RAF Air Cadets are always keen to learn more about the work of the Royal Air Force and 1403 (Retford) Squadron RAF Air Cadets, jumped at the chance to hear more about the RAF’s medical services.
On Wednesday 24th February, RAF Nurse Sgt Julie Jones who is a Reservist at 4626 Aeromedical Evacuation Sqn based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Julie gives her time as a member of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, being called upon when required to support military operations in the UK and abroad. In her day job she is a nurse working full time in the region as a civilian nurse, but giving her skills and knowledge to the RAF and also taking back her RAF skills to be used in her full time role.
CI Rice, the media officer for 1403 said ‘We are very grateful that she gave up her time to come and visit us. She talked to the cadets about her role within the RAF, a position which she has held for 10 years, the training she went through & continues to do at RAF Brize Norton. She then touched on her experiences on Operation GRITROCK, on the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone & in Afghanistan in her role as an Aeromed Nurse’
4626 Aeromedical Evacuation is one of a number of Auxiliary Squadrons of the RAF, however they specialise in the recovery and transportation of sick and injured service personnel and civilians, who have been injured in conflict, natural disasters or emergencies. The Squadron is made up of Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Medical Support Officers and Flight medics, all held on readiness to deploy anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice, utilising the RAFs transport fleet of Hercules, Voyager, C17 and soon the A400M Atlas. They recreate the hospital in the air and are often referred to as the ‘Flying Hospital’ when they arrive, it is a mobile intensive care unit at 30,000 feet.
Julie has been with the RAF for 10 years during which time she has been deployed to Afghanistan and more recently to Sierra Leone to assist with the Ebola crisis. For the latter Julie was awarded the Cross Government Ebola medal for running the medical facilities in Sierra Leone. The medals were presented by Her Majesty’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Peter Scrope and the Director General of the Army Medical Services, Major General Jeremy Rowan – it was his last engagements before leaving the Army and also recently won the Amethyst Trophy for outstanding service & commitment in her nursing duties.
It was such a pleasure to have her on Sqn & gave a totally new insight to the cadets on other roles within the armed forces, full time or reservist and especially interesting to hear what she has achieved and been lucky enough to experience in the RAF & offered valuable insight to the cadets we have indicated they would love a career as a medic in the RAF’ said CI Rice.