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Friday 29 November 2013

Saturday is the last posting day for parcels to Afghan

With just 1 day to go before the last post for parcels to Afghanistan, the British Forces Post Office is gearing up for its busiest time. The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides a mail service for serving British forces personnel and their families worldwide, including those on... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Lightning II - an impressive beast

As training with the new F-35B Lightning II stealth aircraft continues in Florida, USA, a RAF pilot has described how impressed he is with the ‘game-changing’ jet. Flt Lt Hugh Nichols completed his... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Member of Estonian Air Force joins leadership course at RAF Halton

Master Sgt Pirje Reede from the Estonian Air Force in Talinn has just completed the Advanced Management Leadership Course at Airmen’s Command Squadron.  The Estonian Air Force is 17 yrs and 350 people strong. They, like the British Armed Forces, have... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Some Christmas stories have wings!

Storybook Wings send CDs of stories, edited and highlighted with whistles and music from the RAF parent who is away to the adorable child(ren) at home. Would you like record and send a story or would you like try your hand at editing them for others? (No experience needed as all training is given.) Christmas message from... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Thursday 28 November 2013

Inside RAF Brize Norton - On Sky 1 this evening 8pm

In the week that sees the RAF’s massive Globemaster transport aircraft flying in humanitarian aid to the Philippines, a TV series starts today (Thursday) showcases the RAF’s largest-ever cargo aircraft together with other stories of behind-the-scenes life at the Military’s... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Compensation schemes for UK serving and former serving personnel

New guidance has been issued on the compensation schemes available to UK serving and former serving personnel injured as a result of their service. There are a number of compensation schemes available, the scheme that applies will depend on when and where you... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Are you up to an EXTREME MUD RUN in March?

The RAF Benevolent Fund is offering new challenge event 'Airfield Anarchy'.  This exciting event promises to be the longest, toughest, muddiest mud run obstacle course in the UK.  Hosted by Airfield Farm, the event takes place on the former RAF airfield of RAF... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Wednesday 27 November 2013

MoD briefing - Against abuse of youngsters

From the MoDs Directorate Children and Young People. The Government is running a campaign against abuse of youngsters. The briefing document below has been written to provide information on the next phase of the... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

New bionic legs inspire confidence

Six months after receiving the new prosthetics, patients have been telling their inspirational stories about how their lives have been improved, including being able to play with their children in the garden and even gaining the confidence to dance in public. Some of the 50 personnel who have been... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

The Winter issue of Envoy is now available online

Included in this issue: Run Fast Keep Low, Herc Men, The changing face of Helmand, Light in the Darkness, Take it to the Top!, and much, much more… Click here for online Envoy

RAF crew saves crashed pilots in the Philippines

A RAF C-130 Hercules crew delivering aid in the Philippines have helped save 2 helicopter pilots who crashed into the sea off Manila. Having already completed two... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Celebrating 50 yrs of the Reds - RIAT offer special Pit Day tickets

People planning to attend next summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo on July 12-13 are being invited to make an extra pit stop as part of the RAF’s official celebrations marking the Red Arrows’ 50th display season. Up to 10,000 special... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF begin training on the upgraded Puma Mk2

The RAF has begun training on the Puma Mk2 helicopter following a £260 million upgrade programme. The multi million pound upgrade means the helicopters benefit from new engines which give them 35% more power and... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Tuesday 26 November 2013

From RAF Lossiemouth, your unit back home...

From RAF Lossiemouth, your unit back home... RAF Lossiemouth is sending individually addressed parcels to all 400 of its personnel out in Afghanistan over the Christmas period. The Stn Cdr, Gp Capt Mark Chappell, has also written a personalised Christmas card to each. Jennese Bailie, a PSF Welfare Clerk, has... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Secure funding for your child's school by TELLING THE HEAD TEACHER!

State Schools, Academies and Free Schools in England, which have Service children in Reception to Year 11, can receive the funding, which is designed to assist the school to provide mainly non-educational support (known as pastoral care) to Service children. The SPP is currently £300 per Service child, paid directly to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Monday 25 November 2013

£100K compensation awarded to female RAF recruits causes fury

The £100,000 compensation awarded to each of 3 RAF recruits for injuries caused by having to try and keep pace with their male colleagues on the parade square has caused fury. To read the weekends report by the... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF Regiment lay up 5 Standards

The RAF Regiment lay up 5 Standards and a Queens Colour and welcome their new Honorary Air Commodore, Sir Stephen Dalton. The RAF Regiment both old and new formed part of the congregation at Bury St Edmunds Cathedral as the Corps commemorated... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

UK in for the long haul to help Philippines

Britain will give the Philippines the long term support it needs to get back on its feet after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced during a visit to some of the hardest-hit parts of the country. The commitment was... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Friday 22 November 2013

Tribute to Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Kennedy

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Kennedy, died on Monday at the age of 85.  Sir Jock, born Thomas Lawrie Kennedy in Hawick on 19 May 1928 enlisted into the RAF as airman in April 1946 to complete his National Service. He was soon picked up to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Fish & Chip Shop opens at RAF High Wycombe

RAF High Wycombe has opened a Fish and Chip shop inside the Junior Ranks Mess, becoming the first of its kind across the RAF. The shop is open five evenings a week (Wed - Sun) for all unit personnel and... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Huge appreciation of the RAF from those in the Philippines

Arriving at Cebu on Tue the RAF Herc crew and support team quickly prepared the aircraft, with aid flights beginning the very next day. Despite being in the Philippines for less than 24 hours, they have already delivered 40 tonnes of essential aid to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Thursday 21 November 2013

Inside RAF Brize Norton - On Sky 1 this evening 8pm

In the week that sees the RAF’s massive Globemaster transport aircraft flying in humanitarian aid to the Philippines, a TV series starts today (Thursday) showcases the RAF’s largest-ever cargo aircraft together with other stories of behind-the-scenes life at the Military’s 'Heathrow'. RAF Brize Norton is the... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Royal Navy pilot flying RAF Typhoon

Lt Ollie Pocock has become the first Royal Navy pilot to serve on a front line RAF Typhoon Sqn. Lt Pocock, 25, from Bristol joined No 6 Sqn based at RAF Leuchars and is currently flying sorties as part of a syllabus enabling him to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF C-130 arrives in the Philippines

An RAF C-130 aircraft has now landed at Cebu airport in the Philippines where it will carry aid to the worst-hit and hardest to reach parts of the country, including Tacloban, Roxas, Ormoc, Guiuan, Borongan. The aircraft has come from RAF fleet in... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Tuesday 19 November 2013

MDHU at Peterborough to close

It is reported by the NHS Trust that the MoD Hospital Unit (MDHU) based at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will close next year.  The closure means 140 military personnel based at Peterborough City Hospital will move to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

NEM - A Brief for Service Families

The MoD launched a consultation exercise on the New Employment Model. But why is a New Employment Model necessary? Commodore Mike Bath, NEM Programme Manager, explains more about aspects of the NEM that will be of interest to RAF families.  In recent years it has become clear... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Katherine Jenkins wows personnel at Camp Bastion

Katherine Jenkins has performed two special concerts for hundreds of UK troops after making a visit to Afghanistan with The British Forces Foundation. The mezzo soprano singer, accompanied by renowned... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Monday 18 November 2013

£35M contract secures RAF’s Brimstone missiles

The MoD is investing £35 million to sustain the RAF’s stockpile of Brimstone missiles. A contract with British defence firm MBDA will guarantee the supply of weapons for the next five years. Carried by RAF Tornados, Brimstone has been... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Military spouse recruitment agency wins Prime Minister's Big Society Award

Recruit for Spouses, a recruitment agency which helps military partners maintain their careers, is the latest winner of a Big Society Award.  The initiative, founded by Heledd Kendrick, a former... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Grants for former forces personnel to improve children grades

Projects run by former armed forces personnel are to receive a further £4.8 million after research showed they were turning around the lives of thousands of young people. Education Minister Elizabeth Truss has announced that... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF keeps Britain’s promise as C17 lands in Philippines

The RAF’s first mercy mission to the Philippines was given a warm welcome by the British Ambassador to the Typhoon-battered islands. Mr Asif Ahmad led the reception committee at... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Op Patwin - The RAF clear the way

The main thrust of Britain’s disaster-relief effort for the Typhoon-shattered Philippines started in the early hours of Friday 15 Nov at RAF Brize Norton. As a team of movers from 99 Sqn loaded a JCB bulldozer,  two heavy... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Friday 15 November 2013

"We are increasingly having to spend taxpayers' money defending personnel"

A story in the Mail on Sunday said that the MoD spent £28 million last year on hiring lawyers to fight legal claims against the military.  In response the MoD said: "With a dramatic rise in the... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF C17 departs for the Philippines

An RAF C17 Globemaster transport aircraft has this morning departed from RAF Brize Norton for the Philippine Islands to deliver emergency supplies from the Department for International Development. The load being delivered consists of vital equipment to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Thursday 14 November 2013

Join Stoll veterans for a Christmas Evening

Stoll (formerly Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation) is holding its first ever public carol concert ‘A Christmas Evening with Stoll Veterans’ at St Paul’s Knightsbridge at 7pm on 19 Dec 13.  The Concert will include... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Don't miss the post!

Detailed here are the Last Dates of Posting to ensure mail is received at their destination in time for Christmas 2013. The document is in 4 sections for ease of use: Last Recommended Posting Dates for... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Would you like to train as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor?

Mental Health First Aid instructor courses for the Armed Forces Community are being offered by Mental Health First Aid England and are open to anyone from the Armed Forces community, the voluntary sector or health sector. About the Course - the instructor training programme is... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Deployed RAF Units of 121 EAW return from Cyprus

RAF units deployed to Cyprus as part of the UK response to the crisis in the Middle East have returned home. Aircraft and personnel from 121 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) were sent to... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Wednesday 13 November 2013

NEM - Second phase of Consultation

A second phase of consultation with Service personnel on the New Employment Model (NEM) launched on 11 Nov 13.  This phase takes the form of‘ targeted survey issued to 16,000 pre-selected personnel made up of... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

First Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft arrives at RAF Waddington

The first of three Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft has been delivered to the UK ahead of its entry into service with the RAF in 2014. The aircraft will form part of project Airseeker, which will provide the UK with a... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Britain to deploy RAF and RN to help those devastated by Typhoon Haiyan

The Prime Minister has announced that Britain will deploy RAF military transport aircraft and a Royal Navy warship and to help people devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.  At least one Boeing C-17 will be allocated to move vital humanitarian aid and large... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

12 (B) Sqn home from their final deployment in Afghanistan

12 (Bomber) Sqn returned home after their final deployment to Afghanistan and were met by 200 of their family and friends. The Sqn has been on deployment in Afghanistan since Jul and handed over to 617 Sqn at... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Monday 11 November 2013

The Archbishop of Canterbury on Armistice Day

The Archbishop of Canterbury has today paid a poignant visit to the Ministry of Defence and the Cenotaph, coinciding with the 95th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War. The Most Reverend Justin... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

2000 respond to funeral request for 99 yr old RAF man with no family

Harold Jellicoe ‘Coe’ Percival, a 99 year old ex member of the RAF died last week without close family. The funeral directors Roland L Whitehead and Daughter at St Annes, Lancashire, asked for service personnel to attend the funeral and were astounded by the... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

The Queen led the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph

The Queen led the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London with the Royal Family and Chief of Staffs in attendance, as commemorations were held across the UK in honour of those who died in wars and... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

RAF marks Remembrance in the Middle East

Deployed personnel serving with the RAF’s 83 Expeditionary Air Group were among the first in the world to mark Remembrance this year, at a Sunset Ceremony at their base in the Middle East. More than 100 British and... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Friday 8 November 2013

Strictly Come Dancing stars join RAF to ask Londoners to dig deep for Poppy Day 13

Royal Air Force collectors are urging charitable Londoners to dig deep and help raise more than £1m for the Royal British Legion. Over 300 volunteers from RAF stations across the UK are taking to the capital’s streets as part of... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Thursday 7 November 2013

In remembering those who lost their lives - Les Munro

617 Sqn was created in 1943 for specific purpose. Now, as then, the RAF continues to deliver precision air power in defence of the UK and her Allies. Here New Zealand Air Force officer Les Munro, the last... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

Wednesday 6 November 2013

OUR QUICK SURVEY ON NEM - only 6 questions!

In this quick survey we are looking to gauge how in-depth is the understanding of the New Employment Model (NEM). All service personnel will be affected in some way by NEM which will update the Terms and Conditions of Service including pay, pensions, allowances and... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link

No delay to new Rivet Joint aircraft

The Sunday Times claimed this week that 'Safety fears ground spy plane'. The MoD had this to say: "The article claimed that the delivery of the Rivet Joint aircraft, which will provide a... More information. If you are using a MOBILE DEVICE please use this link