Friday, May 8, 2009

Croydon female Territorial Army medic heads off to war in Afghanistan


By Harry Miller »
A female Territorial Army medic from Croydon has just begun a six month tour in one of the worlds most dangerous places, Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Caroline Albery, 26, is currently serving as a medic at the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) in the town of Sangin, northern Helmand province.

The former St Andrews Church of England High school pupil is a member of 7 Battalion, The Rifles, a TA unit, and has deployed alongside her regular Army colleagues from 2 Battalion, a light infantry battalion based in Ballykinler in Northern Ireland.

LCpl Albery, who is also a Warwick University student, said: “I came for the adventure.
"I am happy to be here and helping the Afghans.

"It’s a very rewarding role and we get to do a lot of good for the country.

"The other soldiers here also appreciate what we do, as they know they will be well looked after should any of them be wounded.”

The TA medic has joined the base at Sangin as it undergoes a major facelift.

A new primary healthcare centre is being built at the main UK Forward Operating Base (FOB), Jackson, which is home to more than 400 soldiers from 2 Rifles.

The new health care centre is the result of an expansion of the medical facilities at the base and will have seven trained medical staff and will be a mixture of TA and regular army personnel.
LCpl Albery said: “This is a challenging role and I am busy working to finalise the setting up of the primary health care centre in FOB Jackson, to ensure soldiers and local civilians who need medical aid get the highest standard of treatment possible.”

The healthcare centre has now been expanded to two buildings, one primary health care centre and one trauma centre, which will give the medics and doctor in Sangin more ability to triage and treat patients.

LCpl Albery said: “We aim to give the highest standard of care to any wounded or injured soldiers who come through this regimental aid post.

"No matter the person: British, NATO or local national, our responsibility is to the casualty.”
Major Marc Briggs, Commander of HQ Company, 2 Rifles, which is based at Sangin, said: “My soldiers can rest assured that they will be in the safe and competent hands of LCpl Albery and other skillful medics should they come into difficulties during operations.”

1 comment:

  1. im a nz army medic in the regular force for 9 years and wanting to join the british army as a medic. can you give me some direction on how to transfer to join from nz army to the british army.

    ReplyDelete