Listening to the Voice of the Customer
In February 2009, Boeing Defence UK communicator Madonna Walsh and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems communicator Brian Nelson visited British forces in Afghanistan as guests of the UK's Joint Helicopter Force Afghanistan. Members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force who fly or rely on Boeing IDS-built Apaches, Chinooks and C-17s for their daily missions spoke of their experiences in the Kandahar and Helmand provinces. Also interviewed were members of the Canadian Forces, the Dutch Air Task Force and Royal Australian Air Force who, along with the British and 30 other nations, are a part of the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Note: Names of British Army members on forward operating postings have been withheld for security purposes
Stories:
All the Queen's Horses: The British Mission in Afghanistan
"Operation Herrick" is the code name for the United Kingdom's military operations in Afghanistan. Since 2002, British forces have played a significant role in both the NATO- and U.S.-led operations.
"The British role in Afghanistan is to improve the security on the ground to allow the [Afghan] government to make the lives of Afghans better," said Group Capt. Andy Turner, Commander Joint Aviation Group Afghanistan. "We can do that through aiding and abetting the election process and voter registration, and also through building institutions which will see Afghanistan through to the long term."
International Interoperability: United They Fly
Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan is home to 35 nations taking part in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and the United Kingdom plays a significant role.
The Apaches, C-17s and Chinooks of ISAF's Aviation Task Group draw strength from their interoperability. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts by working together.
"We can talk to each other, we can work with each other, we can exchange components, dovetail operations to minimize the number of people on the ground," said UK Group Capt. Andy Turner, Commander Joint Aviation Group Afghanistan.
Combat Engineers: Masters of all Trades
Ask any flight crew what's most important to its aircraft and the answer you are most likely to hear is "the ground crew."
The United Kingdom supports the International Security Assistance Force's extensive network of engineers, avionics technicians and mechanics who keep aircraft like the Apache, C-17 and Chinook flying.
"We're on call 24/7," said British Army Capt. Mark Britton, Attack Helicopter Head of Engineering at Camp Bastion. "Keeping the aircraft at a high rate of availability is crucial to mission success."
Chinooks in Afghanistan: Blades of Mercy
The role of the United Kingdom's fleet of Chinook helicopters in Afghanistan is threefold.
The dual-rotor helicopter is used to support the local government by transporting provincial governors to important meetings as part of the International Security Assistance Force effort to bring stability to the region.
The Chinooks also provide life-saving response through the Immediate Response Team and Medical Emergency Response Team. They use the helicopter for casualty evacuations, or casevac, to aid the injured, no matter their nationality or circumstance.
The C-17s of 99 Squadron: No Load Uncarried
While troops in Afghanistan may never see any of the United Kingdom's six C-17 transport jets on the ground, they do hear them taking off and landing every night.
The C-17 is a vital component of the air bridge between the UK and its forces on the ground in Kandahar and Helmand provinces and often arrives under cover of darkness. Upon arrival, crews unload, reconfigure, load and service the aircraft. They can turn it around in just a matter of hours, ready for its next mission.
UK Apache: No Greater Friend, No Fiercer Foe
Force protection is the single most important mission for the United Kingdom's Apaches in Afghanistan. Escorting Chinooks in the air or coalition forces on the ground, or providing firepower as needed, Apaches are ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We consider Apache as part of our ground force," said the Commanding Officer of Joint Helicopter Force Afghanistan (JHF(A)) at Camp Bastion (identity withheld for security). "It is the best asset for the job at hand."
Medical Response: At the Tip of the Scalpel
One of the most important missions of the UK's Joint Helicopter Force Afghanistan is casualty evacuation, more commonly known as casevac. Two teams are involved in casevac missions: the Immediate Response Team (IRT), which flies Chinooks to where the casualties are and the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) comprised of a doctor, two paramedics and a nurse who provide medical care as a part of the missions. Both teams must respond at a moment's notice.
Training: Fortune Favours the Trained
Long before soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines arrive in Afghanistan, they go through extensive training to ensure they are up to speed with the latest tactics and procedures. Once in theater, they are matched with experienced personnel to adjust to the hot and arid climate.
"Training before you get out here is crucial," said Flight Lt. Hannah Brown, tactical instructor and Chinook pilot currently deployed to the Helmand region of Afghanistan. "Some of us are on our fifth tour so we're quite used to it, but those arriving new are expected to operate as a competent co-pilot, even in the most demanding of circumstances."