RAF Lossiemouth base singled out for air force awards

RAF LOSSIEMOUTH has claimed three of 16 air force awards for its performance last year.

The UK's most northerly air base earned a clutch of titles during a virtual presentation of awards from Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Allan Marshall, on Friday, February 26.

Vying with units and personnel across the RAF, the Lossiemouth base took Main Operating Base Excellence award, the Operational Excellence award and an award for a health and wellbeing initiative.

Station Commander Group Captain Layden accepted the Main Operating Base Excellence Award and took the opportunity to thank everyone at the station for their tireless hard work.

He said: "It has been a busy year bringing Poseidon into service, re-laying the entire airfield and supporting round-the-clock flying to protect the UK at home and overseas.

"As with all military achievements, it’s delivered by the people.

"However, this year has been more of a challenge as we have done it whilst living through a global pandemic.

"It is a true honour to have been singled out for these awards."

No II (AC) Typhoon Squadron, known informally as the "Shiny Twos", received special recognition after an exceptionally busy year, with repeated international deployments and an instrumental role in the NATO Capability Evaluation (CAPEVAL), held at RAF Leeming.

A "Shiny Two" representative said: "One of my enduring memories of CAPEVAL was emerging from an hour of operating in a simulated nuclear attack to receive a scramble message for all eight aircraft simultaneously.

"The challenge of ensuring communication was passed to each aircraft team, to the line controller, to the authoriser and into the Expeditionary Air Wing to enable the timely launch was just immense.

"We were proud when it all went like clockwork, with all eight aircraft launching serviceable well within the time limit. A NATO evaluator said that we were the first country to have achieved this."

Members of the station’s Health and Wellbeing Challenge Committee received the Jon Egging Force Development Award for their health initiative "Where’s Your Head At?". The team set up a two-week online challenge website focusing on physical and mental wellbeing.

The challenge was designed for all who work at RAF Lossiemouth and could be completed in quarantine, at home or while on operations.

Squadron Leader Chloe Bridge, chair of the organising committee, said: "We found that the challenge brought people together, Covid-compliant of course, and promoted and signposted individuals to the wider RAF health and wellbeing support networks and opportunities.

"This was vital given how operationally deployable we are at Lossiemouth."