Royal Naval Reservist Aircraft Engineer Mechanic Michelle Ping was mentioned in dispatches for her bravery during her first tour of Afghanistan last year. Ping usually works for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service in Leeds, but during her tour she was a paramedic attached to various foot patrols. When one of her team was shot while on a rooftop, she lay on top of him to protect him from further injuries.

Members of the Naval Service took four of the ten awards presented at the Sun Military Awards – better known as the Millies – a glittering event in London also attended by royalty and celebrities. …

Billed as ‘a night of heroes’ at the Imperial War Museum in London the fourth annual awards – endorsed by the Ministry of Defence and better known as the Millies – saw soldiers, sailors and airmen rub shoulders with royalty, military and political leaders, including Prime Minister David Cameron, and celebrities such as footballer David Beckham, Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, Little Britain’s David Walliams and Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry were guests of honour with four of the ten awards being presented to members of the Naval Service.

Navy News

Undeterred by the blizzard of gunfire around her, paramedic Michelle Ping sprinted on to a roof to shield a stricken comrade and give him first aid.
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UPDATE: BBC 16 March 2012 Last updated at 14:07 ET Bedouin in Egypt’s Sinai ‘end siege of monitor camp’

The Bedouin, who surrounded the camp belonging to the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), reportedly reached an understanding with the authorities. Officials have been given a month to release several jailed tribesmen, some of them convicted of terrorism charges.

MFO North Camp, located at El Goreh, Egypt

Yesterday’s initial reports that a group of armed Bedouin had surrounded an installation of the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) in Egypt’s northern Sinai desert are true. North Camp, the largest of the MFO installations, has been surrounded by about 300 armed Bedouin tribesmen demanding the release, from Egyptian custody, of five of their fellow tribesmen.

Various reports suggest that about 80 Americans, 35 Uruguayans, 300 Colombians and at least two Czechs are being detained in the camp.
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While this category is normally used to recognize women in the U.S. military, we do find our allies providing their best to the fight as well.

Canadian Forces Medical Technician Cpl Christine Borkowski measures the blood pressure of a soldier stationed at Camp Alamo in Kabul, Afghansitan. Image by Master Cpl. Chris Ward

With a smiling, reassuring face, she places the thermometer in the soldier’s mouth and tightens the wrap around his arm to take his blood pressure. “Most likely, you’ve got the virus that is going around the camp,” she says, “but we’ll check you out.”

Cpl. Christie Borkowski, from 150 Mile House, B.C., is living the twin goals she set for herself in her youth – a medical and military career.

A medical technician with 1 Field Ambulance from Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Cpl. Borkowski is serving in Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces contribution to the NATO training mission.

Cpl. Borkowski works in the unit medical station at Camp Alamo, the coalition camp located within the Afghan National Army’s Kabul Military Training Centre on the east side of Kabul. She has served in the Army – wearing an Air Force uniform – for four years and plans to make the military a career.

Cpl. Borkowski’s introduction to medicine was first aid training during a babysitting course she took at the age of 12.

“I always enjoyed the medical field,” said Cpl. Borkowski. “I kept up with my first aid training all through high school and I took some athletic first aid courses. I was part of a volunteer fire department back home for four years, both as a first responder and as a firefighter.”

“I grew up near my grandfather’s ranch where I had to do a lot of veterinary type of stuff for the horses and cows,” said Cpl. Borkowski. “It was great.”

Her family encouraged her passion for the military. “Both of my grandfathers were in the Royal Canadian Air Force… with my interest in medicine, I just sort of fell into combining the two.”

Although some Canadian Forces medical personnel serving on the training mission have duties advising Afghan Army doctors and support staff, Cpl. Borkowski’s role is different. “I serve in an integral support role, supporting our troops,” she said. “This deployment has been different than what I had expected.”

“I came prepared to treat injuries like they had seen in southern Afghanistan battling insurgents,” said Cpl. Borkowski. “But our mission is now in a training role. That means we see things like viruses and sprains – things you normally see back in Canadain a walk-in clinic on a base.”

Cpl. Borkowski’s smile these days likely seems even brighter because she is nearing the end of her five month deployment. By the end of March she will return to Edmonton where she and her fiancé will finish planning their summer wedding. Like Cpl. Borkowski, her fiancé Pte. Adam Blackwell of St. Thomas, Ont., is a medical technician in the Canadian Army.

By Gary Hengstler
Kabul Military Training Centre
Nato Training Mission – Afghanistan

German Navy Bremen Class frigate Koln

EUNAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN has today, 28 September, stopped and boarded a suspicious group of two small boats, a whaler and skiff.

The suspicious boats were located by FGS KÖLN 70 nautical miles South West off Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 miles off the coast. A helicopter was sent to inspect the group of boats and 12 people with equipment usually associated with piracy were seen on board. The boats refused to stop when hailed. KÖLN’s helicopter fired warning shots ahead of the skiff which caused the boat to stop.

German Navy chases suspicious skiff off Somalia

Supicious Somali Skiff with RPG and Ladders and Fuel

Suspected Somali pirates throw weapons overboard

Before the boats could be boarded by teams from FGS KÖLN, the crew of the boats started to throw weapons and other items overboard. The skiff, whaler and their engines were destroyed to prevent any potential future use for piracy and the men released close to the shore.

This disruption has undoubtedly hampered potential pirate action on merchant shipping and vulnerable vessels in the area.

EU NAVFOR Somalia is a counter-piracy taskforce operating in the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean responsible for deterring, preventing and repressing acts of piracy, for the safe escort of ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to protect other vulnerable vessels. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia./blockquote>
EU NAVFOR Somalia

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Table of contents for Pirates

1. Peleliu Stops Pirate Attack
2. Navy Tanker fights Off Pirates
3. Navy Continues to Eye Pirates
4. US Navy Aids Ship Released By Pirates
5. US Navy Jugs Somali Pirates
6. Navy Detains Somali Pirates
7. Maersk Alabama Taken By Somali Pirates
8. Navy Rescues Pirate Captive
9. Pics From the Pirate Rescue Off Somalia
10. This Is a Pirate Ship?
11. USS McFaul nabs pirates off Oman
12. Marine Hymn still echoes: Pirates taken down off Somalia
13. German Navy Intercepts Somali Pirates
14. Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
15. Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
16. Pirates Attack Spanish Warship
17. Somali Piracy Update

2nd Lt. Joel Steele, rifle platoon commander for 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, gives a welcome aboard orientation to the Marines of 3/5 upon arrival to Tonga. Photo by Cpl. Salvador R. Moreno

Approximately 60 Marines and sailors from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, arrived in the Kingdom of Tonga for Exercise Tafakula 2011, Aug. 9.

The multilateral exercise between the U.S. Marines, Tongan Defense Service and French Armed Forces, New Caledonia will increase joint operations and improve U.S. military-to-military relations with foreign services.

The three services are expected to share tactics and procedures while conducting operations in unfamiliar terrain.

“The majority of it will take place in and around Camp Taliai,” said 2nd Lt. Joel Steele, rifle platoon commander for 3/5. “It really benefits us with interoperability piece and the ability to get out here in a new location with new people and conduct our training.”

Tonga, coined as the “friendly islands” since Capt. James Cook first visited in 1773, is located in the South Pacific Ocean and consists of more than 150 islands, 30 of which are inhabited.

The TDS greeted the Marines and sailors with a warm welcome followed by a quick orientation of the base and customs and courtesies.

“They are an amazing people,” Steele said. “They have been absolutely great so far and are very gracious hosts.”

The Marines, sailors and soldiers of all three militaries will use multiple training areas to conduct fire team, squad and platoon level operations in the upcoming weeks.

The joint exercise is slated to begin with an opening ceremony, Aug. 10, and conclude Aug. 29.

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Salvador R. Moreno