Scotland

200 RAF personnel in homecoming parade

More than 200 RAF personnel from Number 6 Force Protection Wing including Number 58 Squadron, RAF Regiment have paraded through the streets of St Andrews to mark their homecoming.

After a successful seven-month tour in Afghanistan they returned to RAF Leuchars having deployed in April to co-ordinate the defence of the airfield at Camp Bastion from indirect fire and ground attack and protect International Security Assistance Force air assets.

Air Officer for Scotland and Station Commander, RAF Leuchars, Air Commodore Gavin Parker, said in his address:

“During their tour of Operations, based at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, they made a vital contribution to NATO-led efforts to rebuild Afghanistan, often risking their own lives to offer its people the hope of a better future.

“Living and working in extremely challenging conditions, they spent more than 15,000 hours on patrol and successfully dealt with 163 separate security incidents. During the course of their tour they responded to nearly 200 medical emergencies, evacuating 381 casualties often under enemy fire, and on one occasion, incurring a casualty of their own.

“The fact that all have managed to return safely to the UK says more about their professionalism, commitment, training and teamwork than it does about the very great danger they faced on a daily basis. Throughout they performed magnificently and we should all be incredibly proud and grateful for their efforts.”

Squadron Leader David Stellitano, Officer Commanding 58 Sqn, said:

“Every single man has delivered an outstanding personal performance and played his part in ensuring the success of the squadron on operations essential to the UK effort. They are a very young Squadron having reformed a year ago to undertake this deployment. They’ve done exceptionally well in desert conditions dealing with temperatures of 50 degrees down to freezing. It’s lovely to be back, this is our first chance to showcase the squadron to the local community en masse and march through the town, which we are delighted to be able to do.”