BFBS
Producer Paul Condon recently spent two weeks in Camp Bastion
in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where he filmed three
‘Bastion Blogs'. In each blog – in effect, a video diary
– we follow a typical day for someone living and working
in Bastion.
There's the TA Liverpool nurse who's gently nursing a young
girl with burns one moment before rushing to A&E the
next; the Royal Engineers chef who has to come up with breakfast,
dinner and tea – for two and half thousand hungry soldiers;
and the RAF fighter controller watching and governing the
skies over Helmand.
The
Nurse's Tale
In civvie street,
Jan Aitchison is a nurse at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool.
But for the past three months, the Lieutenant has deployed
with the Territorial Army's 208 Field Hospital to Camp Bastion.
For Jan and her
Merseyside colleagues, each day presents different challenges.
On this particular morning, Jan cares for Pallucia,
a two-year-old Afghan girl who has suffered blast burns
from an explosion. Although she will make a full recovery,
the youngster needs lots of TLC. Pallucia's father has left
her sister with her for support and company. Jan also
helps out in the A&E unit when three casualties are
rushed in with gunshot wounds. A typical day for
her: demanding yet rewarding.
The
Chef's Tale
Napolean famously
said that an army marches on its stomach. Cpl Ben
Anderson – known to everyone as ‘Butch' – is the man responsible
for feeding two-and-a-half thousand troops three times a
day. It's an impressive operation. Butch, from 36
Regiment, The Royal Engineers, leads a group of chefs at
Camp Bastion's Super Kitchen. First, produce is flown into
Kabul from Germany and then driven, at great risk, by local
Afghans to Bastion. Then Butch and his colleagues
serve up every dish imaginable from cheeky curries to Italian
pasta, from healthy salads to good ol' ‘fatboy' favourites
like pie and chips.
The
Fighter Controller's Tale
The RAF's No. 1
Air Control Centre, is a mobile air defence radar unit that
can be deployed anywhere in the world. Currently located
in Camp Bastion, Flt Lt Lizzie Norton is one of their fighter
controllers. Her job is to manage the skies over Helmand,
ensuring that UK and allied aircraft can operate safely
and effectively. Lizzie plays an essential role in
policing the airspace and providing support for ground operations.
When not controlling the skies, the team at 1 ACC
like to unwind by watching a movie (Battle of Britain,
of course) with plenty of free popcorn thrown in or exercising
in their makeshift but effective gym.
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