A Moray-based servicewoman has been working with the United States Marine Corps at one of the busiest airfields in Afghanistan.
RAF air traffic controllers from 903 Expeditionary Air Wing have been liaising with their American colleagues to run the busy airspace at Camp Bastion airfield.
The vast complex has 27 runways and more than 350 take-offs and landings every day.
Although the airfield is run by the RAF according to British air traffic protocols, there are many US Marine Corps flights and a variety of aircraft.
Deputy senior air traffic controller, Flight Lieutenant Suzanne Mitchell, 32, is the only member from RAF Lossiemouth working with the team.
She said: “It makes sense to share the workload. Four of the controllers are from the USMC, 21 from the RAF and one from the Royal Navy.
“We have a wide variety of aircraft ranging in size from the new Voyager transport to helicopters and remotely piloted aerial vehicles.
“Everyone has to be trained to RAF standards.”
US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant LaTonnya Glover, from California, has been at Bastion for a month.
The 27-year-old said: “Overall, British and US procedures are similar. We all have the same objective, but we get there in different ways.
“Clear and accurate communication is the goal. Pilots expect to hear key phrases in a standard format so that they can understand things easily. The most satisfying part for me is when I’ve played my part in getting a helicopter in quickly, it can make the difference to saving someone’s limb or life.”
Sergeant Dan Lee, 29, from RAF Marham, is the deputy unit training officer responsible for managing the training programme.
He said: “We make sure that people get their tickets in all the essential areas, from visual approach to radar control. The best part of the job is the sense of achievement. At the end of the day you feel you’ve been helpful. It’s challenging but satisfying.”