A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR RAF FAMILIES FOCUS on
Shimul Haider-Heming S
“It’s very unusual for an Asian Girl to go into the Armed Forces”
himul Haider-Heming is the very picture of a successful working mum, combining a busy career with raising her
18-month-old daughter, Ayesha Lily. But there’s another side to Haider- Heming – a rather unexpected one.
“If I had to pick up a rifle now, I would know exactly how to use it,” she says confidently, then adds with a laugh: “I’d never have guessed when I was younger, that I would be saying that when I was a wife and mother.”
As one of Britain’s 1326 RAF Reservists Haider-Heming, 41, whose not inconsiderable day job is being the 2012 Games Legacy Director for Leicestershire, undergoes regular combat training weekends which include firing weapons, first aid response and fieldwork. She’s done her time on active service too, in Cyprus as an armed guard.
One senses her RAF role has caused a few raised eyebrows over the years. “Friends were genuinely surprised when I joined up 12 years ago,” says Haider-Heming. “It’s very unusual for an Asian girl to have any desire to go into the Armed Forces, especially as there’s no military history in my family.
“My mum was a bit taken aback – for her, it was about being a homemaker not a soldier. But my dad actively encouraged me and they have both been very supportive. My husband really respects it too, I couldn’t continue with the RAF, especially with a baby, without his support.”
Crucially, Haider-Heming’s employer, Leicestershire Country Council, has also backed her.
“Taking time for Reservist duties has never been a problem – I think they can see how the training has benefited me at work. My job as 2012 Games Legacy Director is to build on the momentum from the Olympics, making sure the inspiration from last summer is turned into action in terms of sport and volunteering for example, in schools and in the community.
“The RAF has taught me teamwork, leadership, communication skills and the ability to react under pressure without being fazed. In a way, it has trained me for my job. It’s boosted my confidence no end; I can now speak in public and deliver conferences and I do a lot of media work I’d never have been able to do before.
“Discipline, timekeeping and organisation are also drilled into you. I am pretty methodical now in my approach to everything, which is fundamental to my work.”
John Byrne, County Sport Partnership Director for Leicestershire and Rutland Sport agrees. “The skills Shimul has acquired through the RAF have proven invaluable in our partnership world.
“From sensitive negotiating in tricky situations to staying calm under pressure – the benefits to us have been well worth the time she has spent acquiring them.”
Shimul joined up when she was single and in her first job in London. She wanted more from her weekends than going out with friends and shopping and went along to a forces open day through curiosity.
“The RAF recruiters told me you don’t have to sleep under a bush and you can wear heels and lipstick – so I signed. I came into it very naively but actually I’ve loved the military training. I’ve got as much out of it as I put in. It’s really built me up in terms of character.”
As well as serving time as a Gunner, Shimul has trained in Flight Operations and is now a RAF Chef.
“If you want a new adventure and challenge then this could be for you – but remember you will most likely be called up. It isn’t a hobby – it’s a very serious role and one that you should approach with an open attitude and a willingness to give 100 per cent commitment.”
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