there will be few crates
flying around the 1 Squadron offices next month.
Overall I think RIAT was a massive success on behalf of the
Unit and the personnel that attended. It was a very enjoyable
experience and nice to interact with members of the public,
something where the opportunities to do so are becoming few
and far between. We were all humbled by their opinions on what
we achieve in our trade. We also hope that we enlightened a few
people to the fact that it isn’t all that bad in the Air Force, and
with the right attitude and friends along the way, you can have a
very fulfilling and satisfying career on 90SU. . . . . and remember
‘No Comms, No Bombs’!!
By SAC Graham and SAC Willis

6 months in the life of Number One
(Field Communications) Squadron,
Tactical Communications Wing, 90 Signals Unit
Five days into a 14 day Mission Rehearsal Exercise at
Driffield training area, the deployed men and women
unexpectedly heard “ENDEX ” being called. The
message from the Commanders was “Immediately
pack-up the equipment for return to Leeming, in
preparation for onwards deployment on Operations”.
This was the day that the Prime Minister David
Cameron had announced, “The United Kingdom will
do all within its power to protect Libyan Civilians from
the Gaddafi regime”. As a Squadron we were soon
to learn that we would be deploying in support of Air
Operations over Libya.
Before return to Leeming, our equipment had to be
dismantled and 100% checks conducted on several
thousand items. Despite the tiring effect of the
exercise, motivation was high. Within 5 hours the most
important equipment was on its way back to Leeming.
Working through the night, under torches and vehicle
head-lights, the remaining exercise equipment was
all en-route by the following morning. As elements
returned back to Leeming, the work effort continued.
Preparations pressed ahead for deployment to an unknown
location. The first team to depart was Cpl Mark Foulger and SAC
Tom Larner, who only had a few hours to turn their kit around
before deploying. They were dispatched to HQ Air Command
before onwards deployment to Gioia Del Colle to provide earlyentry
communications (man-portable systems). Within 48 hours
of returning to Leeming, the remaining deployment equipment
and manpower departed for Brize Norton. Fighting the urge to
sleep had been hard for all of us, indeed close supervision from
our seniors occasionally found individuals unwittingly asleep on
their feet.
With Cpl Foulger and SAC Larner already providing basic secure
communications to enable Tornado Operations out of Gioia, the
onus was on the follow-up team to deliver a comprehensive
support package to meet the requirements of an entire
Expeditionary Air Wing supporting both Typhoon and Tornado
Aircraft. On arrival at Gioia, not a second was wasted as the team
worked tirelessly to achieve Full Operational Capability within 7
days; an achievement in which the Squadron takes great pride.
As the rest of the Combat and Combat Support Units arrived
at Gioia, it was clear that our deployment in deserts was not
replicated by others. The team stood out strongly, but fortunately
it was for all the right reasons.
Meanwhile, back in the 90 Signals Unit hangar, Gioia was
to be just the beginning of the Squadron’s commitments to
Operation ELLAMY. The next to go were small scale deployments
to Paris, Naples, Sicily and a follow-up force to Akrotiri to support
equipment that had been installed by Number Five Information
Services Squadron. With Number Four Field Communications
Squadron providing support to the Joint Force Air Component
HQ in Germany, news came in that the HQ was to change
location. To facilitate the move, our Squadron was to re-generate
the equipment, which would return from Germany and then
deploy to Poggio in Northern Italy. A new team formed and set
about determined preparations for the task in hand. Deploying
with 90SU’s shiny new equipments, Sky Lark and Baseband in
a Box, the team were able to arrive in Poggio and have Full
Operational Capability for the HQ within the week. A/Cpl Simon
Benson was tasked to put together the battle rhythm for the
UK Air Component Commander. For this highly important and
complicated task, A/Cpl Benson was awarded a coin by Supreme
Allied Commander Europe. Currently, the position is held by a
United States Air Force 4 Star officer.
Cpl John Henry, who had been working tirelessly in Sicily for 14
days in support an Air to Air Refueling detatchment, was soon
to receive reinforcement. A recce of the location was carried out
and then a follow-up team arrived to provide Full Operational
Capability. It was a great relief that John made it back in time for
his wedding (which had already been cancelled once six months
previously due to his deployment to Afghanistan), which went
ahead with cardboard cut-outs of missing friends deployed on
the Operation.
From our perspective the launch of Op ELLAMY showed RAF
Leeming and 90 Signals Unit at their best. 90 SU elements pulled
together like never before to deliver against an unparalleled
communications requirement. The unprecedented speed with
which the whole effort was achieved is testament to the support
of the wider RAF Leeming, Logistics Squadron and General
Engineering Flight (GEF) in particular. Indeed the members of
RAF Leeming GEF, who deployed with the Field Communications
Squadron, proved indispensible.
The Squadron was relieved by Number Two Field Communications
Squadron at the beginning of August. A seamless handover
enabled TCW to continue to provide un-interrupted service across
the Area of Operations.
We have now entered a new training phase, preparing to deploy
again in support of the air efforts in both Afghanistan and over
Libya. The Squadron will be joined by augmentees from across
the RAF in order to support operations in 3 theatres concurrently.
Well earned leave is being mixed with a myriad of preparation
courses, to ensure we are fully prepared for deployment. Filling
in those few remaining gaps we are conducting Adventurous
Training weeks at Force Development Training Centre Crickhowell
as well as an expedition to Rosanno, Tuscany. The Squadron is also
currently trialing a new operational fitness package on behalf of
22 (Training) Group. It is hoped that this new strategy will vastly
improve personal fitness levels of those deploying on operations,
ultimately making them more effective. Finally, there should just
be time for a Squadron Dinner and photograph to give us time
to reunite and reflect on the pride earned through Op ELLAMY.
One Field Communications Squadron will be deploying for 4
months in support of Op HERRICK and Op ELLAMY at the end
of November.
Cpl Scott Stewart
1 (FC) Sqn, TCW, 90SU
“Strive to Maintain”
UNIT ARTICLES 19
19

20
Come & see our huge range of cycles at
ARTHUR CAYGILL CYCLES
Discount for Forces Personnel
Bikes for all the family Mountain Bikes • Ladies Bikes • Road Bikes & Hybrids • Children’s Bikes etc
INTEREST FREE CREDIT(written details on request)
ALL YEAR ROUND SAVINGS CLUB
HUGE RANGE of Clothing & Accessories, full repair service, to all makes,
specialist wheel building, Custom made HAND-BUILT cycles on the premises.
CALL IN FOR THE LATEST SPECIAL OFFERS
350 cycles on display
Open 7 days, Mon-Sat, 9am-5.30pm, Sun 11am-4pm
Borough Road, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4SX
Tel: 01748 825469 www.arthurcaygillcycles.co.uk
Westgate Fine Art.
Gallery • Picture Framing Studio • Complete Art Services
12 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT
Tel - 01765 604549

UNIT ARTICLES
22
JFACTSU
Liaising with
the Ground
commander is
key
For a small unit, about 25 personnel from all 3 Services, those people at JFACTSU create a lot of racket! It’s normally in the
form of aircraft overhead RAF Leeming as the students on the ground are training for their deployment role as Forward Air
Controllers (FAC) – individuals now so valued in Afghanistan that any soldier is reluctant to step outside their Camp without
a FAC ‘watching their back’. RAF Leeming is the only place in the UK where these individuals are trained. It is one of only 12
internationally accredited places in the world where these skills are taught – with 5 of those being at US schoolhouses.
So what’s new with that noisy lot from JFACTSU……
Forward Air Controller Course…New
Forward Operating Bases
Freezing cold and soaking one moment,
then boiling hot and bathed in sunshine
the next. The constant are the flies and
bugs. For those who aren’t aware this is
a pretty standard day while in the field
at RAF Spadeadam, 2 hours drive north
west of Leeming. The terrain and the
weather combine to provide the perfect
conditions in which to test all who have
successfully made it to the culmination
of the Forward Air Controllers (Certified
and Qualified) Course –
The Student TACPs liaise
with their commanders
in the JFIC
Exercise FINAL THUNDER. Since ‘Final
Thunder’s’ inception we have been
heavily supported by assets on and off
station, in particular 10 Field Sqn RE who,
under extremely taxing conditions, built a
Forward Operating Base for us to live and
work out of. As always, 100 Sqn also give
us essential air support during our final
exercise, with the weather often providing
an extra challenge for the aircraft as well
as the students.
The overriding aim of ‘Final Thunder’ is to
get the students to control air platforms,
both rotary and fixed wing, while on foot,
vehicle-borne and under large amounts of
pressure. The most effective way to achieve
all of this is to put them under blank fire
conditions, add external factors such
as mortars, artillery, and UAVs, then
finally tell them to stick like glue to
a ground commander who LOVES
to RUN!!! Not all pass ‘Final
Thunder’, but those that do
know that it is the most testing
and also the most rewarding
part of FAC training.
Tactical Air Control Party
(TACP) & Supervisory Forward
Air Controller (SupFAC)
Course…New Courses
A British TACP is a 4 man-team
capable of coordinating and
integrating air and ground assets
New FOBs
New Courses
New toys!
seamlessly in time and space at multiple
locations in order to achieve the maximum
effect on the target. They are the specialist
air advisors to an Army or Royal Marines
Commanding Officer. RAF Leeming is the
only place in the UK where British TACP
personnel are trained; no other NATO
nation currently offers this level of training
for their personnel.
For years TACP personnel have been
crying out for some form of formal training
above and beyond that of their Basic FAC
cse. JFACTSU have answered the call
and now proudly present the new TACP
course. Effectively using the time allocated
to train SupFACs, the course combines
new TACP students and experienced
FACs (potential SupFACs) on a course
designed to teach both TACP personnel
and Brigade SupFACs the nature of their
new job. Both groups of personnel attend
the first 2 week TACP module where
they revise past procedures and learn the
intricacies of Airspace Management, both
from doctrine and what’s happening in
Afghanistan at the moment. Coupled
with briefs from recently returned Royal
Artillery Battery Commanders, TACP and
Air Staff, the students get a good grasp
of what’s expected of them on operations
and how they fit in to the Battlegroup. All
this prepares them for the TACP simulator
which is a real advancement in terms of
TACP training. They are subjected to the
orders and planning process throughout
the day and then they execute the mission

A student puts
down covering
fire as the JTAC
manoeuvres to get
“eyes-on” the tgt
in the “simulated environment” where
any faults in their plan or their procedures
quickly come to light. Not satisfied with
testing them on “our own turf”, the
students then move to the ABTC at RAF
Waddington – one of the most challenging
Joint Fires computer simulation facilities in
the world. Here they are put through their
paces by independent staff in a state-ofthe-art
simulator as they learn to work in
the Jt Fires and ISTAR cell they’ll have on
operations. The new TACP course really
does give the students a fighting chance
to keep their head above water on return
to their Brigades. Many TACP personnel
deploy straight onto Mission Specific
Training in advance of deployment
or on operations on completion of
the course; the room for error is small
indeed
Synthetics …New Toys
From 2008 to 2011 JFACTSU has changed
the way forward air controlling is taught
through computer based simulation. Pre
2008, students started by standing around
a table top sand model with a hawk on a
stick and then progressed to a television
displaying a picture from a camera being
“flown” across a sand model.
We still use the hawk on a stick, but
JFACTSU now has two computer based
simulators: the Forward Air Controller
Trainer (FACT) and the Virtual Battlespace
2 (VBS2) Suite. Students practice their
techniques in the simulator and then
conduct close air support (CAS) for real
with live aircraft. This saves many flying
hours as the students have made their
basic errors in the simulators before talking
to the real aircraft.
The FACT was introduced to JFACTSU in
2008. It is a computer based sim where
the student is immersed in the virtual
world by means of head mounted display.
This display tracks the head movements
and allows the student a 360° view of
the environment. This affords
us the ability to conduct
Type 1 controls where the
FAC needs to track the
aircraft into the weapon
release point. The aircraft
drop weapons that create
realistic
effects
o n
the
The DS monitor and
control the input to
student TACPs
targets, so the FAC
can give a good assessment of the damage
to the pilot. The FACT is a simple system
that allows single aircraft to be flown
either by a real pilot on a laptop or simple
entities created by the computers that fly
but cannot react dynamically like a real
pilot can.
The new VBS2 sim is used for battlespace
management and operational
scenarios training. It is what is known as a
“serious game”. The FACs uses this facility
for their advanced training including:
full motion video controlling, airspace
management, precision weapons training,
rotary-wing CAS and convoy support and
urban CAS.
The sim has a huge, accurate, database
of current operational environments
including maps of Afghanistan and Iraq. It
enables any number of ‘intelligent’ entities
A moving JTAC quickly learns
it’s harder to control a jet onthe-go
than on the hill!
including
multiple
people, vehicles and aircraft to be
present in any one scenario. It is
all run on normal computers and
is therefore very cheap compared to
training with live aircraft. It allows us to
train skills that cannot usually be trained
in peacetime.
JFACTSU can train a team of FACs and
Tactical Air Control Party simultaneously.
The TACP sit in an ops room with multiple
monitors capable of receiving downlinks
from aircraft targeting pods and
displaying airspace management tools.
They chat using the text chat system to
other organisations in theatre (simulated
by the JFACTSU instructors) and VOIP radio
comms to all players.
The FAC on the ground sits in front of an
86” projected display of the operational
area and is treated to immersive surround
sound. The sim allows the instructors to
emulate all patterns of life from angry
crowds and barking dogs to call to prayers.
Instructors may insert and control any
entity in the scenario allowing them to
torment trainees with torrents of incoming
fire and other inputs. Most FAC students
report the step up from the FACT to VBS2
as very realistic and immersive experience
indeed.
UNIT ARTICLES
23

Hayles Events
... affordable but the best
Experienced Event Organiser ensuring your event is carried out to the highest standard.
Specialising in Weddings and all Ranks dining nights at an affordable price.
Xmas Parties available at the Riverside Club
Exclusive to
Hayles Events
Help for Heros
Themed Weddings
For F ffurther
details or to discuss any requirement, please contact Hayley Court.
Hayley has completed 22 years of RAF service
Telephone 01677 988182 Mobile 07813 579638
Email hayley@haylesevents.co.uk www.haylesevents.co.uk
25

UNIT ARTICLES
26
100 Squadron get a taste of Dijon
For three very successful weeks spanning September and October, 100
Sqn detached to FAF Dijon in France to jointly work with their French
sister aggressor squadron. 2/2 Cote D’Or Esquadron fly the highly
impressive and manoeuvrable Alpha Jet and are now the only Military
aircraft permanently based at FAF Dijon, with the recent relocation of
the Mirage 2000 Sqns to FAF Luxeuil.
The three week detachment was made
up of two separate exercises, involving
6 Hawk aircraft and 38 personnel,
which together achieved over 200 safe
and successful missions. EX BURGUNDY
PIRATE ran for the first week followed by
EX EPIAS for the second and third.
The objective of EX BURGUNDY PIRATE
was to cross pollinate skills, knowledge
and procedures as well as enhance the
mutual respect for one another’s capabilities
in both the blue and red air environment.
In achieving the objective, 100 Sqn flew a
plethora of joint missions involving dissimilar
air combat in both the ‘beyond’ and ‘within’
visual range arenas. Each day 100 Sqn aircrew
fought against multi-element packages of
Alpha Jet, Mirage 2000 as well as the newest
and most advanced French front line jet,
the Rafale. The merging of two aggressor
squadrons proved a unique concept; that by
developing mutual red air procedures and
tactics, and by presenting two platforms with
differing characteristics, 100 Sqn and 2/2 Esqn
provided front line forces with an added and
previously unseen red air dynamic.
During the second and third week, the main
focus of the detachment changed from the air
to air to the air to ground environment, thereby
emphasising the multi-role capability of 100 Sqn.
EX EPIAS was a multi national, joint forward air
controlling exercise, in which 100 Sqn provided
air assets to enhance the wider exercise objective
of developing multi-national air-land integration.
From the feedback received, the provision of native
English speaking aircrew proved to be of great benefit
to the French forward air controllers who are shortly
deploying to Afghanistan, and who will undoubtedly
work with British Tornado GR4s delivering Operational
effect.
For the entirety of the detachment, 2/2 Cote D’Or
Esqn and FAF Dijon hosted 100 Sqn impeccably. The
whole setup was totally professional in every respect
and made for an outstanding working relationship. It was
remarkable to discover how similar the aggressor Sqns
from both Nations operate, both internally and externally
with their respective front line users. This detachment
defined the essence of the joint political ‘entente cordiale’.
A huge thank you to all personnel that made the
detachment possible, safe and successful. We hope to see
2/2 Cote D’Or Esqn and their Alpha Jets at RAF Leeming in
the spring of next year. 100 Sqn wholeheartedly endeavour
to live up to the high French aggressor standards set in and
out of work, the bar has been well and truly set!
Flt Lt James Harkin