MAY 19: IRAQ AFTER THE WAR: RAF Corporal Geoff Williams is hoping to be back home in Swindon from the Gulf in time to celebrate two family birthdays next month.

Geoff lives in Pinehurst with his wife Julie-Anne, stepdaughters Natasha, 12, and Danielle, 10, and son Anthony aged two.

He said: "I have not seen my family for three months but have been able to speak to them on the phone.

"I miss them all dearly and am hoping that I will be able to get home in time for Natasha and Anthony's birthdays in June."

At the moment Geoff, who is aged 32, is part of a team from the Lyneham based UK Mobile Air Movements Squadron working to get Basra International Airport fully operational again.

"This project we are working on is very worthwhile. It is an excellent facility and with our assistance hopefully we can get the airport up and running again with civvy aircraft using it, and hand it back to the Iraqi people to run.

"We have got on very well with the local people we have been working with. There is a common bond because we both want to see the airport running properly again. They were particularly pleased when Branson's Virgin jumbo jet landed recently."

Geoff said the conflict had been a once in a lifetime experience for him.

"I would not want to do it all the time, but I am glad I was part of it.

"My wife was worried when the bombs first started flying but not so much now things are scaling down and it is much safer."

Another member of the UK MAMS team at Basra is SAC Simon Hammond, who is looking forward to getting married on August 24.

"Hopefully I shall be back home at the end of this month so that we can finish off planning the wedding," he said.

"We have done most of it but as you know there is always something else to do," said Simon, who is aged 26 and lives at Pewsham.

He has been in the RAF for more than eight years half of that time with UK MAMS at RAF Lyneham.

Simon has visited many countries throughout the world during this time including Pakistan, the Oman and Afghanistan.

He said: "Before coming to Basra I was in Kuwait for three months and generally things have been alright.

"It has been hard work, but it was good to see the Branson 747 arrive here with its cargo of aid because it proves we can take big civilian aircraft. We are all confident that we will be able to turn it back into a first class airport."