Rebecca describes the trauma faced by medics in Helmand

Home safely from Afghanistan after a four-month tour of duty, Leading Writer Rebecca Aitken sheds light on the incidents - and dangers - medics at Camp Bastion had to deal with over the summer.

The 31-year-old sailor from Basingstoke served as a receptionist at the field hospital – duties which saw her alert medical staff, care for troops who’d been maimed by home-made bombs and also Afghans casualties who were carrying bomb-making equipment.

Worked in the hospital reception, she was the point of contact when a casualty was being rescued from across Helmand Province and would receive a short email message in code that would tell her how many casualties were coming and what was wrong with them.

“I would hear a small ping on my computer, like a message alert, and that would spark me into action,”

Rebecca explained.

“I would put out a trauma call and get the surgeons, anaesthetists and anyone else who needed to be there to respond.”

The leading hand said her four months in Helmand had been the most worthwhile during her four years in the Senior Service.

She said:

“During the summer months it was really busy. W hen the casualties arrived I would often be doing front of house duties where we would work to clean the patients as quickly as possible before they went into theatre.”

On several occasions Afghan casualties would be brought into the hospital – and often they were carrying material that could have been used for bombs.

Rebecca said:

“We found batteries, parts of mobiles and wires from time to time, which are the main parts of the improvised explosives there.

“It’s another part of the work where you have to be vigilant and make sure you’ve done as many checks as possible.”

Staying alert was made harder as the medical teams often work tiring shifts of 12 hours on, 12 hours off.

Rebecca said:

“It was really hard work, and obviously sad for those who suffered severe injuries, but I’d love to go and do the same job again. I really enjoyed it and my Dad would be proud as an ex-sailor.”

Rebecca joined the Royal Navy aged 27 after university and so followed in her father John’s footsteps – he spent 13 years under the White Ensign, often serving in the Indian Ocean.

Her partner Michael Fyans is also in the RN with the frigate HMS Monmouth, which has recently returned to Devonport after counter-piracy operations east of Suez.

On returning from Afghanistan, Rebecca received an operational medal from Cdre Paul Bennett, Assistant Chief-of-Staff Director Naval Personnel Strategy, during a ‘dismount’ course for personnel coming back from theatre at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth.