Useful

**Cuddles** · 03-07-2009, 07:58

Quite so...

"...thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait..."

What's that statistic, for every bayonet poker in the frontline, there are seven in the support chain? More if you count the civil ascerbics...

**Filbert Fox** · 03-07-2009, 08:32

Originally Posted by CAARPS

Originally Posted by Biggles4221

I heard a rumour many moons ago that they were on about doing a gong for being on Op Fresco! Anyone hear of it? More importantly can l have mine please!

NO and erm NO :D

When I was at the MDHU at Frimley, I was in chatting to the Ord Sgt when a Sgt and a Cpl came to the office door and asked if there was any news on when the Saif Sareea medals would arrive. Ord Sgt then pointed out that it was an exercise and not an operational tour!

**jack-daniels** · 03-07-2009, 08:33

Originally Posted by Filbert Fox

Originally Posted by CAARPS

Originally Posted by Biggles4221

I heard a rumour many moons ago that they were on about doing a gong for being on Op Fresco! Anyone hear of it? More importantly can l have mine please!

NO and erm NO :D

When I was at the MDHU at Frimley, I was in chatting to the Ord Sgt when a Sgt and a Cpl came to the office door and asked if there was any news on when the Saif Sareea medals would arrive. Ord Sgt then pointed out that it was an exercise and not an operational tour!

WHAAAAT! I was promised one for that! Would that be the one in 86?

**Filbert Fox** · 03-07-2009, 08:38

nah, Saif Sareea 2, 2001.

**jack-daniels** · 03-07-2009, 08:49

Originally Posted by Filbert Fox

nah, Saif Sareea 2, 2001.

Showing my age now!

**k13eod** · 03-07-2009, 09:31

Originally Posted by jack-daniels

Originally Posted by Filbert Fox

nah, Saif Sareea 2, 2001.

Showing my age now!

My OH was on the first phase of that exercise setting up and working in the field hospital. I could be wrong (FFS on this thread I have already been wrong in how I wear my medals/tie/belt/chins) but as I recall, the second phase coincided with the Afghanistan invasion and the field hospital went operational to receive casualties. Did this not qualify them for a medal?

**eodmatt** · 03-07-2009, 09:51

Originally Posted by k13eod

Originally Posted by jack-daniels

Originally Posted by Filbert Fox

nah, Saif Sareea 2, 2001.

Showing my age now!

My OH was on the first phase of that exercise setting up and working in the field hospital. I could be wrong (FFS on this thread I have already been wrong in how I wear my medals/tie/belt/chins) but as I recall, the second phase coincided with the Afghanistan invasion and the field hospital went operational to receive casualties. Did this not qualify them for a medal?

Not forgetting the use of a button down collar! (very nasty

)

**Filbert Fox** · 03-07-2009, 10:00

They were all back by the time the invasion went in (ex lasted September and October 2001), however the RAF maintained a 'field hospital' there throughout the early Afghan deployment but that was as part of Op Veritas and not Saif Sareea.
The RAF surgeon that I later deployed to Sierra Leone with said that they spent the majority of their waking hours by the pool at the hotel they were staying in.

Ex Saif Sareea isn't mentioned in the list of Operations that count toward the award of the gong:

Op VERITAS, Op ORACLE, Op LANDMAN, Op BLEED, Op DETERM, Op SCOW, Op DAMIEN, Op LARVA, Op FINGAL, Op JACANA, Op JACANA, Op RAMSON, Op BANDOG and Op HERRICK

**k13eod** · 03-07-2009, 10:02

Originally Posted by Filbert Fox

They were all back by the time the invasion went in (ex lasted September and October 2001), however the RAF maintained a 'field hospital' there throughout the early Afghan deployment but that was as part of Op Veritas and not Saif Sareea.
The RAF surgeon that I later deployed to Sierra Leone with said that they spent the majority of their waking hours by the pool at the hotel they were staying in.

Ex Saif Sareea isn't mentioned in the list of Operations that count toward the award of the gong:

Op VERITAS, Op ORACLE, Op LANDMAN, Op BLEED, Op DETERM, Op SCOW, Op DAMIEN, Op LARVA, Op FINGAL, Op JACANA, Op JACANA, Op RAMSON, Op BANDOG and Op HERRICK

Cheers mate ... but, out of interest, did they maintain the same field hospital that was used for the exercise?