Results tagged “Normandy Company” from Birmingham Mail - Band of Brothers

We spent 24 hours in KAF prior to our final flight.

Then after a few hours of much needed kip, we were eating lunch in the camp's British cookhouse.
Walking around KAF is somewhat mesmerizing as you take in the multinational diversity of the base.
Americans, Canadians, Aussies, Estonians, French, the Dutch, the list goes on, Kandahar is certainly a large and busy base, buzzing with coalition forces.

Evening meal in the American cookhouse was one of the best Army meals I have had then after a short walk browsing the boardwalk (an assortment of American built amenities for troops on "down-time", Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, a barbers and various other outlets & facilities) we headed back to the transit accommodation to get ready for our flight.

I got showered and started to walk back when suddenly I heard a whistling sound followed by a loud explosion (which was far too close for comfort) and then the sound of the camps IDF (indirect fire) alarm signalling that the base had been hit by either a rocket or mortar attack.

I ran back to our accommodation in my flip flops and combat trousers (fortunately I wasn't in just a towel!) to find the guys all lying on the floor in their body armour and helmets and I proceeded to quickly follow suit.

After a short "soak" period the commotion cleared and the "all clear" alarm sounded. Later we heard the unfortunate casualties were 6 Pilipino contractors, 1 of which died in the attack.
The good news is that an Apache Attack Helicopter was in the air within seconds after the strike and dealt with the insurgents, however for me and some of the guys it definitely brought home the realities of the theatre in which we had been asked to serve.

After that people got ready and we left to board the "Herc" for our connecting flight to the main staging centre and base for British troops on the ground in Afghanistan; Camp Bastion, Helmand Province.

NEXT... Arriving at Bastion

Finally the day had arrived - we were going to Afghanistan. A culmination of 9 weeks training started at the dawn of the new year and finished just before we were due to fly.

Both physically and mentally demanding, as an infantry company tasked with securing Camp Bastion and the surrounding area, we needed to be trained and proficient in the most basic of infantry and soldiering skills and our training package delivered this.

As well as being trained in a variety weapons systems available to the modern British Army (GPMG, Minimi, 50 cal.) members of the company were also trained to drive various vehicles (WIMIK, Snatch, Vector) which we will be using on operations.
Add to this a week of mandatory "All Ranks Briefings" in Dover and the mandatory 2 weeks at RTMC (Reserves training and Mobilization Centre) in Nottingham, a week-long team medic cadre, live firing exercises and a final confirmation exercise to ensure all the training and knowledge gleaned had been retained, you may appreciate we have been quite busy.

After a final weekend spent in between my girlfriends and parents houses, I waved goodbye to Steph and left for Swynnerton Training area for the final time to regroup with the rest of Normandy Company, 4 Mercian in preparation for the journey to RAF Brize Norton and ultimately Afghanistan.

Its hard saying goodbye to loved ones as anyone who is or has served in the forces will know and all my fellow fusiliers from Barrows Lane, Sheldon share the same dilemma however it is even worse for some as some will be leaving families of their own. Ade Booker, Dale Burgess, Chris Burden, Matt Ruff, John "Big Mitch" Mitchell and Tom "Ozzy" Osbourne all have children at home and the 6 month separation will no doubt be just as hard if not harder for them.

The Tri-star from Brize Norton like many military flights was inevitably delayed, we were told due to problems with the hydraulics.
Albeit behind schedule we took off and less than 7 hours later were donning body armour and helmets for our descent into Kandahar Air Field, in Afghanistan, ready for our connecting flight to Camp Bastion

NEXT - Drama in Afghanistan