E d u c a t i o n
Going to Afghanistan
by Sue Morton “
my four children that their father is going to Afghanistan?” a friend asked. Having been
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a RAF wife for twenty-four years and with four children of my own, I wanted to help.
I had often used stories to explain things to my own children when they were young and so wrote a children’s story Going to Afghanistan for Michaela’s family. My daughter, Laura, took some time out from her studies at Nottingham University, and used some of the quirky cartoon characters that she loves to draw, to provide the illustrations.
Originally, the story was just a paper copy printed on our computer for Michaela’s children – all under ten – to have as a bedtime story. However, the family loved the book and asked if they could share it with others in the same situation; teachers at the local school became interested too. Things snowballed after that; I had joined the Armed Forces’ Christian Union as an associate member and they wanted to publish the story; Lady Pippa Dannatt, wife of General Sir Richard Dannatt the former head of the Army, and a great supporter of Forces’ families, kindly agreed to write the foreword. However, it had been an interesting journey that had led to the writing of this book.
I had been married to my husband, Mark, for two years when he joined the Air Force in 1983. He trained as an air traffic controller and my first taste of RAF life was at Lyneham, followed by a move to West Drayton in 1986 when my eldest daughter, Vicky, was three weeks old. We left for Laarbruch five years later with three children (twins Claire and Laura) and then moved to Benson after our fourth daughter, Alexandra, was born.
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ow am I going to tell
A tour in Scotland at RAF Prestwick was followed by three years at RAF Uxbridge and a return to Prestwick for another two years, finally ending up at Air Command for my husband’s final tour. Those 24 years were all spent in married quarters with our children attending a number of RAF and local schools; as a primary school teacher I was often able to work in one of the local schools, during the early years of our RAF life. However, that was not to continue.
I had always been a lively busy person, who had loved to socialise and to be out and about, but suddenly all that changed. In 1996 I became unwell, was very weak, in a great deal of pain and unable to concentrate. After nine months of tests and another house move, I was eventually diagnosed with ME or chronic fatigue syndrome. I had to give up teaching; I could no longer pick up my three year old daughter, or even walk down the garden path.
For 13 years I struggled with my health, while trying to keep family life as normal as possible and coping with the frequent house moves. It was particularly difficult if my husband was away as, at times, I could barely get out of bed. However, despite these difficulties, I did discover that there was some treasure in the darkness, because it was in bed that I learned to write.
Generally, I could do very little, often reading or watching the television were beyond me, so I started to make up stories in my head and then, when I felt stronger, to write them down. I wrote a children’s story for my daughters and eventually some articles for magazines, learning how to use a computer as I went along as my handwriting was so wobbly. Looking back, I realised that had I continued to teach I would
www.raf-ff.org.uk
not have begun to write – I simply would not have had the time!
My health is much improved now and interestingly, Going to Afghanistan has led me back into schools: I have been invited to take some assemblies to tell the children about the book – as many Forces’ children are at school alongside local children, it’s also helpful for the local children to understand what it’s like to have a parent going away.
It has been a privilege to meet with and to talk to people who have a family member on deployment; I know that our Forces are doing a fantastic job in the field, wherever they are deployed, but I also know that the families are doing a fantastic job at home, keeping things going, trying to ensure that family life runs as smoothly as possible. I hope that the story Going to Afghanistan will offer some help and encouragement to Forces’ families everywhere who are facing separation.
Copies ofGoing to Afghanistan are available from the Armed Forces’ Christian Union: 01252 311221 or email:
office@afcu.org. uk £1.50 including postage and packing.
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