NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010 31
Navy medics home
from Afghanistan
● Lt Sally Armstrong RNR
TWO Navy medics deployed
to Camp Bastion at the end of
encountered in previous tours in
terms of the volume and severity
last year have returned to the
of trauma.
UK after a high-pressure tour
Sally is
“The work is challenging from
of duty to Helmand Province in
a surgical and also emotional
Afghanistan.
perspective, since limb amputations
Reservist Surg Cdr Douglas
caused by improvised explosive seeing
Wilkinson, from Oxford, was in
devices have become a routine
charge of intensive care facilities
occurrence.
● Craig Armstrong with Lucy
at the UK Joint Forces Medical
“I am part of a fantastic team of
Group Field Hospital, treating
stars
Holidays
doctors, all with strong characters
both soldiers and civilians.
and lots of experience. TOP politicians, household name
And Navy colleague Surg Cdr
“We continuously discuss the journalists, sports stars – it is all
Graham Hill has been saving lives
for the
management of patients and work in the line of duty for a Navy
and limbs at the operating table in
very cohesively as a team. reservist who is part of the media
Bastion’s hospital in his role as the
“Decisions about how best to handling team in Afghanistan.
hospital’s consultant orthopaedic
heroes
treat patients are quick, but there Lt Sally Armstrong, of
surgeon.
is consensus. Knowing you have HMS Vivid, is on a six-month
“The hospital can be extremely
people behind you supporting you deployment to Camp Bastion,
busy, with most battlefield
THE Royal Sailors Rest (RSR) at
makes decisions much easier. where her role as Media Ops
casualties having wounds caused
Braeholm in Helensburgh began
“Soldiers do a very challenging officer is to look after and organise
by improvised explosive devices ● Surg Cdr Wilkinson RNR
● Surg Cdr Hill
a pilot project last year offering
job. I try to deliver the best the programmes for the journalists
or small arms fire,” said Surg Cdr
free holidays to Royal Marines
possible medical care available and broadcasters who embed with
Wilkinson before he flew home. specialist units for ongoing care. deliver the best possible care to
outside the UK.
and their families serving with 45
British forces in Helmand.
“The wounded normally “We will repatriate British, our troops.
“Our troops are very brave
Commando in Arbroath.
‘We have hosted all types of media,
arrive at the hospital via medevac American and ISAF soldiers “We are confident that we
boys and my pleasure comes
With troops putting their lives
from defence correspondents from
helicopter and are then assessed, typically within 24 hours of are delivering that and, more
from getting them through the the broadsheets and tabloids to
on the line, Braeholm wanted to
scanned and treated. wounding. importantly, the troops know we
Emergency Department and regional newspaper journalists,
pay tribute to the job they’re doing
“The most serious casualties “The British patients fly home are delivering that.
seeing them packaged off safely women’s weekly magazines and
by offering Marines and their
will go to the operating theatre with a specialist Critical Care “It is that knowledge of ‘a job
back home to Selly Oak. film crews from the BBC and
families a free break to recharge and then Intensive Care, ready
Air Support Team to Selly Oak well done’ that keeps morale
“The hardest thing for me is ITV,” said Sally.
their batteries. to be repatriated back home or,
Hospital in Birmingham, which is strong.”
when one of our boys arrives at “We’ve also had VIP visitors,
Jan Alpin, who runs Braeholm, if they are Afghan, sent to a local
the UK’s leading trauma treatment Surg Cdr Hill, who lives in the
the hospital and you know you such as the Prime Minister Gordon
said: “The first of our families hospital for further treatment.”
centre. New Forest and is based at Queen
can’t do anything for him. Brown and Defence Secretary Bob
arrived in April. The British-run state of the
“There is great camaraderie Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth,
“Although valiant attempts will Ainsworth, who have each arrived
“Paul and Frances brought art medical facility at Camp
amongst the team here and was also in Afghanistan for two
have been made to get him to the with a media entourage.
their newborn baby on his first Bastion treats British, American, everyone has a ‘can do’ mentality. months.
hospital, the cold reality is, that “‘It is really important that we
holiday and they stayed for three ISAF and Afghan National Army “The Emergency, Theatre and “My main role here is to assess
patient won’t survive. host the media in theatre because
days, enjoying some precious time battlefield casualties as well as Intensive Care teams support each and operate on the traumatic limb
“I think the whole hospital also it is the best way to let the public
together before Paul returned to local Afghan civilians who have other, especially when there is a injuries which come through the
finds it hard to cope with the back home know what the military
Afghanistan the following week. been caught in crossfire or injured rapid escalation of casualties, and Emergency Department’s doors,”
Afghan children who come in
is doing and achieving here in
“Throughout the summer other by the Taleban’s roadside bombs. it is very rewarding to see medical said Surg Cdr Hill.
having been caught in crossfire Afghanistan.
families came and enjoyed our Surg Cdr Wilkinson arrived best practice being delivered in “I also treat the usual breaks
or injured by IEDs or unexploded “I think people want to hear the
hospitality and some were kind in Helmand at the beginning of this remote corner of the world.” and sprains from physical exercise,
ordnance.
personal stories of the servicemen
enough to write and comment on October for a two-month tour, Seeing soldiers who are severely but I’d say about 80 per cent of my
“But they do get looked after
and women serving in Helmand,
their stay.” having served in Iraq in 2007. injured does, he said, affect the work is on trauma.
very well.”
and the media embeds enable
One such letter was from He is a member of the London team. ‘This is my fourth deployment
Graham says he managed to
those stories to be told.”
Theresa Armstrong, wife of green RNR unit HMS President, and in “We all support each other to Afghanistan.
keep in touch with some of his
One aspect of the role means
beret Craig; the couple and their civilian life works as a consultant emotionally,” he said. “Previously the hospital was
patients, including Mark Ormrod,
Sally has met some of the
daughter Lucy stayed at Braeholm at John Radcliffe Hospital. “We crack jokes and make light in tents, so it is the first time
the Royal Marine who lost two
celebrities who visit the troops.
during the summer. He said: “The standard of of the very serious work we are I’ve worked in this purpose-built legs and an arm in a Taliban land
One of the highlights was
“We were impressed that we trauma treatment provided at doing in order to cope. facility. mine blast in 2007.
hosting cricketer Freddie Flintoff
were left to our own devices to Bastion hospital is second to “Emotion is there, but we can’t “The whole hospital is designed Mark has learned to walk again
and soccer pundit Gary Lineker,
enjoy our holiday away from none. drop our guard and let it through to treat very serious battlefield on ‘bionic’ legs and is now back
who went to Bastion with an ITV
everyday issues and the hustle “We have a team of very because we need to remain wounds and has first-class working for the Marines:
film crew to present a Daily Mirror
bustle,” wrote Theresa. experienced medical professionals professional and do what we can specialists and state of the art “These guys make the job so
Pride of Britain award to the UK
“We were looked after by the and first-class facilities, which for the troops. medical equipment to do that worthwhile,” said Surg Cdr Hill.
Joint Forces Medical Group.
staff and if we needed anything they means we can successfully treat “Our morale is very high. We effectively. “ Their drive and determination
Sally said she is able to keep
were on hand to give us guidance and stabilise very severely injured are an experienced group of “I’d say the pace of work to overcome the consequences of
in touch with family and friends
and advice on where to visit.” casualties before flying them on to doctors and nurses motivated to is definitely more than I’ve their injuries is incredible.”
back in the UK, but finds the flat,
Red Friday honours troops
dusty terrain a little monotonous.
“I am missing the greenery of
home – I can’t wait to see a tree
NIPPERS at the Clyde Naval Base nursery are remembering the troops again or to sit on a grassy lawn,”
in Afghanistan by dressing up for Red Friday every month. said Sally.
Senior staff member Lesley Shirley said: “We thought turning the last “The days are long and busy
Friday of each month into Red Friday would be a great way of showing here, and there isn’t much to do
our support for the troops. apart from work, eat, sleep and try
“It’s something which is close to our hearts here at the Clyde Nursery, to keep fit.
as almost every child and parent who attends is affected by the war in “However, I have met so
Afghanistan. many ‘ordinary’ people who are
“This is the first time we’ve done anything like this, but we’re planning doing truly amazing jobs in the
on wearing red every last Friday until the troops come home. most difficult situations without
“The parents are one hundred per cent behind us and go out of their complaint or fuss that I actually
way to ensure that the kids are dressed in red.” feel very privileged to be here.”
● From left: Lt Cdr AJ Hill, Cdr Matt Avison and Lt Cdr Charlie Fuller
Pilots bag 3,000th hour
TWO members of 854 Naval Air Squadron “I am proud to have completed flying hours on
reached their milestone 3,000th flying hour whilst active operations in support of our troops.”
patrolling the skies of Helmand Province in the final Lt Cdr Hill achieved his milestone 3,000 hours
days of a three-and-a-half month tour of duty in whilst out on a surveillance patrol, and said it had
Afghanistan. “come around so quickly.”
Lt Cdr Charlie Fuller and Lt Cdr Adrian ‘AJ’ “Reaching this total in Afghanistan has been
Hill fly the Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and Control particularly pleasing as we have been flying in
(ASaC) Sea King helicopters, carrying out vital support of such important missions.”
surveillance operations against the Taleban. Commander Sea King Force Cdr Matt Avison,
Lt Cdr Fuller’s achievement came whilst teaching who presented the pair with a chocolate cake to
dust landings to members of 857 NAS, who replaced mark the occasion, said: “This is a tremendous
854 NAS in Helmand, as part of the Theatre achievement, of which they should be very proud.
Familiarity training package. “It is particularly significant to reach such a
“Achieving 3,000 hours has been a great personal milestone whilst supporting operations in
achievement,” said Lt Cdr Fuller. Afghanistan.”
030-031_nn_feb.indd 2 21/1/10 09:20:38
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