MAY 15: IRAQ AFTER THE WAR: The first Royal Air Force aircraft to be based in Iraq have arrived on station two Hercules from RAF Lyneham.

The aircraft arrived at Basra International Airport at the end of last week.

The way had been prepared for them by small teams of ground crews from the base who had been sent in to do that particular job.

The arrival of the two new J-model Hercules marks an important stage in the recon- struction of Iraq.

About 200 RAF personnel many of them from Lyneham are currently working around the clock to relaunch the airport and hand it back to the people of Iraq for them to run.

The fact that the Hercules are now at Basra full time is evidence that the airport is secure and able to receive aircraft.

Over the next few months it is expected to become much busier and hopefully will see civilian airlines using it again.

Up until their deployment to Basra, the two Hercules were working with four other transporters from Lyneham's 24 and 30 Squadrons from a base in southern Arabia.

During the war, and since the main hostilities ended, the aircraft have been flying regular supply missions for coalition forces in Kuwait, Basra and Baghdad.

Their arrival at Basra means that they are more central to the theatre of operations and are proof that things are starting to get back to normal in Iraq.

Squadron Leader Rob Shields is the senior engineering officer with 24/30 Engineering Squadron and his detachment has the responsibility of keeping the planes airworthy.

He and other members of his Squadron left Lyneham on March 3 with the six aircraft for the base in southern Arabia.

"We were using them to move supplies and men around the theatre of operations and now things have calmed down a lot, four Hercules have returned to Lyneham and the other two are now here," he said.

The aircraft will be serviced by a 15 strong team of engineers and if a decision is made to base more aircraft in Basra more support staff will be flown out.

Squadron Leader Shields, 39, is full of praise for the new model Hercules which arrived at Lyneham over the last two years.

"It is an excellent aircraft with a real good capability and excellent potential," he said.

"Basra is going to be a busy time, but overall things have gone very well for us.

"Everyone is working hard over long hours and we have moved a lot of freight," said Squadron Leader Shields, who is a married man with two children and lives at Stanton St Quinton, near Hullavington.