RAF Gunners continue protecting Camp Bastion

Camp Bastion is home to some 14,500 British, US and NATO troops and civilian personnel.

Senior Aircraftman (SAC) James Westward, aged 22, is one of a team of men responsible for patrolling the villages and desert around the base, which serves to both protect the base and the local people against insurgent attacks. He said:

"Basically it's called force protection, we make sure there will be no threat to the base itself by going out and countering those potential threats."

Those threats include improvised bombs known as IEDs. SAC Westward continued:

"We're trained in finding IEDS, and everyone is pretty comfortable with that. When it comes to training, everyone is squared away."

Also in the team, Flying Officer (Fg Off) Robin Fowler, aged 25, said:

"Our team is split into three. We provide manpower to help with the main entry point, we also provide a Medical Emergency Response Team to go out on the Chinook helicopters and pick up casualties, and thirdly, we patrol around the runway."

Corporal Ed Turner, aged 27, provides communications for the patrol team on the ground. He said:

"I go out on the ground with the commander, and provide him with communications and the ability to command the squadron."

Winning the trust of the Afghan population is a key element in the battle against the Taliban, as Fg Off Fowler explained:

"We use foot patrols to make them feel less intimidated so we can make friends with them.

"The main effort is to win their hearts and minds. The locals around here are very friendly. The main reason that they moved into this area is because Camp Bastion provides security for them."

New housing is springing up in the villages around Bastion:

"A lot of compounds we have seen are well-built, well- established, and they have got a lot of land that they are putting a huge amount of effort into farming," said Fg Off Fowler. 

"It does amaze me the level of ingenuity that farmers have to grow crops out of sand and rock."

Corporal Turner added:

"The closer you come to Bastion the more friendly the people are. I was out speaking to one of the elders and he said he was grateful for the security we provided them and the welfare projects we help them with; wells, shoes, and other things that we give them. They are grateful for them and appreciate it."

Wing Commander Mick Smeath, Officer Commanding No 1 Force Protection Wing, says that the three men, along with his whole team, are doing an 'outstanding job' on their tour:

"It's a privilege to command RAF police and the RAF Regiment. The RAF Regiment in the local villages really are winning the hearts and minds of the people."

The team arrived in Afghanistan in early December 2009 and are expected home in late May.