RAF Sergeant Nikki Parker is helping the people of Afghanistan secure a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.

The former pupil of Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley is a member of the Military Stabilisation Support Team, which is responsible for identifying, initiating and monitoring military projects. The projects can range from small-scale quick-impact such as the provision of a well to a community for drinking water to large-scale health initiatives, building schools and hydro-power plants.

Nikki, 32, was raised by parents Christine and Leslie on a farm in Arthington, Leeds, with brother Michael and sister Janine Nikki has been in the Royal Air Force for 15 years. She originally trained to be a telecommunications operator and spent the early part of her career based at RAF Lyneham. In 1998 she joined the tactical communications wing and travelled extensively providing mobile satellite communications facilities to tri-service units in Kosovo, Baghdad, Oman, Turkey and Afghanistan This is Nikki’s first tour with the MSST. She enjoys the work and relishes the challenges that it brings. She has been responsible for the Goat Initiative Project, which will provide 15 goats to ten areas of the Gereshk district of Helmand. As well as providing a short-term answer to income problems through the sale of milk, cheese and other dairy products, it also offers a long-term solution by putting a breeding programme in to place.

Over a two-year period the owners will be required to breed and return the same amount of goats they initially acquired from the programme. They will be returned to the goat pool at the assistance farm in Gereshk, from there they will be farmed out to additional groups.

“It’s a very diverse job. Every day is different – one day you’re dealing with goats, the next day you’re dealing with wheat, the day after that you’re dealing with little children in schools,” she said. “It’s certainly been challenging. I would recommend this job to anybody.”

As reported in Wharfedale Newspapers recently Nikki and her family celebrated Christmas early this month when she returned to Yorkshire on leave. Nikki, who came home at end of November, was spending two weeks in England before returning to Afghanistan.