Afghan trip no holiday (From Western Telegraph)

Afghan trip no holiday

10:40am Saturday 13th September 2008

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Two Pembrokeshire professionals swapped their day jobs for the desert dust of Afghanistan to play a crucial role in the armed forces’ peace-keeping mission this summer.

Kevin Munson and Dave Hawkings spent an intense three-and-a-half month deployment at Camp Bastion, providing lifesaving care as part of 203 Welsh Field Hospital regiment.

“I thought I had seen everything working for the NHS for 28 years, but nothing prepared me for what I had to do there.”

Lieutenant Dave Hawkings

Father-of-two Lieutenant Hawkings has worked at Withybush hospital for 28 years in a variety of roles from paramedic to project coordinator, and has been in the Territorial Army (TA) for the past three years.

This was his first deployment to the war zone, and he worked long shifts as a trauma nurse coordinator, acting as part of the trauma team, and liaising with UK trauma units when patients were sent home.

Lt Hawkings said: “I thought I had seen everything working for the NHS for 28 years, but nothing prepared me for what I had to do there.”

A purpose-built 25-bed hospital dealt with a large number of major trauma incidents during the unit’s time at the camp.

As well as coalition force casualties, the team also treated local civilians and members of the Afghan police and National Army.

The care given by army medics has been described as the best treatment in the world.

Lt Hawkings was also involved with the repatriation of the dead.

“It was a difficult part of the job, especially when you looked at their ages,” he added.

Major Kevin Munson, a Dyfed-Powys Police armed response officer, based in Haverfordwest, has been in the TA for nearly 29 years.

This was his first trip to Afghanistan.

He said: “It was an amazing experience, so totally different to what I do every day.

“Dave did a tremendous job, I was amazed at the amount of time he had to work.

“It was great to have someone like him out there.”

Major Munson, a former physiotherapist, acted as watch-keeper for the medical team, coordinating responses to incidents.

“It was difficult dealing with British deaths out there, but you had highs almost every day when you saw seriously ill people surviving,” he added.

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