16 April 2012 by
britisharmy
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| Corporal Georgina Coupe |
Corporal Georgina Coupe is the video camerawoman for the
British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout
summer 2012 as part of 12th Mechanized Brigade.
The current CCT includes me Corporal Georgina Coupe, camerawoman,
Sergeant Andy Reddy, photographer, and our team leader Captain Will
Campbell Ricketts. Over the next six months we will be providing video,
photographs and news articles telling the story of British troops in
Afghanistan as we continue to mentor the Afghan security forces.
For me, the best thing about my job is the variety of work and people
we work with. In the space of a few hours we can go from filming
helicopter manoeuvres to a Combat Logistic Patrol transporting vital
supplies across the desert. You can’t just arrive in Afghanistan and
turn the camera on. Before we deployed, we completed a comprehensive
training package, enabling us to be ready to go straight out on the
ground, alongside the front-line troops.
Arrival at the front line
We flew into
Camp Bastion, which is to be our base for the duration
of our tour, somewhere to call home but where we are unlikely to be
spending much time. Bastion is really a central location that makes it
easy for us to deploy forwards from.
We got into Bastion at a particularly somber moment as our arrival
coincided with a service of remembrance for three fallen soldiers. The
poignant services held for those serving out here are documented by the
CCT. It’s a difficult but crucial job because it provides a tribute for
the families back home.
The Welsh Six Nations victory was a much welcome distraction for the
soldiers who managed to make it back from operations on the ground. The
atmosphere was electric, and a great excuse for the Welsh flags to be
flying high.
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Protection dog Vinco has recently arrived in Afghanistan with his handler.
Photo by Corporal Andy Reddy RLC |
A big operational success was the handover of the final checkpoint in
the
Lashkar Gah area from British Forces to the Afghan Uniformed
Police. The occasion was attended by Afghan officials accompanied by
Afghan media, with whom I found myself jostling with for the best video
position. It was a great opportunity for us to try the local Afghan
cuisine and also to watch a game of volleyball between British troops
and the police (the Afghans won hands down).
Ignoring the age-old advice of never working with children or
animals, we spent a day with two military dog handlers. Andy spent quite
a bit of time getting up close with a particularly ferocious looking
protection dog Vinco, but came away intact with some great shots. We
managed to combine this particular job with a visit to Forward Operating
Base (FOB) Price, known locally as FOB Nice, with an impressive range
of culinary delights: a favorite pastime of my own (the eating side of
things not the cooking).
Link to the Military Working Dogs video
With the recent arrival of 12th Mechanized Brigade we’ve got some
exciting times and operations coming up, along with a selection of
celebrities scheduled to visit and we’ll be keeping everyone back in
the UK updated on their progress as it happens.
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| Volleyball
match between British and Afghan troops in the Afghanistan town of
Tabila, in the region of Babaji. Photo by Corporal Andy Reddy RLC |
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| Soldiers
from all around Wales have returned from operations on the front line
to support their rugby team while in Afghanistan. Photo by Corporal Andy
Reddy RLC |
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| Corporal Andy Reddy RLC |
Washington Time
Kabul Time
London Time
