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From Gibraltar to manage full-time radio station in Afghanistan
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Local BFBS station manager, Mario Chrisostomou leaves Gibraltar this week for a tour of duty as head of the BFBS radio station in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. Although BFBS engineers have been working in the country since the start of the military campaign, it is only three months since a full-time radio station was established.
Camp Bastion is a huge multinational logistics hub, many miles away from the dozens of Forward Operating Bases where the fighting troops are based. Over four thousand British troops live and work in the Camp, alongside many thousands of American and coalition servicemen.
‘I volunteered for an operational deployment many months ago,’ said Mario. ‘And finally my name has reached the top of the list.’
‘Actually, my life won’t be as tough as some people think, ‘added Mario. ‘I get my own air-conditioned container which will be my home for three months. I’ll eat with the British troops and mix with them when I’m not working. There is a lot of job satisfaction when you are living alongside the guys who listen to your radio station all day, every day.’
‘My wife Mandy understands that this is what the British Forces Broadcasting Service does and it’s what I would like to do. And, sure, there are some concerns about my safety and my security but the real difficulty is that of being separated from my family for three months. I really am looking forward to it even though it means being away from the family for so long.’
While Mario is in Afghanistan, BFBS Gibraltar will be in the capable hands of Nigel Rennie who has been transferred here from his usual post in Dhekelia, Cyprus.
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