British Forces Broadcasting Service

I'm your host, Lauren Mitchell.

It's Thursday the 24th of September and today we're heading to BFBS Fry's Norton because our very own Gemma Lee James has been chatting to somebody from AirTanker and to tell us a little bit more about it.

She's on the pod today.

Hi Gemma.

It's the highest level of recognition for employers supporting our armed forces community.

It means they're supporting serving personnel, reservist veterans, military families, cadet forces and different charities as well.

And also BFBS has got a Gold Covenant Award as well.

Just a little plug to BFBS there.

I'm your host, Lauren Mitchell.

It's Tuesday the 22nd of September and on today's episode, our very own Mark McKenzie has been busy in BFBS Scotland once again.

He's been to HMS Queen Elizabeth for the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh parade and to tell us more about it, he's on the pod today, Mr Mark McKenzie.

What a build-up that is.

I see a lot in Edinburgh.

We've talked before about my love for the city of Edinburgh.

I will mention the BFBS Bixby and Opps Summit and how Edinburgh has seven hills.

I'm going to try and do all seven and walk between them as well.

It sounds like a fantastic partnership.

And Sean, before I let you go, can you just tell us how Chloe, Phoebe and Copper are doing? Because these are the dogs that the BFBS Big Salute helped fund.

They're doing amazingly.

I visited a couple of them recently.

That

hasn't happened in a long time, but I did.

There is a beautiful video of Alfie Bowe singing Bring Him Home on the BFBS socials.

Isn't that right? Yes, I managed to get up quite close to film him singing that.

It's Thursday, the 17th of September.

And on today's episode, we're heading to BFBS Bryce Norton, well, technically RAF Benson, for a Spitfire rededication ceremony that took place on the 86th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

And to tell us a little bit more about it, it's our very own Jacob Dyer.

Hello, my love.

Yeah, so last time I was on the podcast, I was out in Gibraltar.

It was amazing.

But since I've been back in the UK, I've been working at BFBS Blanford.

I've been working at BFBS Catrick and BFBS Brysonalton.

Those are my favorite kinds of episodes because we're talking American football.

And to explain a little bit more, we have BFBS Colchester's Ashley Paul on the pod today.

Hi, Ashley.

Hi, Lauren.

Very true.

I think we're all quite guilty of that.

And if you want to see a video of a touchdown that I happened to just be filming at the time, if you go over to the Facebook at BFBS Colchester, you can watch it back.

Awesome.

Yeah, absolutely, Ginny.

And you know what as well? We recently had a firefighter, an ex-firefighter working here at BFBS.

Our administrator had been a firefighter for many parts of his life.

And that affinity that they do have with one another and the fact that they all identify with one another, I think is really true and it speaks volumes.

Okay.

Well, I, I mean, it's quite twell- telling that even our colleague James Wharton at BfBS, who now is a defense journalist, still very engaged with the Armed Forces, had to go and check himself whether he is still a member of the Strategic Reserve when this story actually came up.

In theory, everyone in the Strategic Reserve is supposed to receive and return an annual reporting letter, but I guess, Mike, if you move house and don't get it, that might not happen.

That's right.

It's Wednesday, the 9th of September.

And today's episode is an interesting one because we're heading to RAF Cosford as BFBS Forces News have attended the first functional fitness championships of the Royal Air Force.

Very exciting.

And to tell us more about it from BFBS Forces News himself, it's Mr. Joe Hearn.

Hello, Joe.

Hello.

I think that's important because, you know, soldiers generally behind the wire getting on with the day job and these ceremonial things just remind us that they're there and this sense of pride that we can have in what they do For us, and I think that was clear from the freedom and the freedom being bespoke upon the Royal Regiment of Scotland that, you know, there is a lot of appreciation for what our armed forces do and they do such a brilliant job.

And Jim, I know you and Mark McKenzie are always busy up at BFBS Scotland.

So what's next for you guys?

Well, for me, I'm quite excited.

And on today's episode, well, we have got something very exciting to talk about because...

Team BFBS Germany have been very busy this weekend.

We've crossed borders and we've had a lot of fun.

And to talk all about it with me today, we've got BFBS Germany's own Curtis Tyler.

Hello.

Hello, mate.

And it really is a great opportunity for us as kind of presenters and people that are attached to the military community to really go and see how NATO do things and how other military contingents work and just get amongst it, get stuck in.

Absolutely.