Job done.

[Al R]

BBC NEWS | UK | RAF ends 19-year mission in Iraq (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8080382.stm)

<The Royal Air Force will mark the end of nearly 19 years of operations in Iraq when seven aircraft fly personnel back to the UK.>

The longest tasking (apart from Op Banner)? Some people soon to be pensioned off will have spent their careers with Iraq as an almost constant factor. Time passes.

[tezzer]

Thanks ladies and gentlemen.

[BEagle]

Did we win?




.

[Beatriz Fontana]

Nearly 19 years? Bugger, I feel old all of a sudden...

[SCINHead]

The shiny fleet have departed, no more visits from RAF News. Sadly we are still here - Keep on truckin' !

Bitter, moi!:{

[SRENNAPS]

I wonder how much paint was used producing all the Sqn Crests, badges, lists of personnel, etc, on make shift crew room walls, bombed out HAS roofs and side walls, doughnut revetment walls, etc, in all the various gulf locations we deployed to. Some fantastic art work and great effort by the individuals who did them.

Very fond memories and I am very proud to have worked alongside a lot of wonderful people in the gulf since it all kicked off 1991.

[Fat Lad]

Another frustrating headline based on inaccurate spin from the MoD’s PR machine. I would not wish to detract from the GR4 and VC10 Forces' efforts, but there are still plenty of Movers deployed to prepare loads for SCINHead and chums…..

[Lima Juliet]

since it all kicked off 1991

Didn't it all begin late summer 1990??? :confused:

[Safeware]

Al, what do you mean Some people soon to be pensioned off?

19 yrs is more than enough - I started IOT just before the Iraqi invasion and I've been out more than 4 years on a pension! (for those doing the sums though, I was also on a UAS:) )

sw

[Jobza Guddun]

Some good news for a change. Great to see the whole trail made it home together!

101, loved the flypast and subsequent stream departure from Marham, not something often seen at all. Well done :ok::ok::ok:

[pilots_aid]

maybe im blind but im sure a C130J and K just took off from Al Udied into iraq. maybe they are ghosts and not really still apart of telic.

oh silly me they are not apart of the raf pointy fleet so not important

:ugh:

[minigundiplomat]

No mention of the Merlin's of 1419 Flt still based out there then ? No, of course not, the RAF likes to forget about their 'dirty' JHC assets. Let's just let the press continue to inform the world that the SH force are all 'army helicopters'. Today 20:55


Aren't they based in Kuwait, and Fobbing into the George & Tonyland?

[Easy Street]

I think the RAF PR machine has screwed up again... they obviously wanted to avoid focussing solely on the jets' homecoming (not "inclusive" enough and could be perceived as aircrew-centric), so they tried to sell it as the "whole RAF" coming back. Cue predictable complaints from everyone still out there, and accusations of being shiny-and-FJ-centric!

PR would have done much better to have issued a release on the return of the VC10 and the Tornado, which for the first time in 19 years is not deployed on Ops (at least for the next couple of weeks). 19 years - you have to admit it's newsworthy! Many members of the RAF aren't even that old! They should have saved the headline "RAF Withdraws From Middle East" for when the last mover hitches a ride home...

I bet the VC10 guys were smiling through gritted teeth at Marham while they waited to see if they would be serviceable for their hop back to Brize!

[TheWizard]

Whether based in Kuwait, Al Udeid or wherever, there are still RAF assets carrying out daily operations in Iraq so not really an end to the "19 year RAF misson in Iraq" quite yet is it??

However, as said already 'if it ain't pointy or shiny.......'