Presiding Officer joins Welsh medics on exercise in preparation for Afghan deployment
10 May 2013
The National Assembly for Wales’s Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM, joined Welsh medics and nurses on exercise in York recently.
Volunteers from the 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital were on their pre-mission assessment prior to their deployment to Afghanistan later this year.
The Presiding Officer, a former Territorial Army volunteer herself, joined medics and nurses as they underwent assessment in specific scenarios in preparation to support troops.
“It was an honour to be invited to witness these Welsh volunteers preparing to support our troops in Afghanistan,” the Presiding Officer said.
“The volunteers that make up the Territorial Army give up a lot of their spare time in service of their country and provide a vital support role to our full-time armed services.
“I enjoyed my time in the TA immensely and seeing these volunteers working closely together brought back many memories.
“But it was also a sobering experience to see the types of injuries that the medical personnel are preparing to treat.
“It brought home to everyone witnessing the exercise that young men and women are still putting their lives on the line in service of their country in Afghanistan.”
The pre-mission assessment took place at the Army Medical Servcies Training Centre near York.
The Territorial Army Medical Services (TA MS) provides the Army with expert medical care wherever it operates in the world.
To maintain its effectiveness, the TA MS recruits people from across the healthcare sector from qualified medical staff to Allied Health Professionals (AHP).
Individual roles in the TA MS depend entirely upon professional skills, qualifications and talents.
Wherever the Army deploys worldwide it is supported by the very best healthcare professionals with 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital (Volunteers) playing a significant part in the TA medical services structure.
The unit HQ is at Llandaff North in Cardiff with outstations throughout Wales.
Pictured L-R: Warrant Officer Tony Hampson from Caerphilly, Corporal Kevin Pritchard from Caernarfon, Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM, and Padre Martin Spain from Haverfordwest.