18th February - Camp Bastion

Herrick 5
Hiya am writing this by torchlight as everyone is asleep because we had a late move last night. I am stood down till lunch time.
Well, I am settled into Camp Bastion, it is quite different to Kandahar. It’s huge, very square as it is set out on the American Grid system, very flat so you can see for miles, the mountains are much further away but it is a bigger range here and there is still snow on the top of these ones. I really need to find a map to locate Bastion, and then to name all the mountain ranges to know exactly where I am. The mountains are beautiful the colours change with the time of day. Bastion could also be renamed ISO City, everything is kept in an ISO there are rows and rows of them. (ISO containers that you see stacked up on the ships). One of the lads that died in the fire was a Stevedore down at Marchwood.
We attended the Vigil for 5 soldiers who went home recently, the whole camp parades for a ceremony. It’s very moving. Commanding Officers say a few words then friends have a chance to speak, it allows you to know the individuals. I am going to go and look at the Memorial with everyone’s name on it. There are so many different corps out here it was impossible to name them all. Living with the Army is very interesting they do things very differently to us in the RAF. We have a simple rank structure.... not the Army, you have Warrant Officer but you call him Staff cos he is the Regimental Sergeant Major not Sir, or you could call him Sir. We are in a strange position at the moment because the 6 Aeromed nurses/medics that have moved up here are under the direct control of a WO2 (who doesn’t consider himself the same as our RAF WO) and his chain of command not our own AECO or AELO as we are part of the moving party. We have arrived on mass and the Army keep seeing us as their asset and want to task us off to do things even though we are assuming Aeromed duties immediately. It will all sort itself out on the 1st of March when the move might be complete!!! and we come under our own command structure again. So Russ or Mark any help with the Army rank structure would be appreciated and how they work together in the Logistics!.
I have settled into my tent, have a rug on the floor and everything. Bedding is being sorted (thank you) and under bed storage has been provided. The cot beds are ok getting used to them and starting to sleep properly. My space is about 8ft x 8ft.
I cannot log onto Face book at the moment hence any pictures I just need the time and inclination to sit down and read the book and change the settings. Emma is sending out an SD card hopefully and ii will send pictures home. Talking of pictures would people send me 6x4 photos of themselves to brighten up my “room” I have a brilliant frame but it only hold 6x4.
Work wise, I had really good helicopter flight the other day down to Kandahar. Flew at 50ft all the way because of the nature of the lads injuries we didn’t want any altitude complications. The view was amazing as you can imagine. It’s a beautiful country, saw people in their compounds, working in fields, saw a camel train it was brilliant. Hard to believe that we are at “war” here. Couldn’t take pictures on the way as caring for patients but did so on the way back but we flew at the usual “safe” altitude 3000ft. That tactical ascent is something to experience. We cleared Kandahar at 50ft and for while then all of a sudden we went up directly up!!!!!! I know I let an expletive out!. Better than any Amusement Park ride...50 to 3000ft in seconds. Then the Loadie (Air Loadmaster) took pictures for us and offered in-flight catering Pringles this time!. It was about 1 and half hours there and back.
I am off to Herat at some point. I am going to do the job with Abby who I was in 2nd Poulner Brownies with all those years ago. It’s a small world. She is a Paediatric Doctor out here with the TA. I knew she was here and so was looking out for her.
There are loads of times that I just stop and think wow, or Oh my god I can’t believe I am doing this, watching this, being here. I might hate it sometimes but on the whole I am starting to enjoy the experience it is so far outside anything I have ever done.
They have 3 flag poles by the Role 3 and people can fly a flag for an occasion or in memory of someone so on the 27th Feb (the nearest date I could get) there will be a Union Jack flying over the Role 3 in memory of my Dad. Then you keep the flag.
While we had some free time yesterday we went to visit our American counterparts in the CASAF, they have a really good set up and the Lieutenant who showed us around made us very welcome so we are going to their BBQ at the end of the month and can go and work with them to see how they do their moves. It was really interesting. They have a traditional School bus converted with Stretcher fits to move their patients to the aircraft, so much easy than having a convoy of BFAs ( Battlefield Ambulance) and a minibus with the walkers.
I think that all for now, just time for a small glossary as some people have asked and I don’t always explain.
C130 Hercules Thumper = English one, Fever = American one.
KDH = Kandahar BSN = Bastion
Can’t think of others let me know.
Take care and thank you for all the mail it’s really appreciated.
Amanda.