Royal Air Force, The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy KCB CBE DSO ADC BSc (Eng) FRAeS RAF, has praised the outstanding work of the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan during a visit to the country on Monday 25 September 2006.
Sir Glenn visited Kandahar airfield, where he met a variety of RAF personnel including members of the RAF Regiment, air crew, ground crew and support personnel.
He praised all of them for their professionalism and dedication in such difficult conditions. The RAF Regiment is now responsible for perimeter security at Kandahar airfield, which has been the target of numerous Taliban rocket attacks in recent months.
Speaking after the visit, Sir Glenn said:
“There has been a huge amount of progress since I was last in Afghanistan as Chief of Joint Operations six months ago. Nobody underestimated the challenge we would face in Afghanistan , but this operation has shown what can be achieved. Everyone out here has done an outstanding job.”
He was also quick to praise the role of the RAF, both on the ground and in the air:
“Deploying the RAF Regiment here has led to significant improvements in force protection and the security of the airfield. Meanwhile all sections of the air component have played a vital role in this joint operation.
“Our Harriers have been crucial in close air support and reconnaissance. The Chinooks have been outstanding in supporting ground troops in an extremely challenging environment and under great threat.
“The C130 Hercules have provided significant air drops and have been able to land on semi-prepared landing strips. The Nimrod has also provided excellent support to the whole Coalition effort. I am extremely proud of the professionalism and skill shown by all of our personnel in Afghanistan.”
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