F e a t u r e s
of all this! I was pleased to discover that I was entitled to the operational welfare package and that I got a phone card, which allowed me to keep in contact with Roslin. Whilst the 30 minutes per week available was fine for me, I would question if it is sufficient for someone with a young family at home!
The workload was busy but thankfully, the area around the airport remained peaceful and the patrols generally received a welcome from the Iraqis. It was noticeable over the few months 51 Squadron was there, that the British profile in Iraq was reducing as the Iraqi Army took over many aspects of providing security in the Basrah area. As a family man I was particularly moved by the plight of the Iraqi children. It was very upsetting to see the squalor and living conditions which the children had to grow up in. The poor kids did not even have access to clean water.
The last few weeks seemed to be the longest and I was really looking forward to getting back home after so long away. The wee dram and welcome home we received on arrival at Lossiemouth was great and both Roslin and I were very happy that I had arrived home safely. Roslin had obviously been saving
up a lot of chores for me whilst I was away and I spent most of my post operation leave playing catch up.
I found it very difficult to re-adjust when I went back to my normal job. Whilst being on an operational tour can be very stressful, it also gives you a real sense of achievement and fulfilment. Having been out on the ground every day patrolling
in Iraq, I found going back to my normal routine in the workshop incredibly difficult and dull as I missed the excitement and comradeship that comes with being a Gunner in the RAF.
To find out more about the Reserves or 2622 (Highland) Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force go to:
www.raf.mod.uk/ rafreserves
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Autumn 2009
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