RAF Honington: 29th -3rd April 2009

RAF Honington is the RAF's main centre of Force Protection and has approximately 2000 permanent Service and civilian personnel but also accommodates a large number of personnel undergoing training at any one time. The Station can be split into operational, training and support functions.

The Station is home to several RAF regiments. The RAF Force Protection Centre conducts Force Protection training for the RAF as well as providing specialist NBC sampling capability and part of the UK Nuclear Accident Response capability. The Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment is also based here. This joint unit, one of a number of major joint outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review, provides specialist NBC defence capability for all three Services.

Training Wing, also known as the RAF Regt Depot, is located in a purpose built building and provides all initial training for RAF Regt personnel, together with Further Training and signals training for all of the RAF Regt. Providing administrative and logistics support for all elements of the Station is Support Wg; the Wg is quite unique for a Station of this size in that it combines engineering, operations and administrative functions under one unit.

The good news I was told was that new equipment is arriving fast adding to the already packed training schedule.

Training plays an important role at Honington and they are proud that 25% of NVQ's awarded in the RAF come from Honington, each bringing a £800 pay increase.

At present there are between 750/800 airmen per day in the training school where recruitment is at 94% of capacity. The internet is playing a new role in virtual recruiting reaching over 50% of new applicants.

I cannot stress enough how impressed I am by the young trainees I meet. Here are young men and women of between 19 and 20 who will in a matter of weeks be responsible for commanding units of up to 30 men and they are ready, prepared and capable to perform the tasks in front of them.

We joined classes and mingled, talking freely to those on the courses. Everyone is dedicated to reaching their full potential. There is no holding back from the tasks; all I see is total concentration and commitment.