Mike Longworth's Spot

Afghanistan 2011

2011-11-13T14:13:00.001-08:00

Well, That’s me back from Camp Bastion. I started Pre Deployment Training with Number 2 (Tactical) Police Squadron, Force Protection Wing for Op Herrick 14, in Oct 10 and finished in April 11. We deployed later that month and returned at the end of Oct 11. In all, it was 6.5 months after 6 months solid training so a hard year was had by us all.

Ready to deploy

2011-03-27T14:31:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to add some pictures of me now I’m ready to deploy to Afghanistan…

2009-07-04T16:05:00.001-07:00

Hi all. So I thought I'd share this picture with you all because I haven't published one of myself in a while. Well, there's no point really since I' very rarely in uniform nowadays!

Life at CI Ops (Counter Intelligence Operations), or Special Branch - to use our civilian counterparts title, is an interesting one that has me moving around a lot in the UK. My out of area will be in Afghnistan, probably early next year, for 6 months. Sounds daunting but I am actually looking forward to it because it is such an interesting job.

Back In The UK - for now!

2009-03-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hi folks! So my last sojourn was a relatively safe one in Bahrain. It was hard work with some dreadful hours, but well worth it. I was a Force Protection policeman there working the bars, clubs etc and gathering anything that was of interest to us. We worked hand in hand with our American counterparts in NCIS and I must say I was very much impressed with their professionalism and humour.

I haven't got too many pictures from Bahrain because:

a. I didn't have my personal camera with me very much
b. They'd look too much like holiday pictures because I was never in uniform
c. I had long hair & I look like a tramp with long hair!

My new job is with the Specialist Police Wing (SPW) in our Special Branch. That, unfortunately, means a lot of time away for my last 3 years in the mob. Still loving it tho.

As to photo's from Bahrain, I'll publish what I have soon.

2007 Basrah, Iraq

2008-09-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

So I went to sunny Basrah between April & August 2007 - and in that time, we had a massive 400 IDF's (Indiscriminate Direct Fire), or rocket attacks, on the COB (Contingency Operating Base).

We lost some lives there, both British Forces (Army & Air Force), TCN's (Third Country Nationals) and locally employed civilians.

The lasting memory of Basrah I'll take with me is never knowing where the next rocket would land. These were not small rockets; they were 120's, 240's & 330's rocket that did a lot of damage.

Anyway..enough doom and gloom....I did enjoy it.....in a weird sort of way. I was A/Sgt of a shift of 14 on Force Protection. We did PAR (Post Attack Recovery) - chasing after the rockets to see what they hit &, as RAF Police, dealt with whatever they hit. We also did patrols outside the wire on anti intmidation patrols to protect the locally employed civilians.

That's me at the entrance to the international airport. It was about 1.5 miles from the COB.

Here's a typical morning. 1500 LEC's would turn up at the airport for work. Even at this time of the morning (0700hrs) the temperature was well over 35 degrees

We worked closely with the Czech army and the Iraqi Military Police

These lads were all 10 Division (Iraqi Army) Military Police. Despite what has been reported in the media,these guys were brave and fiercely loyal to Iraq.

The challenger II is a beautiful piece of hardware. Scared the crap out of me so God alone knows what it did to the insurgents!!

Here's our accommodation. Corimecs with air conditioning - bliss in the 55 degree heat

This was my little pad. The air conditioning unit fell on me during one IDF attack. I moved my bed shortly after that!!!

Thats's me building a welfare tent where we managed to get a television rigged up! The bricks really do help stop the affects of nearby IDF attacks.

And to prove a point. Here's one of our lads posing for a picture, At the same time, a rocket hit nearby...

& trashed our medical centre.

Here's another one. We were on patrol one night when the road erupted in front of us. That's me confirming it's a 'full detonation'.

..........................& in the morning, we reviewed our lucky escape.

If you've ever wondered what a partial detontion looks like, here's a 122..and to how the scale, I stuck my 9mm pistol nearby.

Here's me on an anti intimidation patrol.

And here's a very relieved me after....!!!

And a very good team of RAF Police persons.

I loved getting to know the Iraqi's, and I loved the closeness that we shared as a section..working, eating, sleeping as one unit, but I don't want to go back there again. I just don't wat to go back to the same place. Can't see any point. I don't really want to revist any placeI've been before. I'll enjoy Afghanistan when I go, & I'll enjoy Bahrain (Oct 08 to Feb 09)

2004 - Falkland Islands

2008-09-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

I went on detachment to the Falklands in 2004 for 4 months. It was my first dedicated CI (Counter Intelligence) role. It was the easiest of the disciplines, Phys Sy, but the buisiest - just the way I like it. It meant I'd have to travel all over the islands - mostly by helicopter.

Here's Stanley road into Port Stanley

Stanley Harbour at dusk

At MPA......

.........The Joint Counter Intelligence Section (JCIS)

The road to the Police Headquarters (PHQ)

Of course, its not all work, work, work.....(you get Sunday afternoons off)

................I indulged myself in one of my passions; scrambling. This was at Pleasant Peak.....

Then there's the 4 day R&R....I went to Pebble Island.....

Penguins really stink. It's like a bad rotten fish smell.

1998 to 2001 - DMRC Headley Court

2008-09-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

1998 to 2001 - RAF Aldergrove

2008-09-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from RAF Aldergrove between 1998 & 2001

That's me on a 'snatch' wagon at 'Hotel'

Photo shoot at 'Hotel'

Riot training (I was the sub unit commander at the back! best place to be!!!!)

1995 - Detachment Gioia Del Colle, Italy

2008-09-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

1991 to 1998 - RAF High Wycombe

2008-09-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

1991 - Passing out Prade - RAF Newton

2008-09-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

1990 - Basic training

2008-09-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

I joined up on 22 May 2000 and did 6 weeks 'square bashing' - a term used for basic training. Here's a couple of pictures of me fresh faced to a strange new world.....

And so...to begin

2008-09-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to one & all!

This is a very selective blog. It is open only to family & friends who I can feel comfortable with sharing my experiences in the RAF.

I would ask you not to publicise this blog, share it's content, or use the images posted on it. Not because they're sensitive to national security, but the simple fact that the general public in the UK see us as aggressors and do not particularly like us.

Over the next few postings, I'll start loading pictures from when I joined up to present day.

Enjoy