Chinook Crew 'Chick': Highs and Lows of Forces Life from the Longest Serving Female RAF Chinook Force Crewmember

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I knew that things were really coming unravelled one night when I couldn’t sleep and at about 4am I was Googling some of the soldiers that we’d picked up. Down, Northern Ireland, celebrating my 19th birthday at RAF Cranwell and stepping onto the path that would lead me to become the longest-serving female crewmember on the Chinook Fleet. A struggle with PTSD escalated, and in August 2020, I faced my darkest hour, attempting to take my own life. Waking in intensive care two days later, McConaghy's feelings had completely shifted; she realised she didn't want to die. Deployed twice to Iraq and ten times to Afghanistan, Liz struggled with her mental health feeling detached emotionally and suicidal.

The biggest honour of all her duties, however, was serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), or the flying ambulance as it was more commonly known. I knew we were about to crash so I braced myself hard against the door frame and placed my hand on the release straps of my harness,” she said. We also deliberately didn’t try to find out whether the casualties had made it or not, it was too difficult to find out because it wasn’t good for our mental health, but when the camp went into a state of ‘minimise’ — which is when the internet and phone lines are turned off — we knew that was when someone had lost their lives. During this month, Airfix is proud to highlight some key contributions of women throughout history, as part of an exciting campaign celebrating Women’s History Month, March 2023.It's Liz here again, and today, I’d like to chat about something that's close to my heart – the importance of giving your mental health a score. The good thing about the Chinook” Liz explained , “compared to something like the Puma and even the Merlin is that it’s got a lot of redundant space. LIZ MCCONAGHY is an ex-RAF Chinook crewmember who has deployed worldwide with the CH47 fleet, including to Iraq and Afghanistan. We're extremely proud to honour Liz as our Inspirational Woman of the Year 2023 and would like to express our deepest gratitude for her altruism and dedication to uplifting the lives of others.

I haven’t worn my medals at all since I left…and although I have never believed that they are a true reflection of one’s service I will be wearing them with pride as I march past the Cenotaph. But if you can get everyone to use that system, it’s also a good measure for other people and help them notice how you’re doing.The first time I went, there was an army commander in the theatre, and he made me go and stay in a girl’s tent because you aren’t allowed mixed accommodation, and I was so miserable. It really started to fester in my head, and I started to get just random thoughts in my head that I couldn't get rid of," McConaghy shared. Candidly speaking about her suicide attempt, she emphasises the importance of looking after mental health and urges audience members to seek professional help. Aged just 21, she was the youngest aircrew member to deploy to Iraq and was also the only female crewman' on the Chinook wing for four years. In 2005, Liz was first deployed to Afghanistan and she’d go on to complete 10 tours as part of the medical helicopter response team providing emergency assistance to wounded personnel.

but I know from messages I get daily, that it’s not a single day with a label that people feel depressed on, it can happen anytime, even when life is ‘supposed’ to be great. So, ask twice is what I tell people, and give your mental health a number because it’s much easier to say, ‘I’m a 3 today’ than say ‘I’m struggling. The author's passion for her work shines through every sentence, and it's evident that she has poured her heart and soul into this book. Liz saw Camp Bastion grow from a barbed wire fence surrounding an area of tents in the sand to the huge Operating Base it became.Now working as a motivational speaker, Ms McConaghy speaks candidly about her mental health struggles and shares inspirational stories from her time in the RAF. She had seen some terrible things on deployment during her service, not least flying on the medical flights recovering badly injured and dead soldiers from the battlefield. Now the author of Chinook Crew ‘Chick’: Highs and Lows of Force Life from the Longest Serving Female RAF Chinook Crewmember, Liz is on a mission to support those who are entering a career in the Royal Air Force and those who have endured difficult experiences in the military.