The Rt Hon Phillip Hammond MP, the Secretary of State for Defence (SofS), visits 906 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) based at Gioia del Colle, Italy as part of Operation Ellamy.
The purpose of his visit was to aquaint himself with current operations and to congratulate the personnel on a successful operation. He was accompanied by Tom McKane, DGSecPol ; Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) ; Air Commodore Waterfall, Air Component Commander (ACC); Hayden Allen, Special Advisor to SofS (SpAd1); Sian Jones, Special Advisor to SofS (SpAd2), Col Andrew McInerney, MA to SofS; Col Bob Barnes, Defence Attaché Italy and Mr Barry Burton, PS to SofS. Whilst at Gioia del Colle Air Base he was met and guided around by the Commanding Officer (CO) Group Captain Pete J M Squires MA Beng (Hons) RAF. Secretary of State greeting the 906 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) personnel based at Gioia del Colle, Italy. The 906 Expeditionary Air Wing is currently based at Gioia del Colle as part of Operation Ellamy, the UK contribution to NATO's Operation Unified Protector which enforces UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which aims to protect Libyan civilians from the Qadhafi regime. Photo: SAC TRACEY DOBSON/MoD.