AIR crews have left an RAF base to patrol Basra International Airport in the run-up to the Iraqi elections.
In total, 150 airmen from RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, are helping to provide tight security for Sunday's poll. They are protecting the perimeter of the airport, patrolling local towns and manning vehicle checkpoints.
The crews, mainly from 34 Squadron, will be in Iraq for the next four months
Squadron Leader Mick Smeath said: "The deployment is the culmination of months of preparatory training and many of the men are familiar with the region, having operated there during previous deployments.
"It will be particularly challenging deployment due to the extremes of temperatures we are anticipating, from sub-zero during the nights of the winter months to the extremes of hot temperatures during the summer months."
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