Flight Sergeant Dan Biggs conducts bacteriological water testing
{"Image ImageWidth": "3000", "Image ImageLength": "1960", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image ImageDescription": "ENVIONMENTAL HEALTH AND THE AFGHANISTAN TRANSITION\n\nENVIRONMENTAL Health (EH) focus has evolved as Operation HERRICK has, however, the key message remains; Preventative Medicine and specifically ensuring that interventions are in place early to prevent Disease and Non-Battle Injuries (DNBI) amongst the deployed force.\n\nHistory has shown that disease has had a far greater impact in reducing the capability of fighting forces than the numbers of battle casualties. This is as true today as it has ever been.\n\nA small highly dedicated team of specialists are responsible for the whole Area of Operations (AO) in Afghanistan today; from a Main Operating Base (MOB) such as Bastion, to a small Check Point; with only ten personnel. Where ever they are, their mission is the same; to reduce the risks of disease and injuries amongst the deployed force. \n\nHERRICK in 2009, saw a lot of military activity. The insurgency threat was the main priority; however the austere conditions also provided a significant threat to the deployed force, where outbreaks of disease reduced the available man power and therefore the military capability. The conditions were basic with only simple ablutions.  The provision of safe drinking water was critical, produced by purifying river water to eliminate the disease risk and reduce the likelihood of malicious contamination of water sources. \n\nIn 2011 HERRICK saw a marked change in EH business. The UK\u2019s footprint had reduced from the wide spread provinces to a domination of the ground in a smaller area, resulting in over 120 locations for the EH Team to visit. Each Forward Operating Base (FOB) had four to five Patrol Bases, with each having numerous check points. Improvements to the supply chain and the introduction of bottled water had reduced, if not eliminated, the risk of consuming contaminated water, but ever vigilant, the EH Team continued to check its integrity .  However, the risk of communicable disease remained high. \n\nA further development in EH technology introduced  the Lifesaver water bottles which are used to purify water and render it safe to drink, allowing personnel to take water from untested sources and be confident their risk to disease was minimised. There was extensive testing carried out on Tactical Base Ablutions Units (TBAUs), introduced to provide improved showers and toilet facilities in austere conditions . \n\nPresent day, the military transition is clear, the draw down is in full swing and the EH Team is fully focused on the risk to Camp Bastion. As the numbers of out-stations/FOBs reduce, the population at risk at Camp Bastion has increased. Therefore requiring an increased effort to mitigate DNBI at Camp Bastion and other MOBs \n\nRoyal Air Force Flight Sergeant Dan Biggs, an EH Technician, has seen personally how the EH has changed and evolved, a change in the military focus which has filtered through to all levels.  \n\nFS Biggs said: \u201cOur routine work is very much the same regardless of the Operational Tempo or location; testing all water sources in theatre to ensure potable water is safe to drink, monitoring trends of disease and intervening where required, as well as conducting routine EH assessments of all locations across theatre\u201d.\n\n\u201cFrom some hairy moments out on the ground to the routine work within unit lines, the need for Environmental Health as part of Medical Force Protection, is always a necessity and it is good to see that our small Cadre of personnel is in as much demand as ever in order to maintain military capability and ensure fluidity of Operations\u201d, he added.  \n\nFS Biggs provides a brief for every military person who enters Afghanistan and said: \u201cIt is important to give incoming personnel the most up to date and accurate information that can prevent them becoming ill during their initial arrival and throughout their tours. Whether that be climatic injures such as heat illness, communicable diseases or insect borne infections such as Malaria.\u201d\nENDS\n\nEditor: Flight Lieutenant Rachael Lee.\n\nPhotography: Sergeant Dale Hunt.\n\nImage 1:\tFS Dan Biggs Bacteriological water testing in the EH lab at Camp Bastion\nImage 2: \tFS Dan Biggs Analysing water samples under UV light\nImage 3:\tFS Dan Biggs\nImage 4:\tRSOI briefings on water testing in Afghanistan\nImage 5:\tRSOI briefings on the Lifesaver water bottle\nImage 6:\tRSOI briefings on the communicable disease risk; round worm infections depicted.. \n\nUK Operations:\n\nUK Forces are deployed to Afghanistan and the Broader Middle East in support of the UN-authorised, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, and as a part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). UK operations in Afghanistan are being conducted under the name Operation Herrick, while the Broader Middle East falls under Operation Kipion.\nPlease contact Media Operations on 83eagso3mediaops@gmail.com, for further information.\nFollow the RAF in Afghanistan and the Middle East on the RAF Website www.raf.mod.uk/83eag, on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/royalairforce and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/royalairforce.\nIf you use this story, we would be grateful if you could send a pdf version of any printed article to 83eagso3mediaops@gmail.com so we can pass it on to the unit or individuals who are featured", "Image Make": "NIKON CORPORATION", "Image Model": "NIKON D3S", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2013:09:04 11:07:11", "Image Artist": "Sgt Dale Hunt 83 EAG Media Ops Photographer", "Image Copyright": "UK MOD Crown Copyright 2013\nThis image may be used for current news purposes only, It may not be used, reproduced or transmitted for any other purpose without first obtaining a copyright licence available from MOD, Crown Copyright Unit.", "Image ExifOffset": "5904", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "6666", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5771", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/80", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "800", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Unknown", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2013:08:06 18:03:25", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2013:08:05 00:00:00", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "790241/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "1485427/500000", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF SubjectDistance": "67/100", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Spot", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "24", "EXIF SubSecTime": "16", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "16", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "960", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "640", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CVAPattern": "[2, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1, 1, 2]", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Manual Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "24", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "Low gain up", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0", "EXIF BodySerialNumber": "2058163", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[24, 70, 14/5, 14/5]", "EXIF LensModel": "24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8"}