Honington Herald Summer 2023

Station Commander’s

The days are warmer and longer and personnel at RAF Honington have been seriously busy. We hosted a visit by the outgoing Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Wigston and welcomed our new chief, Air Chief Marshal Knighton, and his senior leadership team during their flying visit to speak with Honington’s whole force.

Station and Resident Unit personnel were proud to be involved in the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and to support the King’s birthday and Armed Forces Day events. 1 Sqn RAF Regiment and 1 TPSS were quickly out of the door - in key enabling roles - for the evacuation of British Nationals from Sudan, whilst RAF Regt Training Wing and the FP Centre continue to train and graduate personnel from the plethora of their courses. Catering flight personnel took part in and impressed during the RAF Skills days at MoD Worthy Down, winning a selection of medals with AS1 Jones reigning supreme as the Junior Chef of the Year. Our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) fighters impressed at the recent RAF BJJ Championships, as did Station and Resident Unit personnel who were named on the King’s Birthday Honours List. My congratulations to all.

Volunteers across the Station help to maintain the fabric of Service life, team-work, and excellence and enable the Station to host events such as the regional schools STEM challenge, the many sports clubs and societies we have, and not least what I call the ‘flying lawnmowers’

who have been particularly active due to the improved weather and lighter evenings - Sqn Ldr Tim Taylor’s article is well worth a read. Another superb activity is the really well attended SSAFA inService Committee veterans coffee morning. Again, my thanks to the volunteers (serving and retired), RAF Benevolent Fund and RAFA, all of whom ensure that this event goes from strength to strength. Knowing what our personnel have been up to, and the effort they put in to all that they do is heartening. The quality of our whole force people and the excellence in training, really does shine through.

As my tenure as Station commander enters its sixth month, and following a visit by the Armed Forces Pay Review body, I’m acutely aware of the cost of living crisis and the growing pressures on all of our personnel. My Force Development Team is working hard to improve and grow the amount and variation of training they can offer, and from Wednesday 5 July (and every Wednesday thereafter) we will offer a Health and Wellbeing Wednesday opportunity for all Station and Resident Unit personnel to ‘down tools’ from 1400hrs so that they can participate in a variety of Force Development activities.

Why are we doing this? Well, some of the more mature work force will remember Wednesday sports afternoons, and the benefit that they brought. We are going back to best practice but offering more than just sport. It will be an opportunity to undertake an activity that perhaps we don’t

normally do. Alongside the sporting options we will also be hosting guest lecturers, giving us more opportunity for professional development. Alternatively, it is the perfect opportunity to get away from normal daily activity and provide a reset by thinking about something different and interacting with people from different areas of the Station.

Lastly, Station Personnel; please do make use of our superb community support team if you need to (and this team will be growing over the next year or so to increase capacity

My Force Development Team is working hard to improve and grow the amount and variation of training they can offer, and from Wednesday 5 July (and every Wednesday thereafter) we will offer a Health and Wellbeing Wednesday opportunity for all Station and Resident Unit personnel to ‘down tools’ from 1400hrs so that they can participate in a variety of Force Development activities.

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and further improve the service they offer). Our brilliant Service charities are not just there for veterans, they are there to support serving personnel whether or not you have a family. I’m conscious that our community larder is going from strength to strength (as are similar facilities at other RAF Stations). So, if you have any leftover batch cooking or are clearing out the cupboards, please donate to a great cause.

I’m immensely conscious how hard people are working, the great results they are achieving and the support that we all need. Over the summer I will continue to engage with you all, chat to you over a brew and find out how we can collectively keep improving RAF Honington as a Station and as a community, so that Team Honington remains ready for whatever is asked of us.

https://www.rafmags.com/magazines/

It seems like only yesterday I was writing my inaugural foreword for the Herald, yet 3 months have passed by in what feels like the blink of an eye.

WELLINGTON BOMBER T2802 MEMORIAL, STANTON

We were honoured to attend and support the unveiling of a memorial commemorating the lives of the nine crew/observers that died onboard Wellington aircraft T2802 that crashed in Stanton on the 24th of May 1942 whilst on a training exercise. Padre Jo led the remembrance ceremony and a small representation by the RBL, RAFA & RAF Air Cadets (City of Cambridge) with their standards, and local residents attended to support the visiting relatives of those who lost their lives onboard the Wellington.

20 May 2023

The aircraft crashed at Upthorpe, Stanton, between Wrenshall and Potash (Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat) Farms on the 24th of May 1942 at 1602hrs whilst on a flight and experience training exercise, practicing evasive manoeuvres simulated by an “attacking” Spitfire. After three steep turns at 6000ft structural failure occurred in the starboard outer wing which fell away to the ground. Survival at such a low altitude was impossible. Wellington T2802 was the first of 20 Wellingtons to have had a structural wing failure in flight during WWII. It was based at RAF Newmarket but flew from RAF Duxford on the fateful day followed by the Spitfire. In the mid 1990’s an archaeological dig recovered several parts of the plane which are now with local museums.

L-R = Bugler, Alicia Lovett of RAF Honington Voluntary Band, Padre Sqn Ldr Critchley, Sqn Ldr Dransfield, Fg Off Anderson

Photos courtesy of Peter Palmer

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESILIENCE

Sqn Ldr Richard Maxwell-Whale, XO RAF Force Protection Centre, visited Hartismere School in Eye, Suffolk, to deliver a talk about resilience to Year 11 students before they undertake their GSCE exams.

His interest in resilience has grown from personal experiences and his previous role as an instructor at the RAF Officer Training Academy. He completed a year of study into the psychological resilience of phase 1 trainees as part of a MSc in Leadership and Management. The talk involved dealing with difficult situations and failure, skills

to develop resilience, optimism and perspective. He even managed to utilise Lego to help explain resilience! The students found the talk very informative and useful as they approach their exams and life after school. The teachers also enjoyed the visit and are keen for him to return to talk to the next group of year 11 students.

Richard said, “it was a real privilege to talk to young people in the wider community about a subject that I feel is more important now, than it has ever been. We often confuse resilience with robustness and in an increasingly challenging world, our ability to learn from failure or adverse events (resilience) is crucial in building our future.” This visit is part of a project Richard is developing within the RAF to promote awareness and understanding of resilience and its importance.

Photo Competition Winner

Congratulations Mike!

www.rafmags.co.uk

The winner of our recent photo competition is Mike Gaukwin and this fantatstic image is of Indian Mirages taxiing out for a Cobra Warrior exercise at RAF Waddington.

RAF HONINGTON HOSTS REGIONAL STEM EVENT

Once again RAF Honington hosted school children from across the region in April to take part in the annual Robotics Challenge competition.

Station STEM Ambassadors from Cyberspace Communications, Engineers and Armourers hosted and assisted with the event. This national event is attended by high school children in Y7-9 who are interested in engineering and looking to choose STEM subjects.

This year saw 4 schools attend the regional final at RAF Honington from across the East of England:

• Alderman Peel High School of Wells-next-the-Sea

• Deepings School of Peterborough

• City of Norwich School (Ormiston Academy)

• Barnardiston Hall Prep School of Haverhill

The day included a speed challenge which required the students to program their robots to go as fast as possible along a 5-metre mat, stopping before they hit the Lego wall and returning to them in the quickest time possible. Another challenge saw them program their robot to collect rubbish along the side of a road and drive it back into a recycling centre. Further to this, the robots had to deposit a ping pong ball up a ramp and into a ‘recycling bin’, thereby testing the robot’s ability to traverse different terrains up a steep carboard ramp.

The students also participated in a team building challenge to create a radar out of a STEM kit which had to be 1 metre tall, with the radar dishes being 0.6 metres apart and to be freestanding. This made the children work as a team and tested their resolve establishing young leaders with their ideas and take on constructive criticism, all whilst having a time crunch of 10 minutes. With little instruction the children were able to come up with creative designs with Deepings school from Peterborough completing the task perfectly and ultimately winning the challenge. This saw them victorious and established them a place in the national final to be held at the Big Bang (NEC) in June. The students were also able to attend the RAF Regiment Heritage Centre hosted by Sgt Nunn, giving them an insight into the history of the RAF Regiment. Members from the RAF Regiment Training Wing also provided their VR kits, allowing the students to take some time away from the Robotics and experience a little of what an RAF Regiment Gunner might do whilst in training.

AS1(T) Samuel Dent

CATERING FLIGHT

The Catering Flight at RAF Honington has made headlines by winning a selection of medals at the recent RAF Skills Day.

The two-day competition was held at MOD Worthy Down, where the best Chefs and AGSs from different stations came together to showcase their skills and expertise.

The Catering Flight’s success at the event was not a fluke but the result of months of planning and preparation. Before the competition, the team had to create menus, source ingredients, and practise their techniques. They had to organise their equipment and supplies, and ensure they had the necessary support and backup to deal with any unforeseen challenges.

Despite the pressure of the competition, the Catering Flight rose to the occasion and demonstrated their culinary prowess. The team competed in different categories, Junior Chef of the Year, Junior Open Plated Chicken, Open Flambe, Open Plated Lamb, Open Plated Game and Open Street Food.

AS1 Jones, who competed in Junior Chef of the Year, won best

in class and a silver medal for her excellent culinary skills and attention to detail, she will now reign as Junior Chef of the Year. AS1 Dixon impressed too, winning a bronze medal in the Junior Open Plated Chicken category, while AS1 Bennet won a bronze medal in the Open Plated Game category. AS1 Gurung provided an excellent display by winning a bronze medal in Open Street Food and the coveted best in class award. AS1 Stripe gave a splendid performance in Open Flambe winning a bronze

medal in the process. Meanwhile AS1 Moniter won a silver medal in Open Plated Lamb, as well as the best in class award.

Concurrently, AS1 Scott stole the show at the Falkland’s Island CRF Skills Day, where she competed in Junior Chicken and Open Hot Dessert and won both classes. The Catering Flight’s success at the RAF Skills Day highlights the level of dedication and professionalism that characterises RAF Honington’s catering team. They are not just

Chefs but also strategic planners, problem solvers, and creative thinkers. Their ability to adapt to high pressure situations and deliver outstanding services under difficult circumstances is indeed commendable.

Congratulations to the Catering Flight for their outstanding performance and for making RAF Honington proud. The medals they won were a testament to their talent and leadership that guided them to victory.

AS1 Scott in FI winning awards. CAT Flt at MOD Worthy Down.

EDINBURGH MARATHON

On 28 May 23, RAF Honington Station Adj, Flt Lt Alex Andrews and his Dad, FS Phil Andrews completed the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.

The pair entered the marathon back on New Year’s Day this year as ‘Father – Son’ Challenge. With the duo both living at different bases they had to complete their own training programs with a few runs together.

The training wasn’t without complication as both participants gained injuries which knocked their progression especially with Alex being told by the physio “Avoid impact sports and DO NOT run the marathon!”

Despite these setbacks, both Father and Son made it to Edinburgh and stood with the 35,000 other runners on the start line. After a tense start they settled into their paces in the 20 degree sun.

With unfamiliar terrain and Alex’s

first marathon, the duo completed the marathon in respectable times and only half an hour apart. They were greeted on the line by their personal support team with plenty of water and Harribo alongside their Medals!

Phil stated “Looking back over the last 4 years and what Alex has been through I am immensely proud of what he has achieved.”

Alex and Phil were both raising money for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall of which has close meaning to the family after Alex’s admission with a broken back. They have managed to raise an impressive £1400 which will go to help wounded, injured or sick service personnel in need.

AN IMPRESSIVE £1400 RAISED SO FAR!

Photos courtesy of Flt Lt Andrews

PADRE’S PEACE

Honington has seen much change over the past 3 years.

When I was posted here in 2020, we were in the midst of Covid. Anyone who could work from home was encouraged to do so and it was so good to see the station emerge from lockdown and get back to “normal”.

Since then, there have been other changes; the new way the station is run, alongside the standing up of the C&RF and ASF forces have changed the ways we operate. And for many of us change can be challenging. We sometimes like to sit in our comfort zones –this only natural because comfort zones are reassuring.

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying “change is the only constant in life.”

In the military this is certainly true – we need to constantly evolve and develop to be effective in an ever-changing world.

This summer chaplaincy will change. I will be moving on – to Marham - and will be replaced by Padre Rachel Cook (Cookie) who will arrive here from Brize. However, Padre Jo will be staying till she is replaced in Spring next year, and Claire (OIC padres!) will be a constant reassuring presence.

In May I led worship for the Annual gathering of the WAAF/ WRAF/RAF(W) ASSOCIATION, at the Doric Hotel in Blackpool.

They meet each year for their AGM, social time and act of remembrance and rededication led by an RAF Chaplain.

I preached using the birth story of the prophet Moses, from the Old Testament, and the 5 significant women in his early life and how they encapsulated the characteristics of many women who served in the RAF and WRAF over the years: collusion, secrecy, instigating and acts of heroism. Any woman currently serving in the Royal Air Force or who has ever served is eligible to join the

Chaplaincy will continue to be available 24/7 despite all these changes, and whoever is stationed here will strive to care for those of all faiths and none.

Our ever-changing world can at times be scary and uncomfortable, we don’t always want change, but I have found that the constancy of my faith helps me ride out unexpected events.

There is an old Christian prayer which sums it up for me:

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may rest upon your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Change never leaves us as it finds us, and it’s not always a bad thing.

But we all need a place of constancy, especially when all around us is uncertain.

May the “constants” in your life keep you strong – even when all around you seems to be changing!

With best wishes and prayers

COMMUNITY LARDER

We’re making steady progress establishing the Community Larder here at RAF Honington!

Very many thanks to Honington & Sapiston Council, Methodist Forces Board and Church of England Chaplains Fund for the generous donations so far. We now have a fridge (!), some food being made available and a location…we now just need the permanent location to be made fit for purpose then watch out for publicity coming through your doors and to noticeboards soon. Whilst we’re working hard behind the scenes, please note that there is a temporary Larder located by the station Sports Pavillion, with a table and fridge; so if you have food that is useable but not needed please feel free to

donate it there. Also, do keep popping by to see what’s being left there – mystery teas are becoming a speciality!!

Hopefully by the next Herald, we will be able to announce a proper launch of the project and see the links in the wider community go from strength to strength as we push ahead with the Larder.

Please remember it is focusing on reducing food waste… NOT a foodbank. We are receiving donations from apps such as Olio, as well as personal donations. For more information about getting involved, please contact Padre Jo: Josephine. critchley101@mod.gov.uk / x7141

Padre Matt

This photo is all those who gathered for worship and shows the happy faces of the Association members, having spent time together as old friends and welcoming new friends…me being one of them!

Association for the pricely sum of £10 a year – for more information contact the Treasurer, Linda Hamill (who also acts as membership secretary) on laconslynn1@ virginmedia.com

Padre Jo

RAF HONINGTON PARAMOTOR CLUB

For those who have looked at the sky over RAF Honington recently, it is hard not to notice a paramotor flying over the Station. So, how do these things fly?

Iliken paramotoring to the old WWI era (and earlier) biplanes. It’s an exposed experience where you are next to the elements and have (relatively) primitive instruments and flying aids (some liken it to flying in a garden chair powered by a desk fan!). We fly on canopies/ wings/gliders (the names are interchangeable) that are air formed flying surfaces producing some lift (though not enough to fly independently). These wings develop your forward speed, so your speed limitations are down to your wing rather than the motor. The motor and propeller provide you with your lift. Ease off the throttle and you sink at the controlled rate of the wing, accelerate and you climb. The wings are synthetic materials and come in differing designs. I have a reflex wing which gives me good crosscountry capability and some limited aerobatics. Other wings have other capabilities like ease of launch, ease of stall recovery etc. The engines are, in the main, 2 stroke although there are some lightweight 4 stroke engines floating around. These engines usually consume 3-5 litres of fuel an hour. The next big thing is the green revolution and electric engines.

CONTROLS

The controls are simple, and there is some skill involved to take off but, I think, landing is far simpler. At low speed/low level, the controls are the same as a paraglider with a set of brakes providing yaw controls and brake/limited increase in lift. There is a grip throttle you hold in one hand and this controls your power, and therefore your lift. At higher altitudes you ‘trim out’, this changes the attack angle of the wing and the wing loadings over differing areas of the glider. Mine’s a Reflex wing that does some clever stuff with the structure, increasing the ability to punch through rough air. Then the steering is done with tip steering systems, which on my glider is stunningly responsive, and weight shift for fine corrections. Ground speed varies with glider, I get about 25 kts but trimmed out (best speed configuration) this can be further improved by about 5 - 10 kts with speed bar which further reduces the angle of attack but raises the wing loading and subsequent stall speed. The UK max altitude record is somewhere around 26,000 ft, achieved by Flt Lt Giles Fowler (the last time I looked).

TRAINING

You can fly these systems without

training or learn from YouTube, but you’ll have no insurance, which blows a hole in your plans if you wish to use most flying sites, and you are highly likely to kill yourself. I trained at the UFly4Fun flying school at Winglands airfield in South Lincolnshire. It’s geared to practical learning (there are no simulators) with some theory work to understand, in essence the ‘rules of the road’. Perseverance is needed as all this can take some time. There is a physical side to the training, the engine when fully fuelled can be quite heavy and you need to move around with that weight on your back. Some people (and Youtube videos) insist you have to sprint to get into the air, but this is overstating the case, a slow run is more than enough and most make do with a brisk walk to launch. Landing can be a little more sporting and some bruises can occur, the one area that will get heavily bruised is your ego! Nobody is above a spectacular landing that will deserve to be on Youtube! Once qualified, you become Club Pilot rated and then progress to Pilot rating, this requires

more training, some demonstrative tasks and another Civil Aviation Authority exam.

My journey into paramotoring started many years ago, having first seen paragliders when on adventure training in the German Alps in the early 90’s (we were running up an alp with bergans on, so I had to wipe the sweat out of my eyes to see them!).

Over a decade later I got onto a paragliding JSAT course at Crichowell. After qualifying I got fed up with looking for hills in the right place with the right wind to jump off, and then got my Paramotoring addiction. I still have a soft spot (and my kit) for paragliding.

Every club member has their own reason to fly, for some it is the ability to travel cross country and see things from the air, some enjoy the challenge and adrenaline of aerobatics and some (like me) enjoy the ability to go low flying. It develops everyone, your understanding of 2 stroke engines and their maintenance will increase, you have to be air aware and it is one of the best ways to destress.

Last year a couple of club members and myself attempted to fly around the coastline of England and Wales, a world first. Challenging, but the reward was a unique view of the beautiful British countryside in summer.

The question everyone asks is ‘How much does all this cost?’ and that’s a fair concern. It is expensive but, compared to any other powered flight it is dismissively cheap. The example I use is, £10,000 gives you all your training to full pilot, a brand-new engine, wing and reserve, all your clothing and helmet and a lot of flying, and you will still have change. Others follow the route of second-hand equipment, which can be a real cost saving, but there are

pitfalls you can fall foul of. As a comparison, earning your Private Pilot’s License costs over £10,000 and flying a powered aircraft consumes 60 litres of fuel an hour (and you have to pay for that!).

The Honington club is small with an enthusiastic membership, but everyone is friendly and happy to talk about paramotoring. Although there are no fixed club meetings or nights, we get out onto the airfield whenever we can and regularly fly at other airfields and locations. Because of weather conditions, this is often in the early morning or the evening. So, if you see us out on the airfield (or elsewhere around Station) please stop and ask about paramotoring, you may get hooked!

VETERANS COFFEE MORNING

Local Veterans came together in April as invited and hosted by RAF Honington for coffee and cake.

Reunited once again, the quarterly coffee morning is led by the RAF Honington SSAFA inService Committee and assisted by the RAF Benevolent Fund and RAF Association.

Over 45 Veterans attended from across Norfolk and Suffolk to meet friends old and new supported by RAF Honington personnel and of course supplied with plenty of tea, coffee and cake!

Station Commander Wing Commander Max Hayward welcomed and joined the Veterans whilst a raffle was supplied with plenty of goodies including a hamper from local Hillcrest Nurseries in Stanton.

RAF FORCE PROTECTION CENTRE

were tasked with refamiliarising 1 Squadron Remotely Piloted Air System operators. The team were able to refamiliarise 3 operators so that high powered day and night capable cameras could be deployed and safely operated if required.

Sqn Ldr Lawrence, the Officer Commanding Development Squadron led his team in conducting a knowledge exchange with RAF Leeming based Units. An opportunity was given to visit the 2 Counter-Uncrewed Air System Wing, 90 Signals Unit and the RAFX team who are at the leading edge of RAF innovation including space.

• 2 Counter-Uncrewed Air System Wing Wg provided a thorough brief on the leading equipment that they use within both Operational Theatres and UK based Military Aid to Civil Authorities tasks.

• 90 Signals Unit briefed on their capabilities that could assist in pushing forward with Force Protection tasks including NEXUS, which is a cloud based software that seeks to revolutionise how the RAF uses its information. More can be seen on this on the News Section of the RAF Webpage. In their support to the UK Strategic Command jHub, Development Squadron organised for members of the Combat & Readiness Force to deploy to Norway to support 16 Air Assault Brigade in Exercise JOINT VIKING. The team, including Cpl Waugh from the C-Threats team, conducted cold weather training before embarking onto the Setermoen Training Area. Using the Ghost Remotely Piloted Air System, they were able to capture vital Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance data to air decision making.

With the rapid deployment of 1 Squadron RAF Regt personnel to Sudan, Training Squadron

Sgt Clarke & AS1 Castle from the Synthetic Complex Air Ground Environment team attended the annual International Training Technology Exhibition & Conference (IT2EC) in Rotterdam, Holland. IT2EC showcases the latest simulation technology for military training. The team got to experience the latest developments and were able to question product designers and engineers. AS1 Castle even managed to experience Virtual Reality Close Quarter Battle, but he declined to comment on his performance. There were opportunities to network with other UK and allied military simulation users and the team were able to ‘deep dive’ into the latest iteration of the UK MOD simulation software, Virtual Battle Space 4 at the Bohemia Interactive Simulations exhibition stand.

Flt Lt Browning and FS Fisher from the C-Threats team enjoyed an opportunity to conduct international liaison with the Armed Forces of Malta which are tasked with primarily providing the defence and safeguarding of national sovereignty. Tasked with securing the military area of Malta International Airport the Maltese infantry has recently shifted its focus towards providing Air Force Protection duties to the Airport facilities including protection to VIP’s transiting to and from their aircraft. The team were requested to provide expertise in this field through a Training Needs Analysis assist during this transition. Outside of the demanding roles, some personnel enjoy participation and successes in representative sports. L/Cpl Jones of the Synthetic

Complex Air Ground Environment team recently won his third consecutive RAF F1 E-Sports championship, clinching the win during Race 18 of the season. Despite this incredible feat, he has not taken his foot off the accelerator as is now preparing to compete against the French Air and Space Force in the near future.

Cpl Smith of Training Squadron also maintains a busy calendar of representative sport. He uses his spare time to compete with the RAF Carp Angling Team and also

the RAF Motorsports (circuit racing) teams. He has gained sporting colours, having competed during the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons. We also wish him luck in the coming season!

Around a busy schedule, members of the Force Protection Centre took a couple of hours from their afternoon for Force Development at the RAF Honington MotorCross bike club. After a brief by Flt Lt Penny, the team took to the track on the dirt bikes to blow off some steam!

As the year gathers pace, the Force Protection Centre has seen another busy quarter with ever more support to wider Defence tasks within the UK and overseas.

Above and below: 16X 2 Para Ex Joint Viking

Image courtesy of FPC

Image courtesy of FPC

RAF REGIMENT

TRAINING WING

The RAF Regiment Training Wing at RAF Honington is responsible for Phase 0 (Attract & Select), Phase 2 (Role Specific Training) and Phase 3 (Leadership, Command, Continuation and Specialist) training for RAF Regiment Gunners and Officers – delivering safe, realistic, robust and operationally focussed training to over 2000 personnel per year.

REGIMENTAL TRAINING SQUADRON (ADVANCED). RAF REGIMENT BASIC SNIPER COURSE 2-22

Sniper Course 2-22 took students from across the Corps and over a nine-week period advanced the skills of a Gunner to those expected of an RAF Regiment Sniper. This involved high intensity coaching and instruction from the staff covering all the core skills such as Skill at Arms, Marksmanship, Navigation, Camouflage and Concealment, Judging Distance, Stalk, Observation and displaying competency in patrol skills during Exercise Roving Ghillie.

We had the pleasure of hosting Snipers of the Objectschutzregiment der Luftwaffe (German Airforce) as observers and guest instructors. Both representatives took part

in demonstrations, and it was beneficial for both students and staff to learn about German Tactics Techniques and Procedures and the equipment that Objectschutzregiment Snipers employ.

The final exercise saw students operate in scenario to support the defence of UK Air Assets and enabled students to experience a variety of patrols and tasks which may be expected of them following successful completion of the course. Out of a course of 12 students, 5 students made it to the end (testament to the challenging nature of the course)

with 3 qualifying. These individuals have displayed above average dismounted-close-combat skills, and therefore have demonstrated the qualities required to become RAF Regiment Snipers and go back to their Force Elements to join their Squadron Sniper Section

REGIMENTAL TRAINING SQUADRON (BASICS)

Following the Graduation of Trainee Gunner (TG) Course 3-22, newly graduated Gunners began the first Field Gunners Course. The seven-week programme would see them complete Defensive Tactics (unarmed combat),

General-Purpose Machine-Gun firing, communications and Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Training. The Course is designed to close the operational training gap on the front line and was planned and led by the Salalah Training Team. Initial feedback from the students was that the additional skills they were taught allowed them to arrive on their respective Sqns with an extra confidence and spring in their step.

El Alamein Flt, TG 5-22 continued to hone their Marksmanship skills working towards the Annual Combat Marksmanship Test.

Thanks to some outstanding coaching and mentoring in very windy conditions, all TGs passed the Test within the allocated time frame which is a critical milestone for a Trainee and provides a clear measure of success and increases confidence.

February and March saw several deployments to Stanford Trg Area to conduct Basic Fieldcraft and Navigation assessments. Ex BATTLESCHOOL tested mental and physical resilience particularly during the Bayonet Confirmation Lane which confirms a TGs ability to effectively use the bayonet in the tactical environment, and ultimately to close with and eliminate the enemy. Module (MOD) 1 concluded with Ex ALPHA, a nine-day Summative Assessment testing all skills taught to date at the end of which successful students are classed as ‘Competent Patrol Members’ and

advanced into MOD 2.

After a well-deserved period of Easter leave the TGs came back refreshed and went straight into a General Service Pistol package. 35 TGs remain on the course as they prepare for Ex OMEGA and a nottoo-distant Graduation.

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RAF HONINGTON GETS FIGHTING FIT FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Royal Air Force personnel have attended a vigorous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Training Camp organised at RAF Honington with three members having qualified for the upcoming InterServices Championships.

Officer in Charge of the Combined Martial Arts Club Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Wayne Elliott and Corporal Jai Nembhard achieved Gold medals, with Lance Corporal Tyrone Heaney achieving Silver in the recent RAF BJJ Championships 2023 held this year at RAF Digby

back in March. They will now go on to compete in the InterServices Championships held in July. Flt Lt Elliott said: “In total from 11 entered competitors, RAF Honington came away with an amazing 5 Golds, 6 Silvers and 2 Bronze.” He added: “Although winning is nice, just for the competitors to get through the gruelling 2-week camp and display the physical and mental resilience to even step onto the competition floor is a testament to them all. Attention now turns to preparing for the Inter-Service BJJ Championships.”

As the lead RAF Instructor for BJJ and Team Captain for the RAF Honington Team, Flt Lt Elliott along with other team members has built up the club from scratch post COVID spending the last 14 months securing equipment, training space and now over 35 members.

Flt Lt Elliott routinely trains at Thetford Mixed Martial Arts Club which is also known as Carlson Gracie Norfolk. Professor Lee Doski, 2nd degree BJJ Black Belt, has been his coach for over 7 years alongside multiple other members of the current RAF Honington team. Professor Doski kindly opened up the Thetford club to

the RAF team exposing them to the professional facilities for their training camp and without doubt contributing to their good fortune at competition level.

BJJ is one of many martial arts practised and actively promoted within the Royal Air Force. Open to Whole Force personnel, they train together and share knowledge and experience from a range of different martial art forms. Anyone in the RAF is welcome from novice to black belts and together they develop true fighting spirit across the Service.

The year has as ever, been an enthralling and fast-paced period, with key changes in the Chain of Command, exciting range-packages and the sudden arrival of the international Operation to evacuate British Nationals and entitled personnel out of Sudan. It is safe to say the Squadron has been kept on its toes – eagerly rising to the challenge.

1 Squadron RAF Regiment

Towards the back end of February, we experienced the first major change to key personnel of this year, with the Squadron waving goodbye to FS Jamie Thorp, and Flight Commanders Owen Davies and Rich Daly. We thank them for their outstanding service and contribution to the Squadron and wish them the very best in the next ventures of their careers. However, as familiar faces depart, fresh-faced ones must arrive to take their place and the Squadron has welcomed 3 new Flight Commanders straight out of JROC, each of them quickly thrust into rewarding and demanding job roles. Flight Lieutenants Lockhart and McIntosh have stepped into the role of Deputy Squadron Commander and Ops Officer respectively, and straight into the deep end, as is the usual case

with Squadron life. Both are very welcome additions.

March saw the Squadron deploy to the snowy depths of Kirkcudbright Ranges in Scotland on Exercise CHARIOT STRIKE for a 3-week range package to hone marksmanship and live fire tactical training skills. The Squadron perfected their pairs fire and manoeuvre, Fireteam and Section level attack during the day and night. This type of training is often a highlight, as it is the culmination of many of the soldiering skills required to be a Gunner as well as allowing those in command appointments to hone their skills against dynamically challenging scenarios in a variety of range layouts and enemy positions. The final week saw the opportunity for the gunners to perfect their

shooting abilities on some firm favourite weapon systems – the HMG and GMG. A true sight to behold!

With this vital training complete, the Squadron embarked on a well earnt 2-week leave period which unbeknownst to all would be cut short due to the emerging situation in Sudan due to the power struggle between 2 main factions of the military regime. The power struggle between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force known as the Rapid Support Forces has its roots back to 2019 where an uprising ousted a dictatorial ruler Omar al-Bashir. International diplomats in Khartoum warned of the possibility of an outbreak of violence – they would be proven to be correct.

1 Squadron received the greenlight to spin up 2 waves of troops to be sent to RAF Akrotiri for a tasking to Sudan to help with the evacuation of international diplomats, British Nationals, and other entitled personnel known as Op POLARBEAR. The first wave consisting of 18 1 Squadron RAF Regiment personnel were stood up and out the door within 8 hours from the first notice to move – a remarkable achievement.

A second wave consisting of a further 18 personnel were deployed to RAF Brize Norton with a turnaround time of just 40 minutes despite being on 2 hrs notice to move! In Sudan, the tasking consisted of operating in small Air Mobility Protection Teams to protect Air Transport assets in Al Wadi Seidna Airbase, 22 km north of the capital Khartoum, and Port Sudan International

Hand over of command

Sqn Ldr Jay

We wish Sqn Ldr Algar all the best in his new role in NATO developing Force Protection Policy and Plans, and welcome Sqn Ldr Summerfield back to RAF Honington for the third time!

Summerfield’s very first posting in 2009 was as a flight commander on II Squadron RAF Regiment, previously based at RAF Honington. In 2016, Summerfield again returned to RAF Honington as SO3 Operations for the Force Protection Force, overseeing the enduring commitments of the RAF Regiment, whilst resourcing contingency tasks. In Jan 2018, Summerfield was posted to 1 Squadron RAF Regiment as the Deputy Squadron Commander. In Jan 2020 Summerfield was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader and posted into the role of SO2 Strategic Plans

Airport on the east coast. A team in Al Wadi Seidna Airbase worked alongside 40 Commando Royal Marines to secure an inner cordon to protect aircraft and provided force protection for Engineers undertaking runway repairs.

The compassion and care provided by 1 Squadron has been noted and commended. OC A Flt 1 Squadron RAF Regiment has been

within the Air Force Protection Staff still here at RAF Honington.

Summerfield is a keen sportsman, with a particular focus on football and maintaining a high level of fitness. In recent years he has been competing in Hyrox and raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. He has become well known for his physically gruelling challenges, the most recent being 12 hours of chest to ground burpees.

Sqn Ldr Algar said: “I wish 1 Squadron RAF Regiment and my successor Liam, all the very best for the future. I would also like to thank every individual on the Squadron for their support and for making my role as Officer Commanding 1 Squadron RAF Regiment the highlight of my career”.

impressed by the commitment of our Gunners, their soft skills, and their ability to complete any task with the utmost professionalism. We have demonstrated our tenacity and ability to react quickly to ever-evolving situations, with the deployed troops performing an outstanding job. You are all a credit to the squadron.

Arkish Surrish – Swift and Sudden

Algar (L) will formally hand over command of 1 Squadron RAF Regiment to Sqn Ldr Liam Summerfield (R) as of 19 June.

No. 3 RAF Police Reserves

Exercise Winter March 23

An RAF Police reservist from No 3 RAF Police (Reserve)

Squadron recently joined thirty-four other reserves from around the UK, on Exercise Winter March ’23 in Norway.

Winter March is a long-standing joint exercise between the UK and the Norwegian Officers Reserve Association, commemorating the links between the two nations and the pivotal sabotage raid on the Vemork heavy water plant at Rjukan in 1943 – dramatised in the film, The Heroes of Telemark.

The days consisted of a mix of theory lessons on managing the cold environment and key aspects of operating in the extreme environments and skiing – with all levels catered for in various groups based on experience. They were physically demanding and long days, with fitness, determination, and an ability to fall over in style key to success.

The Norwegian instructors, all reservists, were true specialists in their fields; from a consultant trauma and pre-hospital care

surgeon and the NATO lead for hypothermia, to a survival expert used to working with and training special forces from all over the world. “It was an honour to have them give up their time for us and their willingness to impart their knowledge and experience, with the passion and commitment they did”.

A mix of weather was experienced from glorious blue skies and sunshine to full blown snowstorms but that made the achievements and experiences all the more indelible.

The group managed to ski up to one of the mountain huts in the Hardangervidda region used by the saboteurs and pushed on to a memorial stone on the high plateau to acknowledge some of the fallen following the raid. They built snow shelters, fires and learnt to survive in that environment, and were rewarded with a stunning show of the

Northern Lights in the evening. Naturally, as is the way, there is always a bit of competition with a little ski race on the morning of last day for the UK detachment and Norwegians, with Cpl Susca being the first Brit back over the line, having narrowly lost out to the winning Norwegian.

On the afternoon of last day following a significant snowstorm, the group were treated, on behalf of the Norwegian hosts, to visit the Vemork plant and museum, to hear the true story of the Heroes of Telemark, which was “a truly humbling experience with our Norwegian colleagues who hold those heroic acts by the saboteurs with huge national pride”.

“Ex. Winter March has been a truly humbling and incredible experience and I would highly recommend anyone attend. It has been filled with learning, development, challenges, reflection, and a lot of fun”.

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