BASTION MOT: KEEPING ThE wheelS Turning IN hElMAND DefenceFocus Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | Ministry of Defence | issue #257 NOVEMBER/11 IN ChArGE We meet Philip Hammond as he becomes the new Defence secretary combatbarbie NANAVIGATORVIGATOR FINE TUNING: how CIVILIANS keep vehicles BATTLE worThy IN hELMAND p8 p18 Camera, aCtIon Regulars Army and RAF photo competitions p5 In memorIam p22 sIng oUt Tributes to the fallen Gareth Malone on his military wives choir p16 verbatIm p24 ross kemp Head of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary TV presenter returns to Afghanistan p26 my medals p31 CHrIstmas gIveaway WO2 James Palmer looks back Win a selection of HM Armed Forces toys p30 pUZZLES p24 Crossword, chess and sudoku Exclusives p10 Hammond at tHe Helm We talk to the new Defence Secretary p13 prIde of brItaIn Acting Sergeant Pun wins award p22 p14 a MOTHER’s TOUCH p31 Maternal healthcare in Helmand NOVEMBER 2011 | ISSUE 257 | 3 EDITOR’SNOTE DANNY CHAPMAN involvement in the liberation of Libya, DefenceFocus delivered by Chief of Joint Operations, I feel like I often comment, “what a month” Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, at a press For everyone in defence on this page. But for this edition I need a few briefing on 27 October. Published by the Ministry of Defence more exclamation marks. Not only have we Much more convenient for our Level 1 Zone C seen the fall of Gaddafi but a new Secretary magazine production deadlines was the MOD, Main Building of State for Defence has, suddenly, arrived. timing of the arrival of the new Secretary of Whitehall London SW1A 2HB I’m writing this on the day we go to print State for Defence, Philip Hammond. So he’s General enquiries: 020 721 8 1320 (as per usual), just hours before an expected made me happy already (I’ll gloss over the announcement from Nato that operations in fact that changes at the top kept my out-of- EDITOR: Danny Chapman Tel: 020 7218 3949 Libya are to end next week. Nato Secretary hours online news staff away from the pub email: [email protected] General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has on a Friday night – all in the line of duty of ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ian Carr already said: “ We have accomplished our course). Tel: 020 7218 2825 mandate to protect the civilian population What’s more, Mr Hammond agreed email: [email protected] of Libya.” Quite a success story in which to give us an interview in his first week ASSISTANT EDITOR: Leigh Hamilton UK Forces were of course deeply involved in office, thus giving us the chance to Tel: 020 7218 5988 (and many of whom will now presumably be introduce him to you, as well as finding out email: [email protected] coming home very soon). what he thinks about taking on the defence ASSISTANT EDITOR: Lorraine McBride My only (very personal) complaint brief and what his priorities are. Tel: 020 721 82341 about this rich diet of news is that it’s come Mr Hammond was keen to emphasise email: [email protected] too close to our print deadlines for us to that he sees his role as picking up the ASSISTANT EDITOR: Tristan Kelly cover it in any detail in this issue. But if you baton from his predecessor and continuing Tel: 020 7218 4252 look on the MOD website or intranet you with the same priorities. So hopefully that email: [email protected] will find reports on all the events as they means a bit of stability over the next few ART EDITOR: Mark Eagle unfolded over the last couple of weeks and months. But then maybe we’d get bored if Tel: 020 721 8 3658 a comprehensive account of UK Forces that happens! email: [email protected] DISTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT: Shell Daruwala Tel: 020 7218 1320 email: [email protected] Download Defence Focus magazine pdf online MOD does not endorse any product or service advertised in Defence Focus, nor does it verify any preferential www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews treatment offered by any advertiser to MOD employees. Queries on advertisements should be addressed to our advertising agency. Opinions expressed in Defence Focus do not necessarily represent those of the MOD. Articles on all aspects of The Defence News Blog YouTube MOD and Defence will be considered for publication Get a daily update of all the major At Defence Headquarters YouTube the but we reserve the right to edit contributions. MOD defence stories running in the media latest videos from across Defence can staff contributing to Defence Focus should ensure their with the MOD’s official position on the be found, including clips of soldiers on writing is suitable for open publication. key issues, as well as a Defence Diary patrol in Helmand and briefings from Advertising with upcoming events of interest. senior personnel. Advertising sales are handled by Shun Tamura Visit www.blogs.mod.uk and subscribe at Ten Alps Media. Tel: 020 7657 1810 to the daily alerts. email: [email protected] Afghanistan Blog Updated daily with official news on the Distribution Facebook/Twitter UK mission in Afghanistan as well as The magazine is distributed through major military bases, depots and MOD offices. Join over 200,000 followers at the HM with stories from across the media and Armed Forces Facebook page and personal blogs from Armed Forces Printed by Corporate receive Defence HQ tweets @DefenceHQ personnel currently deployed. Document Services Ltd on 100 per cent on Twitter. www.ukforcesafghanistan.wordpress.com recycled paper 4 | WWW.MOD.Uk/DEFENCEINTERNET/DEFENCENEWS | NOVEMBER 2011 inmEmoriam DEATHS ON OPERATIONS - 26 September to 26 october 2011 Rifleman Vijay Rai The Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei after completing basic training in Catterick in Rifleman Vijay Rai, from A (Amboor) September 2009. Company, 2nd Battalion The Royal Rifleman Vijay Rai soon established Gurkha Rifles, was killed in Afghanistan himself as a leading light within 2 Platoon, on Saturday 15 October 2011. A (Amboor) Company and it quickly Rifleman Vijay Rai was killed by a became apparent that this was a young gunshot wound when the checkpoint man who epitomised the very finest that he and his team were protecting qualities of a Gurkha Rifleman. Nowhere alongside the Afghan Uniform Police was this more apparent than on the sports in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand field where his endearing personality province came under insurgent small came to the fore. He was always at the arms fire. heart of any social gathering or function, Aged 21, from the Bhojpur District, strumming his guitar or treating everyone Deaurali, in the East of Nepal , Rifleman to his latest rendition of a Nepali folksong. Vijay Rai enlisted into the British Army on The youngest of five, he leaves behind 21 December 2008, joining 2nd Battalion his family who are very proud of him. HumbleD by tHe sAcrifice BrigADier eD DAvis, CoMMANDer of 3 CoMMANDo BrigADe, PAYs triBute to tHe trooPs of HerriCk 14 AT A London press briefing, following them that the opportunity for a better life were now supportive. The suppression his Brigade’s return from a six month was through a different route to becoming of the summer fighting season was a key deployment to Afghanistan, Brigadier an insurgent.” factor in this change of mindset. Ed Davis paid tribute to the Service From the start of the tour 3 Commando “We moved away from the personnel who have served as part of Brigade’s approach was to build on the psychosis of what you can and can’t do HERRICK 14 (April -October) saying: “It previous Task Force Helmand concept of during a summer fighting season; you has been humbling to see the sacrifice Shape, Clear, Hold and Build operations, to can do a lot more than just fight... you and the professionalism of our people. what was going to be needed for the future can progress the campaign,” said the Their humanity and their desire to reach – the transition of authority to the Afghan Brigadier. out to the people of Helmand and their National Security Forces (ANSF) and the In comparison to previous years, insatiable desire to make a difference national government. across their area of operations the has been inspiring.” “And that’s exactly how it played out,” Brigade experienced a 45 per cent Brigadier Davis talked of the said Brigadier Davis. “The tipping point was reduction in insurgent attacks against campaign in Helmand province as being 20 July when we handed over lead security ISAF and ANSF forces, a reduction of 86 very much on track thanks to the efforts authority for metropolitan Lashkar Gah to attacks a week. made during 3 Commando Brigade’s the ANSF. That really lit the touch paper “There were some spikes in tour and the hard work and sacrifice for Afghan appetite and confidence to seize activity, but that was as a direct result of ISAF and Afghan troops on previous back their sovereignty. of us taking the fight to the opposition deployments. ”As the tour progressed, the measure which completely unhinged them,” said “Increasingly the progress is of success switched from looking at how Brigadier Davis. Afghan-led. The Afghans have developed well the battle group reacted to being At the end of their tour, 3 an appetite to seize back sovereignty attacked, to looking at how successful they Commando Brigade leave behind a from the insurgent,” he said. were in connecting with the people through protected community about a third Putting local people first was one shuras. We also shifted from partnering of the size of Dorset, with 450,000 of the principles that guided the work the ANSF with us in the lead to enabling and inhabitants, which is around 65 per cent done by the Brigade over their tour, said mentoring them with them in the lead.” of the area identified as the target for Brigadier Davis.