Out on the prairie

I'm delighted to say that at long last the weather has perked up here and we are all relieved that summer has finally arrived.

Yesterday I went out on the prairie exercise area to see some of the soldiers who are visiting BATUS for an intensive 28 day training programme. Being out on the prairie means that most of them haven't had access to a phone or the internet since they arrived here, so my role was to record messages from them for their families. Those messages then get played on our special request show, Access All Areas, which goes out around the world to the 12 countries BFBS Radio broadcasts to, on board navy ships and on the internet.

I also had a special mission to track down one particular dad on Father's Day and pass on a message from his 6 year-old daughter in Germany. (See photo top left) I'm pleased to say we achieved and I also recorded messages from over 30 individuals to their friends and families.

Whenever I get the chance to get out and meet soldiers (as opposed to sitting in our comfortable studio in the village) I'm always so impressed by the way they cope with their environment and the way they retain their sense of humour, despite sleep deprivation and being far from home. As you can see from these pictures, living conditions are pretty basic!