THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES
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Tin, had to be quickly demolished and then rebuilt. In community relations work, Gurkha activities included the provision of floodlighting for the 1976 Hong Kong Arts Festival and the construction of a recreation ground in the Tuen Mun area. Gurkha engineers also constructed a footbridge, suspension bridge, and car park for the Ocean Park complex.
Community relations projects undertaken by other Army units included two three-week youth leadership camps based at RAF Kai Tak for 240 youngsters, and many weekend activities aimed at showing young people in urban areas the potential enjoyment of outdoor life. The Army's sporting facilities are shared extensively with local youth and residents' organisations.
The Royal Air Force station at Kai Tak is adjacent to the civil international airport and it uses the airport's runway and control services. Radar facilities are shared with the Civil Aviation Department in order to ensure the safety of all aircraft, whether civil or military, operating within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. At the beginning of July, as part of the rundown of RAF Kai Tak, the station ceased to act as the terminal for Service personnel and their families entering or leaving Hong Kong. This responsibility was handed over to various civilian organisations at the airport. Royal Air Force VC 10 aircraft continue to carry servicemen and dependants to and from Hong Kong.
No. 28 Squadron, based at Kai Tak, is equipped with eight Wessex helicopters, primarily for the rapid movement of troops and supplies. It also provides a standby aircraft for search and rescue in Hong Kong and nearby waters and, together with the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, carries out a medical evacuation service for both military personnel and civilians from outlying areas to the main hospitals in Kowloon. The helicopters also assist with local civil engineering projects-such as the construction of the Ocean Park cable car system-by lifting into position heavy items of equipment which would be difficult to position by other means.
The sports grounds and other facilities at RAF Kai Tak are regularly made avail- able to the community for such events as paraplegic sports and local club activities. As well as the two youth camps run by the Army, the station hosted a number of Scout and Guide rallies, school visits and Air Cadet camp activities during the year.
Although 1976 was complicated by the changes in force levels, the command structure and deployments imposed by the 1975 United Kingdom Defence Review and the new Defence Costs Agreement, all three Services maintained their close association with the local community in a variety of ways without losing sight of their primary role. In support of this they maintained a high standard of training and alertness, and, jointly with the New Territories Administration and the police, steadily improved arrangements for the security of the border and of other areas in Hong Kong and its waters.
Local Auxiliary Services
In addition to the regular forces, Hong Kong has two auxiliary service units— the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) and the Royal Hong Kong Aux- iliary Air Force. These are administered by the Hong Kong Government but would