Spoken from the Front Read Online Free PDF Page B

two Chinooks, supported by two AH
[attack helicopters/Apaches], one with two Paras and one
empty. The Chinny with the Paras (my aircraft) will land and
offload the troops top cover. The Paras will move forward
and recce the safe-house. It will be filled with either ANA
[Afghan National Army] or with TB. If things run smoothly,
the second CH [Chinook] will be called in to pick up the
ANA, or bodies of. If things go badly and the Paras run into
a contact, we will try to recover them while the Paras rain
down as much lead as poss.
    It is now 1640Z and I am supposed to be up at 2200Z for
a 0002 lift. As I was leaving the HQ a new piece of int
[intelligence] came in. There are RPG-armed troops amassing
in the hilltops, apparently with the aim of shooting down a
Chinook. I'd better get my head down. I don't want to fall
asleep when the bullets start coming!
24 May
    It wasn't long after I finished writing the last entry that I was
awoken and told that the op was still on. With time only to
clean our teeth, we grabbed our kit and made for the HQ.
After a quick brief, we got ourselves to the aircraft, flashed
them and flew to Camp Bastion, all while it was still dark.
The sun started to rise halfway over the red desert; five
minutes later it was 32°C at 200 ft.
    At Bastion, all the players gathered for a mission brief
given by Maj Will Pike, OC [officer commanding] A Cy
[Company]. The mission had changed slightly in that both
CHs [Chinooks] will now be carrying troops and landing
simultaneously. Int also hadn't nailed down a specific
location for the police chief and his men. Instead we had three
'probable' grids which would be confirmed by the overhead
Apaches.
    The Apaches would be looking for a building in a compound
with a blue and white gate, flying a blue and white
flag. Also, upon hearing the approaching helo, the chief was
meant to start a fire with tyres on it, thus creating a highly
visible black smoke.
    Before we were even meant to arrive on the scene, a
predator UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] would be high
above the TGT [target] Loc [location], providing a real-time
picture and threat assessment. With all these assets at our
disposal, we had a fairly good, warm, fuzzy feeling ...
notwithstanding the brief TB threat, which was significant.
    After a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich, provided
generously by the Paras, we lifted and departed the TGT. We
lifted exactly on time 0315Z and with our predicted 45 min
transit we would be on scene at 0400Z (0830L).
    I was in the lead aircraft and in the left-hand seat. My job
was to navigate the formation to the TGT, control comms
between the HQ JTAC [joint terminal air controller], FST [firesupport
team] and all of the air assets and run the mission as
we were the command aircraft.
    The captain (Squadron Leader Lamb) would fly over the
right and generally free himself of further workload in order
to maintain capacity. Another task of mine was to manage the
fuel for the 2 a/c [second aircraft]. The op was planned in
such a way we would be arriving back at the base with only
15 mins fuel remaining.
    Things started to go badly when HQ called to say that the
UAV was late and would not be arriving until after we were
on TGT. We were instructed to press on regardless. The
situation grew more tense when the Apaches reported that
they were high above the TGT, 5 mins in front of us, but none
of the grids matched the description of the safe-house. We
opted to remain high and south of the TGT and throw in a
few orbits while the Apaches had another look about.
    We were growing quite twitchy as we were orbiting over
known enemy territory, thinking the TGT was looking more
and more like a trap. I was also very aware that while we
waited, our fuel gauge was continuing to fall.
    Fuel was coming to a critical stage when an Apache piped
up saying he had spotted black smoke. We immediately
dived down to 50 feet and made best speed to the general
area, while I frantically punched the new grid into