Chapter 1

My name is Rachel Sandeman I have shoulder length Blonde hair I am 5’7 and I am a Size 10, I am the youngest of two children I was born August 1st 1990 and Left school with 2 A Levels and here is my story.

My Mother and father are both doctors and my brother had forged out a career in the Army rising to the rank of Captain ... I was born and brought up in West Sussex where I lived until joining the RAF. My parents were hoping I would also go to medical school but I didn’t get the right grades at school, and I wasn’t really interested anyway.

I did some research and decided a career in the force like my brother was for me and RAF did appeal. I started my basic training at RAF Halton First we were taught the most important things, like how to salute officers, not to talk to them unless we were invited to, how to stand to attention and how to stand at ease, but only when invited to do so, then the real luxury, ‘stand easy.’’ I began to wonder if I’d done the right thing by enlisting, the other thing too was it seemed necessary for Officers, and that included ‘Non Commissioned Officers’ to shout rather than talk, a strange lot really I thought. By the end of each day I was exhausted, and after supper would rest for a bit then write my letters to my parents who didn’t really support the idea, my father said it was just a phase I was going through and won’t last.

By the end of the first week we were beginning to get to know each other and friendships were forming amongst us I got on really well with a girl called Emma, she was much like me, a little on the shy side and also bewildered by the military attitude. Instead of going on to college or University she had also chosen to enlist in the service.

After 10 weeks of basic training the day arrived and it was my graduation parade. I was so proud, I done it, I looked really smart in my No 1 Service Dress uniform. My parents came to see my big day, I had finally made them proud.

After basic training I decided I wanted to work in Air operation support as an flight operations assistant. The role would involve me operating from operations rooms on an RAF base or civilian air traffic control centre somewhere in the UK, sounded like a great opportunity.

After another a further 12-week Flight Operations Assistant Course at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire I was ready for my first posting. After a week of waiting I the letter arrived, I had been posted to RAF Valley and to my amazement my friend Emma who was doing her basic training with me had also been posted to RAF Valley.

I was very studious and keen for promotion, and had already reached the rank of Senior Aircraftman working in the flight planning department leaning about flight planning, meteorology hoping to one day become an air traffic controller It was Monday morning and with the early morning training flights off I was on my own in the operation room when I the Telephone rang, it was a call from Emma

“Hi Rachel how’s it going?”

“All good here thanks how’s it with you?”

“Yes not bad.” and she goes on to tell me about her latest boyfriend and the problems she is having, I’d worked out long before now that a boyfriend and the RAF probably wasn’t work.

“Haven’t you got your interview coming up soon Rachel?” I was doing an interview with Sergeant Underwood for promotion and the exam in a few weeks and was busy revising for both.