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Registered Charity United Kingdom No 226682 Spain No G54288329
25 December 2010
CHRISTMAS AT KANDAHAR
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Base
Personnel were busy, clearing Santa some space.......
It's Christmas at Kandahar. Just another working day for the 40,000
base staff from 28 different Nations, but personnel are marking the
day in a variety of ways. As well as taking part in a carol service and
festive quiz night, RAF teams have received some of the thousands
of Christmas welfare boxes distributed to those serving abroad
during the holiday season. On base, officers will serve their troops a
roast turkey lunch with all the trimmings whilst those out on patrol
bases will have theirs delivered in 'hot locks', or as special rations.
CHRISTMAS AT KANDAHAR
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Base
Personnel were busy, clearing Santa some space.......
It's Christmas at Kandahar. Just another working day for the 40,000
base staff from 28 different Nations, but personnel are marking the
day in a variety of ways. As well as taking part in a carol service and
festive quiz night, RAF teams have received some of the thousands
of Christmas welfare boxes distributed to those serving abroad
during the holiday season. On base, officers will serve their troops a
roast turkey lunch with all the trimmings whilst those out on patrol
bases will have theirs delivered in 'hot locks', or as special rations.
An RAF Xmas
in Afghanistan
in Afghanistan
Padre Steve Lamond is on a 3 month tour as an RAF Chaplain in Kandahar. “I'd like to send a message home to our family and friends to say thanks for thinking of us - we know Christmas is a busy time for you and it means a lot to us. The good news is Santa does deliver to the desert! I'll be taking some welfare and gift boxes to the guys and girls so they have something to open on Christmas morning.” Away from their home base of RAF Leeming, Northallerton, members of Tactical Communications Wing gathered their boxes together, sharing out the sweets and toiletries as they decorated their office for the day. “The thing I miss most about home is a good Cornish Pasty” said Senior Aircraftsman Phil Thomas, from Hale, Cornwall. “The mess food is great, but it's not the same!” Sergeant Andrew Yeates summed up the team morale: “We are enjoying ourselves out here as best we can and are getting on with the job - we'll be home soon.”
Christmas day in Bastion for Serving RAF Tactical Supply Wing Couple
Royal Air Force Senior Aircraftsman (SAC) Christopher (23)
McCann and his wife Katie (25) a Senior Aircraftswomen
had Christmas with a difference this year. They are both
serving with the RAF’s Tactical Supply Wing at Camp Bastion
in Helmand Province Afghanistan. However, while many
serving couples are apart this Christmas, they got to have
Christmas Dinner together.Christopher and Katie deployed
together from RAF Stafford to Afghanistan on 12 December
for a 3 month tour as part of Tactical Supply Wing.Katie
said: “I was due to deploy to the Falklands, but with 2 days
to go I was told I would actually be going to Afghanistan
instead. It was great to know that we would be going to
together.” Christopher said: “I was made up when I found out that Katie was coming too, but we’ve both got a job to do and we’re looking forward to getting stuck in”.
Tactical Supply Wing undertake the forward refuelling for helicopters operating away from their main base, Christopher and Katie are both drivers and will be taking the fuel tankers out on the Combat Logistics Patrols working with the Close Support Logistics Regiment and the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan). Christopher explained: “During my last tour of Afghanistan I was working on the airfield, but this time I will be going on out the patrols and working outside the wire. I’m looking forward to it; it’s going to be a new experience”.This is Katie’s first operational tour, where she will be doing the same job as Christopher. The couple will both be responsible for working on the Forward Refuelling Points which are set up by the Tactical Suppliers out in field and they allow the helicopters to be ‘hot refuelled’ with rotors turning. Katie said: I’ve been looking forward to my first operational tour and when I found out I was coming to Afghanistan I was really excited.”Tactical Supply Wing has also been helping to spread some Christmas cheer, Katie explained: “Two of our friends from the team, Senior Aircraftsmen Sutherland and McNeil (Baz and Mank) are out with the RAF Chinook helicopters today delivering Christmas boxes and mail to make sure the guys in the patrol bases get their presents on Christmas Day”
Last Christmas Christopher and Katie spent it at Katie’s sisters with her parents, Shona and David Prestage in Alness, Ross-Shire but Christopher’s parents, Marie and David McCann will have to wait to host Christmas 2011 in Birkenhead next year. However, Katie and Christopher will be saving up their Operational Bonus Allowance to try and afford a deposit for a house in Stafford, so it might well be Christmas hosted by the McCann’s in Stafford next year!
· UK Forces are deployed to Afghanistan in support of the UN authorised, NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission and as part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). UK operations in Afghanistan are being conducted under the name Operation HERRICK.
Royal Air Force Senior Aircraftsman (SAC) Christopher (23)
McCann and his wife Katie (25) a Senior Aircraftswomen
had Christmas with a difference this year. They are both
serving with the RAF’s Tactical Supply Wing at Camp Bastion
in Helmand Province Afghanistan. However, while many
serving couples are apart this Christmas, they got to have
Christmas Dinner together.Christopher and Katie deployed
together from RAF Stafford to Afghanistan on 12 December
for a 3 month tour as part of Tactical Supply Wing.Katie
said: “I was due to deploy to the Falklands, but with 2 days
to go I was told I would actually be going to Afghanistan
instead. It was great to know that we would be going to
together.” Christopher said: “I was made up when I found out that Katie was coming too, but we’ve both got a job to do and we’re looking forward to getting stuck in”.
Tactical Supply Wing undertake the forward refuelling for helicopters operating away from their main base, Christopher and Katie are both drivers and will be taking the fuel tankers out on the Combat Logistics Patrols working with the Close Support Logistics Regiment and the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan). Christopher explained: “During my last tour of Afghanistan I was working on the airfield, but this time I will be going on out the patrols and working outside the wire. I’m looking forward to it; it’s going to be a new experience”.This is Katie’s first operational tour, where she will be doing the same job as Christopher. The couple will both be responsible for working on the Forward Refuelling Points which are set up by the Tactical Suppliers out in field and they allow the helicopters to be ‘hot refuelled’ with rotors turning. Katie said: I’ve been looking forward to my first operational tour and when I found out I was coming to Afghanistan I was really excited.”Tactical Supply Wing has also been helping to spread some Christmas cheer, Katie explained: “Two of our friends from the team, Senior Aircraftsmen Sutherland and McNeil (Baz and Mank) are out with the RAF Chinook helicopters today delivering Christmas boxes and mail to make sure the guys in the patrol bases get their presents on Christmas Day”
Last Christmas Christopher and Katie spent it at Katie’s sisters with her parents, Shona and David Prestage in Alness, Ross-Shire but Christopher’s parents, Marie and David McCann will have to wait to host Christmas 2011 in Birkenhead next year. However, Katie and Christopher will be saving up their Operational Bonus Allowance to try and afford a deposit for a house in Stafford, so it might well be Christmas hosted by the McCann’s in Stafford next year!
· UK Forces are deployed to Afghanistan in support of the UN authorised, NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission and as part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). UK operations in Afghanistan are being conducted under the name Operation HERRICK.
Christmas day in BASTION
& KANDAHAR
& KANDAHAR
Katie & Brian McCann