RAF Merlin helicopters continue to operate in Iraq

Joint Helicopter Force (Iraq) continues to operate three Royal Air Force Merlin helicopters to provide the lift and shift capability for British forces in Iraq.

Flown by RAF aircrew, with support elements from the Army, Navy and RAF, helicopters remain the movement and logistic workhorse of choice to ensure the drawdown of forces from Iraq in good order.

Although UK combat operations were successfully completed at the end of April, the men and women of the Joint Helicopter Force are still flying operational sorties into Iraq every day. They are supporting the Joint Force Logistic Component, a specialist logistic team charged with bringing UK forces and equipment home from Iraq in good order.

In full body armour and flying tactical profiles constantly honed through the conflict thus far each Merlin takes off with twin front and one rear-facing General Purpose Machine Guns and over 1000 rounds of ammunition for each flight. Flares are carried and fired to protect against the possibility of heat-seeking missiles. At night they are often required to fly low level across a featureless desert with only Night Vision Goggles to aid their final descent into tight landing areas, often bristling with unlit masts and pylons.

“One of the biggest challenges here is the weather” said pilot Flight Lieutenant Mike Barclay, “it can be fine gin clear at take off but in less than 5 minutes the wind can whip up the sand into a ferocious storm, making a landing impossible. We have to be ready to make some swift decisions when that happens.

“The Merlin is a fantastic helicopter, but like any helicopter the heat presents its own challenges. We cannot lift the same payload we can in UK for example, this means careful planning and co-ordination is a constant feature of our activity” said Capt Ned Brown, an Army pilot who is Operations Officer for the Force.

We missed you so much daddy - The Daily Express

SISTERS Lauren and Megan Cooke cannot contain their joy as they welcome their father Sergeant Richard Cooke home from Iraq.

Sgt Cooke, from Swansea, was part of 15 Squadron RAF Regiment which returned to Honington in Suffolk yesterday.

They were among the final frontline troops to leave Basra.

Lauren, five, and Megan, nine, were joined by their mother Sue, 40, and clutched banners saying “Welcome home Daddy” and “We missed you”.

Mrs Cooke said: “I had a bit of a tear when I saw him. The children have been so excited.”

Sgt Cooke said Iraqis exchanged gifts with troops on their last patrol. “We gave them duvets and they gave us rings,” he said.

You did it, dad! - The Sun

LITTLE Thomas Berryman, four, waves as dad Chris hoists him on his shoulders as 15 Squadron RAF Regiment returns home from Iraq.

Sq Ldr Chris, 40, was one of 40 personnel greeted by family and a piper at RAF Honington, Suffolk, last night. They are among the last UK frontline troops to return.

Chris said: “I am pleased we’ve left Iraq a much better place than it was six years ago.”

Corporal Chris Smyth, 26, hugged his five-month son Ethan and wife Sarah, 28.

Emotional return for Iraq troops - EDP

FAMILIES gathered last night for an emotional reunion with the last of the British combat forces to arrive back from Iraq.

The gunners of 15 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, which is based at RAF Honington, near Bury St Edmunds, had been part of the RAF's force protection wing at Basra airport.

Yesterday, having flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 37 gunners made the final leg of their journey home to Suffolk.

As they stepped off their white coach onto the tarmac at the Suffolk airbase they were applauded by family members, friends, defence minister Quentin Davies and fellow military personnel from 1st Battalion the Royal Tank Regiment, who are also based at RAF Honington and who arrived back just a few days ago.

For 26-year-old Corporal Chris Smyth, arriving home had added poignancy because it was the first time he had seen his son Ethan in the flesh since he was just seven weeks old.

“It is tough,” said Cpl Smyth. “But we've got a job to do. Seeing Ethan is fantastic - I have been sent pictures pretty much every day.”

His wife, Sarah, 28, said: “Having him back home is really fantastic and exciting and a relief.”

That excitement was shared by Megan and Lauren Cooke, aged five and nine respectively, who made small banners to welcome home their father Sgt Rich Cooke.

Sgt Cooke said: “It is brilliant to see the girls - it has been a long way home. Being out in Iraq was the end of a task for the British. The villagers were really sad to see us go and they gave us presents to say thanks for everything we have done. We can't believe we were the last few back.”

Megan Cooke told how she had delayed having her fifth birthday party so that her father could join them.

Describing life while her husband was on tour, Sue Cooke said despite this being Sgt Cooke's third tour in Iraq it “doesn't get any easier for the family”.

Squadron Leader Chris Berryman, 40, said: “This has been hard work in a hard environment with very real threats. I am pleased to say that every one of my team has lived up to the challenge, they have responded to this most difficult of jobs as I would expect of any member of the RAF Regiment: with vigour, enthusiasm and a determination to see the task to the very end with total professionalism.”

The US military has now taken over the running of Basra airbase, where 12 members of 15 Squadron RAF Regiment remain in order to ensure the safe withdrawal of UK kit and equipment from Iraq.

British soldiers back from Iraq - BBC

Click here for the BBC video report http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8071017.stm


The last British combat forces to leave Basra in Iraq have arrived in the UK to be reunited with their families.

RAF Regiment conducts the last British patrol in Basra

24 May 2009: Soldiers of the RAF Regiment's 15 Squadron prepare for and conduct the final British patrol in Basra.

15 Sqn RAF Regiment return hom from Iraq having done last British patrol

The Force Protection of the Contingency Operating Base, or COB, at Basra International Airport has – from the initial operation to occupy the country – been the responsibility of the Royal Air Force, delivered by Force Protection Wings which deploy for 6 month tours.

The final Force Protection Wing to deploy, commanded by Wing Commander Simeon Sharples (42) from Louth, recently handed over their responsibility for protecting the base to American Forces. The US have taken over the COB at the airport which includes a number of remaining UK personnel who are tasked with ensuring a safe and ordered withdrawal of all UK forces’ kit and equipment from Southern Iraq.

“I am immensely proud to be here as our mission in Iraq draws to a close and we prepare to leave,” commented Simeon, who was also in Iraq at the outset of hostilities in 2003.

Since their arrival, the RAF Regiment and other elements of the Force Protection Wing have been instrumental in fostering relations with the Iraqi people in their patrol area. Now Simeon sees that the tribal infighting of 2003 has given way to co-operation between tribes and families as Iraqis pursue new economic opportunities unavailable under Saddam’s regime.

As his troops prepared for their final patrol a few days ago, Simeon said: “I regularly visit village leaders and over time we have developed genuine trusting relationships. To me, the proof that Iraq is changing for the better is that these days my guys can go out and work alongside the Iraqi police and Army and help develop something close to a normal policing role.”

He added: “I see great potential for this country and I find the fact that my guys have had a significant hand in helping achieve that – alongside our colleagues from all three services - immensely satisfying”.

At the forefront of the Force Protection Wing’s activities are the RAF Regiment Squadrons who have rotated through the COB in 6 month tours. This week sees the return of 15 Squadron to the UK commanded by Squadron Leader Chris Berryman, (40) from RAF Honington, who is completing his third tour in Iraq. He deployed with 115 RAF personnel from his squadron to Iraq in early February.

“This has been hard work in a hard environment with very real threats”, he said as the last patrol carried out their weapon checks. “I am pleased to say that every one of my team has lived up to the challenge, they have responded to this most difficult of jobs as I would expect of any member of the RAF Regiment: with vigour, enthusiasm and a determination to see the task to the very end with total professionalism”.

Reflecting on his tour he said: “Our Regimental history has been linked with Iraq since 1922 when 3 RAF Armoured Car Company was formed at Basra. The Iraqi people have been our friend for a long time and I like to think that we have now invested in their future”.

However there has been a price to pay for the rewards of the RAF Regiment. Four of their gunners have been killed on operations in Iraq, three during one rocket attack in July 2007. In its time the Wing has responded to many incidents ranging from intruders to the airfield to combating insurgent rocket teams targeting the airfield, who launched over 220 attacks on the base during one three month period in 2007.

The sad loss of Leading Aircraftsman Martin Beard from 1 Squadron RAF Regiment during a battle with insurgents marked a low point in the history of the RAF Regiment; however the bravery of the Squadron members under fire was recognised when Corporal Dave Hayden was awarded the Military Cross for his acts of selfless bravery during the fierce battle. Other Squadron members were awarded honourable mentions for their activities on that day.

This weeks final patrol was led by Flying Officer Jon Giffin (26) from Gloucester. He estimates that this is the last of over 5,000 combat patrols that the Wing have conducted in the past six years. His ten man patrol equipped with both agile Weapons Mount Installation Kit or ‘WMIK’ and the more robust Mastiff patrolled into the small hours of the morning covering ground that so many of his colleagues have grown to know intimately over the past six years. Whilst theirs were the last combat UK boots on the ground in Basra, there is still much work to be done by the many troops remaining in Iraq.

15 Squadron’s vehicles, kit and equipment must now be prepared for an ordered return to UK with hundreds of tons of similar military hardware. This job has fallen to the Joint Force Logistic Command. They will remain in Iraq until every item on the Iraq military inventory, from Chapsticks to Challenger tanks, are cleaned, checked, fixed, packed and properly accounted for and then shipped to their next shelf, camp or warehouse ready for use again.

The patrol was welcomed in by Royal Marines Brigadier Paul Stearns the Commander of British Forces in Iraq. “It gives me great pleasure to see our combat role come to an end” he said “The RAF Regiment have provided a pivotal function here in Basra, they have afforded us and the local population the peace of mind that we are safe going about our business in and around the base.” he added. “We can now look forward to a new relationship with the Iraqi people, one of close co-operation in terms of economics, culture, commerce, defence and development. Without the efforts of the Force Protection Wing and all the three services’ personnel who have served in Iraq over the past six years, this would not be possible”.

On behalf of the RAF Force Protection and RAF Regiment capability at headquarters Air Command, Group Captain Andy Hall said: “This is time to reflect on the considerable commitment that our people and families have made over the years in Iraq, their professionalism, grit and determination. Our thoughts especially go out to those who have died whilst serving on this operation, they will always be remembered.

“The return of our final combat troops from Iraq marks another important phase in our very proud history. The men of the RAF Regiment have risked their lives daily over the past six years, so that our other servicemen and women can go about their missions as safely as possible. It is a great testament to their efforts that the lives of the local people have improved through the security that has been provided, along with projects to enhance their way of life, education and agriculture – this is, after all, why we came to Iraq in the first place. This is an honourable end state and the RAF Regiment should be proud of its legacy in Iraq and the immense capability that it has to offer.”

Bedworth soldier to end tour of duty in Iraq

A SERVICEMAN from Bedworth who was with the first British invasion force into Iraq six years ago will now feature in the final withdrawal from the country this summer.

Sgt Jason Griffiths, an RAF gunner, is currently deployed at the Contingency Operating Base just outside Basra, helping to provide critical security to the multi-national military.

The 40-year-old former Ash Green pupil - know as “Griff” to his colleagues - was initially deployed to Kuwait with the collation forces and in January 2003, when the invasion first took place, he moved to the port of Umm Qasr and ended his first six months in Iraq being stationed in Basra.

“I was the Junior Non Commissioned Officer in charge of the Combined Incident Team responsible for providing protection for RAF Helicopters as the British Forces advanced north from Kuwait,” said Sgt Griffiths.

“I have really enjoyed working in Basra. Interacting with the local Iraqi population, in and around the surrounding area, has been one of the best parts of the job.”

After joining the RAF in1986, Sgt Griffiths has had various roles, including jungle operations in Belize, desert deployments in Afghanistan and active service in Germany and Cyprus.

At home, he is based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire - and, as an avid Coventry City supporter, always looks forward to watching his team in action at the Ricoh.

Squadron stays as British withdraw

Combat operations in Iraq may have officially ended for the UK, but personnel from RAF Honington will be remaining in Basra as British activity there winds down.
In a ceremony at Basra airport last Thursday, the British armed forces lowered their flag and formally handed control of the base to the American military, six years after the war began.

But 150 airmen from 15 Squadron RAF Regiment, who left for a four-month tour of duty in February, still remain in Basra and will be one of the last units to leave the base when it is handed over to Iraq's security forces.

Last month, the squadron joined a joint US/UK patrol to Il Mithar, a village north of their base in Basra, where they met Iraqi National Police and delivered footballs, books and stationery to schools, getting the chance to speak to some of the pupils there.

Meanwhile, back in Britain, the Government's commitment to the conflict in Afghanistan was underlined as it opened a £14 million facility designed to help troops train for combat in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Defence officially opened new areas at its Stanford Training Area (Stanta), just north of Thetford, last Thursday, with the new facility to provide training to all troops deploying to Afghanistan.

With the help of Afghan nationals and others who will take on the role of insurgents, its rural Middle Eastern village and urban Middle Eastern complex have been designed to mirror situations soldiers could find on the ground.

The training area, which was previously used for training troops heading to Northern Ireland and took eight months to develop, will replicate the sights, smells and sounds of the region, with calls to prayer across a market place, a family home and a network of claustrophobic alleyways.

General Sir David Richards, commander in chief of land forces, said: "These new training facilities mean that we will be giving our soldiers the very best chance to succeed in today's complex operations and return home safely.

"I am proud that we can now offer today's armed forces the facilities they deserve to best equip them for the job we ask of them on operations."

Basra Brits in football final - The Sun

BRITISH troops play football with thrilled Iraqi youngsters — on final patrols as they prepare to quit the country.

The men of 15 Squadron RAF Regiment also let kids look down the sights of rifles, while one girl tried on a helmet.

Later they had tea with the local sheikh in the tiny village of Al Houta.

The Squadron is proud of its rapport with locals.

Senior Aircraftsman Chris Dunn, 20, said: “They’re very friendly.”

The last Brit combat troops will withdraw in July, leaving just 400 personnel in Iraq.