Hiya as I send this I am lying on my bed in a tent online... its quite amazing really. Not sure if I finished the letter but want to get something sent.
Amanda xxx
Herrick 4
Hiya things have moved on since I sat to write this letter but I will leave the info in....... and continue with current news at the bottom. **
The weather has improved again, it is actually warm enough to sit outside again and yesterday there was a guy sunbathing in his speedos by the blocks. On the other hand I needed my softie (padded warm weather jacket) on last night whilst waiting for the Tri-Star to arrive.
There was an American repatriation ceremony last night, very moving to watch. The airfield taxiway comes to a complete halt while the coffin is ceremonially loaded onto the C17. There are some 50 people on parade, representatives from all Nations present at KAF we can volunteer to represent the UK. I would if I was staying longer at KAF. The Tri-Star got down but passengers weren’t allowed to exit the plane till the ceremony was complete. So we sat out on the pan watching the proceedings then shifted the CCAST team. My first time driving the minibus on the airfield. It was the “Newbies” in control last night but it all went ok. Got to bed just after 4am after the last move. Starting to feel like I know the job. Decided to go to bed when I got in this morning had planned to play badminton at 1pm but were informed at 12 that we needed to be at work for the visit of the Group Captain so am right out of kilter now as only had a few hours of disturbed sleep. They test all the alarms mid morning and that takes about 5 mins of sirens wailing!!. Then they came to fix the door hinge!!.
The Group Captain was very pleasant, on a fact finding mission asking how the troops are getting on the ground.
Before I left KDH I did a tac flight from Bastion (BSN) to KDH that was good it is the job I came out to do. 3 of us came up to take 10 patients back on a Hercules, 7 on stretchers so a fair size move. A mixture of local Nationals and our lads.
I am now based up at Camp Bastion, just going through the “logging in” procedures. Sarah and I after a few hours sleep were on the Firing Range this morning to zero our weapons.(We are well and truly into the wet season both camps have been heavily flooded...Desert..... sand No, yellow mud yes!) So as we were facing the prospect of firing 20 rounds in the prone position the skies darken and we get a full scale thunderstorm .Luckily its very explosive (the tent shelters almost blew away) but all over in a few moments and then the sun did come out and virtually dry up all the rain, so laying down wasn’t so bad after all. Also we got to use the American range that wasn’t as flooded as ours. After that we have just been doing admin, now back in the Pod setting up home.
The accommodation here at Bastion is VERY different to that at Kandahar (KDH, KAF), its permanent tenting that sleeps 8-10 per pod. There is a central corridor and the bathrooms and sleeping areas come off of that. We are on camp beds again, no duvets issued you have to “obtain” them + bedding or use your sleeping bag. We hope to get some up from the KDH rooms that had been bought by individuals. We each have an area approx 6’ x 8’. That we can hang covers up to create more private areas. We are issued a hanging wardrobe. So nowhere to unpack everything so need to organise bag and Bergen accordingly. They are permanently dark as well virtually no natural light gets in. On the plus side they are warm and cosy which is good as the weather has turned very cold and wet. The wet season is apparently late and lasting longer than usual. The bathrooms are ok all metal and the toilets and showers are all raised up 2 steps on a platform.
Most things are tents here apart from the Role 3 hospital that is hard standing. There are 3 pod dining rooms, the food seems ok.
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