Afleveringen
-
James Glancy is āof the 9/11 era. There is a big difference in the experience of Serving in the Royal Marines or the military in the 90s to the post 2001 eraā¦I was in Afghanistan within two months of passing outā¦I did three Troop Commands on combat operations on the ground. It was an amazing 10 years.ā
When he left āI missed the intensity of operations so much, itās without doubt one of the best things Iāve ever done in my life and I just loved being at war, it sounds a strange thing to say but I loved it. I loved being with the lads, I loved just doing something that I felt at the time was the right thing to do and working with the best possible people.ā War is ā...way less complexā¦Itās just the sense of purpose, everything is really black and whiteā¦everythingās done for you in the militaryā¦ā
James eventually found some upsides to Civvy Street āBeing independent of a military mindset, thinking for yourself, taking your own opportunitiesā¦your own risksā¦an incredibly important thing in life. Iām out the other side of that transition but there were 3 to 4 years that wereā¦more challenging than you could ever realise, especially after those Afghan years.ā
James finally returned as a film-maker feeling there was a story to be told āVery few people got to actually understand the Afghan people, the real structure of how the tribes work and who they wereā¦ā He provides insight into Afghanistan witnessed at a very particular moment in history, āEven though the full withdrawal hadnāt been announcedā¦the Doha Agreement by Trump made it very clearā¦My view was, we donāt have forever to make a film where we can travel freely around the country because I think the Taliban will very quickly start taking overā¦I obviously didnāt predict how quickly it would fall.ā
Watch the trailer of Afganistan on YouTubeDid you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Sir Laurie Bristow was central to the military withdrawal in 2021, thereās nobody better placed to give us the inside story than the last British ambassador in Afghanistan. He takes us through the days and hours counting down, ā15th August we started the day with President Ghani behind his desk broadcasting to the nationā¦roughly 2.30pmā Heās āleft the countryā¦a few hours later youāve got the Taliban behind that deskā¦taking their selfies.ā
Laurie shares his views on the Doha Agreement and tries to make sense of what happened and why, āHow was it that we invested so many lives, so much money, so much political capital and the results were so lamentable?ā
He describes the evacuation āā¦panic doesnāt even begin to cover itā¦I struggle to find the wordsā¦Milesā¦of desperate peopleā¦ā Among them āthere are certainly Talibanā¦extreme violence going onā¦children, old people trampled in the crushā¦dead children being pulled out of those crowdsā¦extreme heatā¦a Covid waveā¦Somehowā¦youāve got to find, identify, pull out the people who qualify for evacuation.ā
āWe train these young men and women for combat, this is harderā¦By the 15th there were not enough soldiers to control the airportā¦It all becomes suddenly very very real, the government has collapsed, the Taliban are back in chargeā¦The next thing you see is people falling off the planeā¦There were moments where we didnāt know if we would get out alive.ā
Sir Laurie recognises the āincredible job that the militaryā¦the civilians working alongside them did; and the fact that we got out over 15,000 peopleā¦What I saw of the performance of our soldiers and our civilians was really quite humblingā¦The youngest of our āsunburnt young soldiersā were just 18 years old.ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Oliver Lee resigned over the Marine A controversy and epitomises moral courage. He took over command of 45 Commando in 2009 as it came back from Afghanistan. Knowing theyād return in 2011 and to fulfil his vision of āLess violence, more engagement with people and cultureā¦ Itās about Afghans before anybody elseā he ensured that the entire unit āall played a part in the production of the planā¦What I was trying to do was to persuade young hard charging Royal Marines, whose last experience was Sangin, to operate in an extremely different way.ā
The unit distilled their operational design into 10 principles such as āAlways: Treat Afghans with dignity, use the minimum possible force, think clearly even when angry and afraid, always place Afghans firstā¦ā
During the tour these values āwere lived by every dayā¦What was achieved was remarkableā¦an 86% reduction in violenceā¦That led to mission success which was a transfer to Afghan lead security authority 12-18 months ahead of the planā¦There was not a single piece of collateral damage inflicted by us. There was not a single civilian casualty caused by us and we brought everybody home aliveā something āI never thought even possible. In bandit country we did 7600 patrols over that six months and everybody came home aliveā¦It was a remarkable tour.ā
However, for the last three weeks, Oliver's command increased to include that of Marine Aās unit āVery sadly, it was during that three weeks that Marine A committed his battlefield atrocity so it was during the period of my command, which I therefore felt I had to carry some responsibility for even though I didnāt know him, I didnāt know that unit, I hadnāt prepared them, I hadnāt led them for the vast majority of the tour. Leadership is about carrying responsibility.ā Oliver shares his unique perspective on this as well as the action he took next.
āMoral Courageā¦Above all, itās about doing the right thing.ā
Oliver Lee delivering a speech on a beach to 45 Commando's before their deployment to Afghanistan and Oliver talking to Channel 4 News about Marine A.
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Cayle Royce was severely injured in action. His difficult yet inspirational story is told from his mother, Bronwynās perspective. Cayle lost both legs above the knee and part of his hand as well as further blast injuries after stepping on an IED.
āIt is a very challenging story, but lots of positives to be takenā¦From where we wereā¦To where we are now. The hospital, to adventures across the world. My child has come a long wayā¦18 months after injury, Cayle rowed the Atlantic for the first time.ā That was just the start, Cayle and his adventures have since gone from strength-to-strength and he has been awarded an MBE for his Service and achievements after recovery.
If anyone feels in need of hope after facing similar experiences, this story is for you, āIf we can reach one person who needed to hear this story, thatās what itās all about, to just give somebody hope. There is hope post-injury.ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Frank Ledwidge is angry. His hard-hitting, bleak and perhaps controversial perspective is born out of his work in Afghanistan and personal investigation, āI wanted to know what the human cost wasā¦The image we had of ourselves was, we are here to helpā but āWe were seen asā¦invadersā¦That came as something of a shock to me.ā
Frankās background was as a lawyer and a Reservist, āI joined one of the more discrete units of the Navy, a Joint-Service unit with the Army and Air Forceā¦Got called up to Bosnia, then Iraq as a Military Intelligence Officer on the ground and ended up as Head of Branch and retired after 15 yearsā¦In real life, I worked in international organisations and for the British government in Security and Justiceā¦in the former Soviet Unionā¦Balkans, Afghanistan, Libyaā more recently āin Ukraine during the war there.ā
Frank does not hold back with his views ā...after Iraq, where I felt weād beenā¦ lied to, my job in Iraqā¦was literally to look for weapons of mass destructionā¦that pretext was entirely false; I went into Afghanistan, sincerely believing that it was āthe good warā...enemyā¦āevilā...our sideā¦essentially āgoodā and we were going to defeat the enemy and replace them and sort that country out...and I think very many of us went into thatā¦on that basisā¦It was very clear that by 2010, things were criticalā¦The question had to be asked, āSo what are those costs, how many people have been killed or injured, not just in physical terms, but also psychologicalā¦?ā...Nothing was achieved. The evacuation was a chaotic disasterā¦Iāll just be blunt and truthfulā¦Thereās no sugar-coating this.ā
He also explores lessons learned for the future, āIn order to put things right, you have to understand where you went wrong.ā Frank closes with empathy for fellow veterans, āThereās a small minority who arenāt fine, so if you know anyone like that, just say hello and be their friendsā¦Bare them in mind, the warās over but theyāre still here.ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
James Malone remembers leaving Lympstone, āIn every fibre of being, I felt like I could do anythingā¦You just wanna get stuck in.ā
His tour was āSomething that definitely changed the course of my life. War does thatā¦to everyone who experiences combatā¦the first major casualtyā¦was soberingā¦we had fairly regular contact, gunfights, rocket attacks, IED strikesā¦I was a Point Man, barma-ing, trying to stop people standing on IEDsā¦first into most situations, whether clearing a compound to set-up for overwatch, or a firefight orā¦a Shura with Elders, youāre first in there, first through any doorway, you donāt know whatās on the other side...ā
James talks about an incident that he has not shared before outside his most trusted circle, ā...What was difficult to deal with was I no longer had controlā¦When youāve got something going on in your headā¦itās like being in solitary confinement and the only thing you have for company is those experiences and theyāre all horrificā¦I kind of dealt with it by pulling the pin and being a bit of a social hand grenadeā¦I felt like I was going down in flames. It got to a point where I was contemplating filling my pockets up with stones and walking into the sea.ā
āIt is hard to talk aboutā¦but I think itās importantā¦Thereās going to be someone elseā¦who had a very similar experienceā¦So I need them to know that there are other people out there too and they understandā¦Afghan definitely corroded that feeling I had of being able to do anything.ā Now through working with Afghan veterans as a full-time photographer and film-maker, āIāve been able to rediscover a little bit of that again.ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Tom Corrigan wanted to be an Apache pilot... āI thought, āYeah Apache, that looks pretty awesome, up for a bit of thatā. Itās something Iād wanted to do since I was a pretty young lad, I just thought, āthat looks pretty epic.āā
Tomās first tour was in 2009, āYou were just chomping at the bit to get out there reallyā¦We all thought it was going to be fairly quietā¦weāre here as a peace-keeping forceā¦It was not like that, it was full onā¦intense...We were up 10 minutes andā¦āTroops in contact requesting Apacheā. So my front seater was like āRight, have you got your big boy pants on? Itās all kicking off.ā Itās literally my first airborne in Afghanistan and itās firing on targets straight awayā¦I certainly wasnāt prepared for how quickly it was going to go from, youāve literally arrived in theatre to off you go itās all happening now. Thereās no build-up, it'sā¦0 to 60 like bang.ā
Tom returned in 2011 as a front seat Gunner Commander. We hear about the technicalities of flying, finding targets, tactics and engaging. Also about the impact on Tom, āIt was a rollercoasterā¦We had certain days where we had big mass casualties, multiple British Servicemen, either with horrendous injuries or being killed and it was really hard because you felt youāre doing everything you canā¦You have to do what you think is making a difference at the time and I hope what we did out there did have positive impacts on some people. Itās quite mixed emotions.ā
Forward to today, he plays guitar in a rock band, āIt started off as a bit of fun and itās all got quite serious nowā¦ Music is such an amazing creative forceā¦this really positive aspect in my lifeā¦even some negative emotions that youāve had itās been, āWell letās do something with this, letās write itā¦and put it into a songā¦That real freedom to be an exaggerated version of yourselfā¦When Iām on stage itās not me, itās a stage version of me. Itās really liberatingā¦jumping around and pretending to be a rockstar. I canāt recommend it enough!ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Nick Denning gives us an insight into his life and responsibilities as a very new Platoon Commander in Helmand Province.
āIt was all a very rapid, flash-to-bang experience getting thereā¦You want to feel worn-in and seasoned and up-to-speed as quickly as you canā¦You wait for your first patrol, your first contact with the enemy, your first engagement with the local nationalsā¦There was just this huge sense of āThis is itāā¦I knew from the start I had a very strong command teamā¦We spent the first third of the tour in Nauzadā¦the latter 2/3 in Sanginā¦We did patrol and counter-insurgency. We also took part in a number of Company level, Battle Group level and Brigade level operations, where a concerted, deliberate offensive was mounted.ā
We hear about the impact of sustaining fatalities and surreal realities of war, āThe most bizarre thing, it started rainingā¦ We were just sat there in the middle of the desert, and I just remember feeling absolutely emptyā¦ And then the show has to go on.ā
Nick also describes his respect for his soldiers, āThey just got on with these tasksā¦the exertion was incredibleā¦I think 53 was the highest temperature we experiencedā¦and just the quiet grit they had will stay with me forever.ā
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Liz McConaghy āamassed 10 Op Herricksā, deployed three months at a time as part of the Chinook Force...
āWe were there at the beginning of Op Herrickā¦when Camp Bastion didnāt even existā¦ and we were there, pretty much at the end, when we turned the lights off and walked away. Because of that, we saw the whole campaign grow and develop. Lots of mixed emotions throughout the entire journey.ā
Liz joined the military to, ā...have a purpose and do a job and itās fair to say, Afghanistan gave me that in bucket loads. Every single dayā¦we were making a difference to someone.ā
Finally in 2020, PTSD, āCaught up with me in spectacular fashionā¦so much that I ended up taking a huge overdose to end my life.ā
Liz is a real āovercomerā. Sheās written a book about her journey and itās from the heart, told with real honesty and absolutely tons of humour.
āIt was my life, it wasnāt even a job to me.ā
Read Liz's book Chinook Crew 'Chick'.
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Ken Benbow Served in the 7th Escort Group in the Atlantic convoys. With no torpedoes, just guns and depth charges to protect Allied merchant ships from U-Boats, they sailed back and forth through āNo Manās Landā, 1,500 miles of ocean with no air cover, being āattacked every hour by the Germansā. Age 17, Ken went from working on a farm to Serving in the Royal Navy and his story is at the very heart of The Battle of The Atlantic.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Catapult-Armed Merchant āCAMā ship pilots flew highly secretive one-way missions. David Wright was one of only a handful and their stories are little known.
Using rockets and catapults mounted on merchant ships, Hurricane fighter planes were launched to shoot down German planes. With no flight deck to land on, pilots had to bail out seconds before the planes sank into the Atlantic.
Weāll hear two war time stories, Norma Wrightās, who joined the National Fire Service; and Davidās, her late husband.
You can also read David's book, Airborne by Rocket
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Atlantic and Arctic Convoy Veteran, Ron Syson, gives us a gritty account of life as a Merchant Seaman. Very early on, he sailed to Iceland, Greenland and New York, and was alongside when the Normandy caught fire and capsized. He was only 15.
As well as transporting vital supplies across the Atlantic to Britain, Ron braved the Arctic seas in what Churchill described as, āthe worst journey in the world.ā Added to the Nazi threat were sub-zero temperatures, weeks of constant darkness in winter; snow, ice and for anyone overboard, little chance of rescue.
Ronās experiences left him with what the doctors back then diagnosed as āsevere nervous disabilityā. Thousands of men were lost, and for many who lived, the consequences lasted a lifetime.
Read the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Book
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Winston Churchill once wrote, ā... the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-Boat perilā. If The Allies had lost, Britain would have been starved into surrender.
99-year-old John Roberts gives us a fantastic insight into The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest running campaign of WWII.
John left the Royal Navy as a Rear Admiral, having joined-up aged 17 in 1938. When he first went to sea in 1941, The Allies were suffering terrible losses. John explains how the campaign evolved, tactics improved, escorts increased, equipment developed and The Allies gained a greater understanding of how to defeat the enemy.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Paulaās story is about the loss of her husband, Paul Harding, who Served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets. He joined-up at 18 and was killed in action aged 47, in Basra 2007.
We hear about being under attack, fatality and bereavement. If you feel that you might be sensitive to this, you may prefer not to listen.
This emotional, difficult story āshows the tenacity and bravery of my two sons, and how we've recovered from the loss of their wonderful father.ā
āPaul told me ā...this is going to be the toughest of the tours of Op Telicā¦ā he really wanted to be thereā¦for his men.ā When they said goodbye, Paula felt, ā...absolutely horrific...he hugged me and said it would be the last oneā¦ā
Paul called from Iraq ā...He sounded absolutely exhausted. They'd been under siege for three daysā¦ā Having secured the site against insurgents ā...the militia were trying to stop the handover to the Iraqi armyā¦As a convoy was coming in bringing supplies, they came under attackā¦Paulā¦was trying to spot the snipers and get the vehicles inā¦They started to fire rocket propelled grenadesā¦a blast came through the opening where Paul was looking out so he could give the orders and he was killed instantly.ā
Paula was woken at 2am ā... I could see the black car and just knew why they were thereā¦and then the nightmare beganā¦When people talk about a broken heart, this is what it really is.ā
Paulaās written a book with her friend, about her experiences, āIt was cathartic but painful.ā
ā...Remember, freedom comes at a costā¦.and not to forget the people who have to carry on with their lives every day who carry the mortgage of everyone's freedom.ā
This is a story of courage and resilience. A Love Story.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Tip Cullen, former Royal Marines Commando tells us about losing 8 of his friends in the very first operation of Op Telic 1.
Heās telling this story ā...to keep their memory aliveā and ā...for the families that had to deal with the consequencesā¦ā also for ā...people to empathise with their sacrifice, or their will to protect what we call freedomā¦Those people were legendsā¦ā
āWe deployed as a Brigade Recce Force...mostly Royal Marines Commandos, main disciplines Mountain Leaders or specialists in reconnaissance and snipersā¦ā
āA couple of days before the invasion, everything racks up. We were rehearsing for an aviation assaultā¦The helicopter that I was rehearsing on, and I was ordered to invade with, was a helicopter that would eventually crash.ā
Orders were given ready for the invasion. āEveryone was chomping at the bit, this is what we're here for, to do our job as professionally as we can.ā At the last minute, Tip was ordered to board a different helicopter and to this day, doesn't know why. He said goodbye to his mates, āBig hugsā¦See you all when we link up againā¦ā
From Tipās helicopter, he saw his friends,
ā...dive in a straight line, completely vertical towards the ground and then gone in an instant blastā¦massive fireballā¦then we got āmission abortā.ā
āI lost such close friends and in a very short space of time, from chatting to them, to holding their hands, to giving them hugsā¦to disintegrating underneath you and forever that will never leave my memoryā¦that will always leave me unsettled for the rest of my days.ā
Many thought Tip had been on that helicopter.
This was the start of the invasion and these were our first casualties.
āWe were very lucky to have such quality peopleā¦ to pick ourselves up and do all those guys who died justice.ā
Follow Tip on Instagram
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Kirk Bowett Served in The Cheshire Regiment and his deployment to the Middle East began during Op Telic 4, 2004.
We hear about his personal experiences of the realities of war, which includes details of injury and loss of limb. If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.
āI was part of the recce elementā¦in Basra Cityā¦the infrastructure had failed, no sanitationā¦We were initially met with open armsā¦ā
They tried to help ā...hearts and mindsā¦ā But there were problems ā...everything had stoppedā¦police had disappearedā¦ā
āWe were doing house assaults to try to capture the terrorists. Militias were beginning to form because of this power vacuumā¦organisedā¦good weaponsā¦planting precision IEDs.ā
Rumours, press and social media, ā...created an anger and hatred towards usā¦a nationwide attack on coalition forcesā¦All hell broke looseā¦it made me realiseā¦ itās not a peace-keeping thingā¦itās a start-stop warā¦ā
Another tour, ā...Al Qaeda had started to rear their ugly headā¦ā After that, Afghanistan, āI lost 12 friends in a 3 month periodā¦burnout of post 9/11 wars had started to really hit the combat troopsā¦.Having buried 6 or 7 of my friendsā¦putting them in the ground, that for me was closure enough on my time as an infantry soldier.ā
Kirk returned to Iraq as a bodyguard, ā...things started to take a turn for the worse. ISIS.ā His vehicle was blown-up. He lost his arm and suffered brain trauma.
Life on Civvy Street unravelled, drinking, family separation, homelessness and considering ending his life.
Blesma helped with overcoming challenges. Kirk now draws upon his experiences as a survival instructor with the RAF, in his acting career and as a published author. Although he experiences loneliness, heās found his sense of purpose, āMy children are my anchorā¦they keep me goingā¦theyāre my reason for being.ā
Follow Kirk on Instagram and Twitter
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Piers Stacey, aged 17, joined The Corps, āā¦six days after the Twin Towers were hitā¦ā
Joining 42 Commando late 2002, ā...we all went into pre-deployment training for the build-up..it was pretty intense, pretty rapid for a fresh faced 18 year oldā¦ā
In Kuwait, ā...we landed in the desertā¦nothing thereā¦over time, defences went up, sandbag wallsā¦ā and acclimatisation training, ā...we kept our phys up and exercised out in the heat so we could condition ourselves to be able to fight in that wayā¦ā
āAs we went inā¦jumping out of the Sea Kingā¦I remember just hearing the crack and thumpā¦All of us were getting shot at and that was the start of itā¦ā
We hear how intense operations became, ā...I was a real āops junkyā, as terrifying as it wasā¦ā and how after Op Telic, Piers became a combat intelligence specialist working with the Special Boat Service.
After 19 years, Piers planned his exit from the Armed Forces,
ā...the one thing I did not consider was that sense of belonging and that sense of being part of something biggerā¦It was not an easy transitionā¦I didnāt know what to say or who to say it to.ā
Piersā mental health deteriorated and he considered driving into a head-on collision.
This was the turning point for seeking therapy which helped, leading to today having set up āHollow Heartā where supporters wear a pin to let others know you're open to talking about mental health.
āā¦Even to this day, if you asked me, āPiers, what are you?ā There will be a massive part of me that would just want to say, āI'm a Royal Marine, or I'm an intelligence officerā¦.ā I think it's going to be really difficult to shake that part of me in terms of what my identity is.ā
Please support Hollow Heart and The Royal Marines Charity
Follow Piers on Instagram
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Neville Johnson left South Africa and joined the British Army in 2003.
After basic training, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a cease-fire tour in Belfast, āThose first couple of weeks were a big eye opener for me, definitely paved the way for future operationsā¦ā
Neville deployed to Basra in 2005 and 2006, duties including night and daytime patrols, working with special forces units or the parachute regiment during raids, apprehending personnel of interest, long hours in the heat with threats of ā...indirect fire on our baseā¦it was the start of the roadside bombs.ā
He then deployed to Afghanistan, āAfghan was different. It was full-on war fighting.ā
āWe got attacked every dayā¦numerous times, all at the same time from different directions, small arms fire, sniper fire, RBG mortar rounds. We knew it was going to be hot, flying-in it was full-on.āāYou're always on alert. You're never fully relaxed. The feeling of knowing someone is there to attack you. The incoming rounds. The sound. The feeling is difficult to explain. The fear, it's horribleā¦Everyone trained together. We went through it together.ā
It wasn't until many years later that Neville felt the impact on his mental health. He doesnāt usually talk about his deployments, even with family, but he found a way through writing poems and putting them out on social media, ā...for the world to see, to dissect, was way out of my comfort zoneā¦.but getting that release, it's amazing.ā
Soldiers from the Commonwealth play a vital role in the British Armed Forces and Neville is testament to this. His poems have now been published and despite being shy, he reads some of them out to us which is incredibly moving and powerful.
Follow Neville on Instagram
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
We meet Sarah Davis, Army Air Corps Ground Crew, one of the pioneering women deployed to the frontline during Op Telic 1.
Having joined-up in 1999, a time when the Armed Forces was going through changes - evolving in terms of equality and a time that would mark the start of several years of military campaigns.
We hear about getting ready to go, āI was kind of cravingā¦doing my bit for Queen and Countryā¦ā
As well as operational duties in a combat zone, refuelling and rearming attack helicopters and underslung loads, āYou donāt know how good or bad your unit is until you actually go to war.ā
We also hear about the impact on loved ones back home, āI promised on this call, āMum, I promise Iām never going to do this to you again.āā
To top it all, Sarah spins a few cracking dits highlighting the critical role of morale, listen out for the Union Flag pants.
Sarah is now involved with several military charities to help Veterans who are struggling, āwe donāt want to leave anyone behind.ā
Follow Sarah on InstagramLinks to organisations mentioned in this episode:
BFBS
Homes for Veterans
Military Wives Choir
The Rawthey Project
Soldiers Arts Academy
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
This is Pat Pattersonās story. A Royal Marine Aircrewman with 845 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea King helicopters aka āJungliesā, and his wife also served during the war.
Having looked back through his helicopter logbook, he shares with us his experiences of Op Telic 1, as well as his subsequent tours.
We hear about the scale of the operation as well as operational complexities specific to helicopter crews that fly into particularly challenging environments,
āIt was a bit more dangerous going the second or third time to Iraqā¦ā
Being an incidence response team, the crew were involved in insurgency situations as well as casualty evacuation.
They encountered the hazards of flying at night, ābrown outsā flying in desert conditions and the helicopters became ābullet magnetsā for small arms, RPG rocket launchers and surface to air missiles.
If youāre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weāre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. - Laat meer zien
