AN RAF musician has been awarded an army commendation for his work in Afghanistan.

Corporal John Truscott, from Pinner, is coming to the end of a four-month tour in Afghanistan where he has been employed as a senior detainee handler in the UK Temporary Holding Facility in Camp Bastion, Helmand Province.

He has been presented with an award for outstanding achievement by the Provost Marshall Army, who look after detainees at the camp.

The 33-year-old plays the tuba in the Central Band of the RAF, which is based at RAF Northolt but performs all over the country, and he volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan.

He said: “I volunteered for the tour so that I could gain some operational experience and to face a new challenge.

“The most rewarding part of the tour has been working as part of a professional team where I was able to practise my leadership, command and management skills by helping to develop the less experienced RAF personnel on my shift.”

Camp Bastion is the support base for all UK military operations, processing all stores, people, food, vehicles, mail and equipment that are necessary to sustain the operation.

Brigadier Forster Knight of the Provost Marshall Army, said: “Corporal Truscott is a strong leader and the ultimate team player. Having RAF and Royal Navy personnel on the detention team adds so much to the dynamic of the group. We are richer for it and Corporal Truscott epitomises the qualities of a junior Non-Commissioned Officer in today’s professional Armed Forces.”