AIR force volunteers were put through their paces as an RAF Brize Norton squadron was re-formed at a “standing-up” ceremony.

Disbanded in 2001, No 2624 (County of Oxford) Squadron has returned in a force protection role as part of the RAF Regiment.

Volunteers give up their weekends to train and provide personnel in support of the RAF at the West Oxfordshire base.

Reservists spent a session training and were kitted out in uniform for onlookers before a handover ceremony on Saturday.

The squadron was initially formed in 1982, and one of the original members, Cpl Andy Knight of Carterton, was back to teach new recruits how to handle a machine gun.

As a Royal Air Force Auxiliary Squadron, it contains personnel who have ordinary jobs during the week, but who don uniform and conduct military training at weekends.

Having received the appropriate training these reservists can be deployed on operations across the globe in support of regular forces. Some are expected to be deployed to Afghanistan once their training is complete.

Cpl Knight added: “If you are sat behind a desk all week you want to get out and do something useful of a weekend.

“The reserves gives you a great opportunity to do this and to meet different people from all walks of life.”

Leading aircraftsman and Bicester electrician John Mitchell was one reserve under instruction.

He served in the RAF for nine years and said he wanted to put his previous skills and experience to good use.

Mr Mitchell said: “The reserves are certainly a professional, serious organisation; it is no longer Dad’s Army.

“People are expected to go to war, and indeed that is sometimes why they join.”

The Commandant General of the RAF Regiment, Air Commodore Nick Bray, said: “The Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment are going from strength to strength.

“You are all an example of that and I am proud of your achievements in Iraq and Afghanistan and wish you luck in the future, particularly those returning to those operational theatres shortly.”

The RAF's Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, Group Captain Martin Routledge said: “The RAF Reserves have been a fundamental part of the manpower mix since the 1980s, and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force exists to augment the RAF in the delivery of military tasks.”

He said the squadron’s revival “marks a momentous occasion in the progress towards increasing the size of our reserve forces”.

  • For more information about the squadron, click on the link.