BRITISH service personnel deployed to Afghanistan were reunited with their families as they returned to RAF Brize Norton on Friday.

It marked the end of UK Hercules C-130 Wing’s contribution to Operation Herrick, the term for all UK operations in Afghanistan.

The last two permanently deployed aircrafts landed at the base after leaving Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, on Wednesday.

Wing Commander Andrew Garbutt, officer commanding No. 30 Squadron said: “This is hugely poignant for me. I was there at the start, when we first deployed the aircraft to Afghanistan.

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“It’s been a privilege to be the final tactical air transport detachment commander to bring the guys and girls home who’ve worked so incredibly hard.’’ The C-130 Force was the only Royal Air Force team involved for the entire 13 years of the Afghanistan operation.

 

It provided tactical airlift support and also transferred freight back to the UK as troops left Camp Bastion.

But it will continue to support overseas operations and will be on-call for any future crisis.

Air Commodore David Lee, the RAF’s Air Officer Air Mobility, said: “This is not the end of Herrick for the Air Mobility Force as we still have people deployed on that operation.

“Moreover, we will continue to provide enduring support to Operation Kipion and Operation Toral and our presence in the Middle East will continue.”


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