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THE GRAND MASTER’S COMMENDATION
For distinguished service to aviation
ROYAL AIR FORCE ODIHAM CHINOOK FORCE
The Royal Air Force Odiham Chinook Force deployed to Afghanistan in March 2006
and has since also served on relief and evacuation operations around the world.
Twenty-five per cent (or 350) of the RAF Odiham personnel are permanently
committed overseas, and those not deployed are held at very high readiness for a
range of other contingent tasks at home and around the world. More than half of
all Chinook flying is conducted on operations and, to maximise the ability to
support more, engineering effort has been transformed to raise flying hours from
12,000 to 16,000 per year.
In the last twelve months the engineers and support personnel have enabled an
outstanding 7,500 flying hours on operations, nearly all of which has been
achieved in Afghanistan. This has enabled support to more tactical actions and,
given the criticality of the aircraft to everything, has allowed the joint
campaign to switch from framework activity, maintenance of the status quo, to
the deliberate pursuit of the enemy relentlessly and ruthlessly across the
deserts and into the mountains throughout the seasons. The imperative for each
mission is overwhelming and the statistics are impressive. In the last year the
UK Chinook Force has carried 82,316 troops, 1,976 casualties, including 61 dead,
and moved over 6,188 tonnes of freight into and out of battle. Such is the
threat to movement by vehicle that the Chinook is the only way to shift
essential food, ammunition, water and fuel. The dependence on the ubiquitous
Chinook, its crews and support personnel, in theatre is absolute.
However, with this dependence comes extraordinary technical and tactical risk,
beyond anything the Force has ever faced. Each Chinook mission involves the
convergence of operating the aircraft in the most extreme environmental
conditions, at the very edges of the performance flight envelope, in multiple
dissimilar international formations of up to 30 aircraft, preferably by night,
against a sophisticated enemy that evolves its tactics on a daily basis. Despite
instances when enemy-induced football-sized rocket-propelled grenades leave
holes in the aircraft and rotor blades, with numerous ‘small arms’ damage and
wheels left hanging by hydraulic pipes, the robust nature of the aircraft, the
exceptional flying skills of the crews and outstanding engineering support
allows aircraft to be saved and operations to continue unabated on a daily
basis.
It is predominantly a human effort. Eighteen year-old engineers straight out of
training spend gruelling nights fixing aircraft in intrusive dust and either
minus 15deg or 50deg Celsius to ensure enough aircraft are on the line. Aircrew
deploy directly from the Chinook conversion course with 250 total flying hours
in their logbooks to operate the aircraft. Crewman bear the brunt. On one
squadron every single crewman has engaged and killed the enemy directly at
‘whites-of-the-eyes’ range. Very few have not conducted heart resuscitation,
covered a sucking chest wound or inserted an intravenous drip at 120kts and 50ft
by night over the desert. Ultimately, though, the Chinook Force pilots are those
that decide whether an aircraft lands or takes off. More often than not it is a
split-second judgement with incomplete facts and enormous technical uncertainty
upon which rests up to 40 lives.
For their efforts, the Chinook Force continues to attract considerable praise
from those who really count – privates and lance corporals on the ground. The
unmistakeable chest thumping sound of the Chinook rotors at speed is as
motivating to the Helmand Task Force as it is frightening to the Taliban.
Overall, in every corner and component of the Chinook Force, effort this year
has been spectacular. Raising the bar again with an absolute focus on the joint
campaign, the effect the Chinook Force achieves in theatre is high profile,
prolific and profound. For its achievements and delivery of outstanding services
in the air, the RAF Odiham Chinook Force is awarded the Grand Master’s Medal.
Previous Winners
1982 Captain Drennen - Army Air Corps
1983-85 Not Awarded
1986 Len R Carolan Esq - Sec. Australian Region
1987-88 Not Awarded
1989 Darrol Stinton Esq
1990 Not Awarded
1991 28 (AC) Squadron RAF and Royal Hong Kong
Auxiliary Air Force
1992 Professor Helen Muir
1993 The Crew of S61-A Helicopter (Royal Malaysian)
1994 Not Awarded
1995 The Red Arrows Winter Tour 1995/96
1996 Frank Wootton Esq
1997 Major N O'Brien
1998 Willam G Scull
1999 Sdn Ldr Frederick Dacosta, Sqd Ldr P Day
2000 No7 Squadron Royal Air Force
2001 Squadron Leader Richard Phillips
2002 Peter Charles Tait
2003 Flight Lieutenant Jonathan Paul Michael
Adamson RAF
2004
Sqn Ldr John Hector Francis
McNeilL-Matthews
2005 202 Squadron Royal
Air Force
2006 Number 1 (Fighter)
Squadron Royal Air Force
2007 Royal Air Force
Odiham Chinook Force
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