10 Issue No. 43 Members of No 5 RAF Force Protection Wing, working alongside the US Marine Corps (USMC), have spoken about quickly regaining control of Camp Bastion Airfield following an insurgent attack, killing 14 and capturing one of the enemy. Friday 14 September fifteen heavily armed insurgents dressed in US Army uniforms and armed with PKM general purpose machine guns, AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades broke through perimeter defences and initially targeted tower guards with heavy fire. Tragically two US Marines were killed. Subsequently they attacked the USMC flight line, damaging infrastructure and AV-8B Harrier jump jets. The RAF Force Protection Wing based at Camp Bastion was quick to react, deploying forces throughout the camp, with 51 Squadron RAF Regiment pushing out onto the airfield and the RAF Police from the Bastion Security Squadron maintaining security around key installations throughout the camp. The RAF Regiment gunners’ aim was to reclaim control of the airfield. Supported by several different direct fire weapons, and co-ordinating the assault with members of 2/10 Battalion US Marine Corps, they moved methodically across the airfield engaging in various fire fights as they dealt with pockets of resistance over a period of some four hours. Flight Lieutenant Andy Beney was the Force Protection Wing’s battle captain located in the Operations Room during the incident. RAF Force Protection Wing defends Camp Bastion during Taliban attack He said: Everyone responded decisively, situational awareness was quickly established, and we were quick to deploy the necessary assets to deal with the attack as effectively as possible. Sergeant Al Bedford was the RAF Regiment incident controller in the Operations Room at the time of the attack. He said: We were attacked from multiple firing points; however, we quickly co-ordinated ground troops and air assets to suppress the enemy and then utilised those assets to clear the airfield of any remaining insurgents. We also co-ordinated medical support to the gunners on the ground and ensured resupply was timely, allowing the lads to maintain their momentum. Sergeant Roy ‘Doc’ Geddes was tactical commander of an RAF Regiment Flight consisting of 30 gunners on the airfield during the attack. He was himself injured during the assault, sustaining fragmentation injuries from a rocket-propelled grenade: Map of Bastion Attack
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