Michael Cottee has one of the most important roles during the current bombardment of Serbia.

The Chelmsford man is aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, part of the UK task force.

The 30-year-old former pupil of Moulsham High School works in the ship's main communications office, making sure contact is kept between land bases and ships across the region during the conflict.

The carrier has been in the Ionian Sea since April 21, and Sea Harriers have flown more than 80 air sorties from the carrier's flight deck.

Their role has been to patrol the skies above the Balkans to maintain Nato air superiority and allow bomber pilots to carry out strikes against Serbian targets.

Mr Cottee said: "I am obviously missing home in Essex. Things are quite routine out here at the moment and the atmosphere is good, but on board ship you do miss the simple things that other people take for granted, like being able to go for a walk down the road."

The 20,000-tonne ship left Portsmouth on January 9 for the Gulf, helping to enforce UN trade sanctions while the Harriers enforced the southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq.

HMS Invincible left the Gulf on April 2, bound for home, but as the situation in Kosovo deteriorated she was diverted to the Balkans, arriving on April 14.

The ship's commanding officer, Captain James Burnell-Nugent, said: "This is the biggest crisis in Europe for 50 years and there was a strong feeling that we should play our part.

"The hardest part for individuals is to help their families come to terms with the fact that they are not going home, but the majority understand," he added.

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