Kirsty Bushell

On the twentieth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, SSAFA’s National Vice-Chair Kirsty Bushell CBE, shares her experience of the war.

She explains that those who served, and the families that were the backbone of the war effort, should not be forgotten.

We knew as the news broke that we would be heavily involved

Twenty years ago, in March 2003, British troops took part in a coalition invasion of Iraq. Kirsty Bushell, now National Vice-Chair of SSAFA, was serving in the RAF as news came through about Britain’s plans to go to war.

She was the Officer in Command of Station Services Squadron for the Hercules Force at their main operating base RAF Lyneham. As the air transport fleet, they were responsible for getting personnel and resources to the war zone.

“Any time there was a major operational surge, the crews and support staff at RAF Lyneham would deploy forward.

“The ‘movers’ (the air mobility dispatch teams and engineers) would always be heavily utilised, because they took everything forward.

“RAF Lyneham was always included whenever anything happened.

“We knew as the news broke that we would be heavily involved in deploying people to Iraq as well as taking on air operations.

“I was pregnant with my first child, so I knew I wouldn’t be ‘going forward’. My role was to oversee the support teams here to provide 24-hour operation of the airbase from keeping a safe runway to looking after the families of those deployed.

“We were heavily involved in the logistics and supply chain for the war – if that didn’t function, our men and women in the air and on the ground would have been less safe.”

Partners, children, mothers, fathers, siblings – they needed to be seen and understood.

One of Kirsty’s roles was to ensure the welfare of the families of those serving. She was responsible them cope with the uncertainty of war, and crucially to make sure those who were deployed felt secure that their families were being looked after:

“For me, the families were a huge priority. They given the same detail we had there was so
much uncertainty for them.

“When I was more junior, I was less aware about the impact on the families – but during the invasion, I was very conscious of how those who were left behind were feeling.

“They were an integral part of the effort, and it was important operationally to look after the community so that those who were deployed could focus on their roles without having to worry about what was happening at home.

“We had huge swathes of people living on the base, but there were also many who were not easy to connect with because they lived away, or because serving personnel were single or divorced. We tried to be there for everyone affected in the community.

“When people go away, you don’t know how long for or when they're coming back. The tension and emotional energy stay with you the whole time. It is an intense experience.

“In that time, these families had to keep life running as normal- hold down jobs and look after children. That's a lot of the challenge for people.

“Often, they would be working with civilians or going to school with people, who wouldn’t really understand what they were going through, because they haven’t had to deal with that sort of intense experience before. It was vital that we showed the military families that they had a community that understood and supported them.

“We know that for them the evenings and weekends were long, and tough. With volunteer organisations like SSAFA and staff we would meet ups and events to bring people together, inform them and support them – and often distract them. With around 700 people from the base deployed, we had a big job on our hands to help those who needed us. Partners, children, mothers, fathers, siblings – they needed to be seen and understood.”

You couldn’t choose where to hold your fear

“Context is important. Twenty years ago, it was harder for families to stay in touch with their loved ones. We didn’t have use of the internet or phones or apps as we do now.

“When troops deploy forward, families will generally not know exactly where going to. That is especially true of the transport fleet who would travel to multiple locations. There's a huge level of uncertainty.

“We had the start of rolling news, and every incident reported, every bomb that exploded, felt personal – there was always the fear that it was your person who had been hurt. The war unfolded very publicly.

"You couldn’t choose where to hold your fear. Families knew that their individuals were in real harm's way.

“We send highly trained people off to war, but it is the families left behind, who don't have the benefit of that insight or knowledge that we need to make sure that we look after. That's where organisations like SSAFA are so important.”

It inspired me to go on and do more to help military families

Sadly, 179 British personnel died while serving in Iraq. In January 2005, an RAF Hercules, based at RAF Lyneham was shot down in Iraq. All ten people on board were killed. Kirsty was based at Headquarters RAF at High Wycombe at the time.

"For me, that brought a lot home.

“That sense of knowing what those air crew did, under threat all the time, to hear of that loss I felt very connected.

“I had been part of their world for a tour, and then, to hear of that loss felt deep.

“When we think of Iraq, IEDs and on the ground fighting come to the forefront of the mind, but we must remember the risk faced by members of the RAF.

“When we talk about RAF, it's easy just to think of the aircraft, but each aircraft is supported by loads and loads of skilled servicemen and women. For every aircraft that goes, there are dozens of engineers and support workers, and caterers, and survival equipment people, managing the headsets, and all the specialist clothing and people looking after all the radars and equipment. It's a wide range of skills and experience.

“Landing and taking off was dangerous, because then, you're in range of small arms fire and surface-to-air missiles.

“Seeing people return at RAF Lyneham, you saw a real sense of pride at what they had done out there, but huge relief that they were back home.

“And for most, they knew they’d be going back again. The start of the war is the one-off, but then, people committed to Op Telic for all those years. They would go out again and again.”

Kirsty’s experience of the Iraq war, as a senior leader and as someone who worked very closely with people and families throughout, shaping her outlook on life. It was an experience that has driven much of her decision making ever since.

“The Iraq War and my experience of it, shaped me as a person and had a real effect on what I went on to do.

“There are people whom I connected with so deeply at that time that, and who I admired so much for how much of a difference that they made, that it inspired me to go on and do more to help military families.

“There was a real sense of energy needed to maintain the work for the families - being available and being connected. For me it strengthened my understanding of purpose and connectedness, and service life. That was a really formative time for me and has driven me to become more deeply involved with SSAFA as a trustee.”

Every conflict we have ever taken part has shaped our nation

For those who served in Iraq, and for the families who lived through it, as we reach twenty years since the invasion, SSAFA wants to remind those who served that there is a community that supports them.

“Their experience will have shaped who they are now, often in a positive way, helping to build resilience, understanding and respect, but it may also have left them feeling vulnerable or exposed, or needing somebody who understands them. SSAFA remains here to support them, as a family of a veteran, as a veteran themselves, or whether they're still serving.

“SSAFA has been here for nearly 140 years looking after families and those involved in these conflicts. Regardless of whether you were on the front-line, on the ground, or behind, if you were one of those support services, driving incredible work to keep people flying and operating in Iraq, we remain here for you. We understood your problems then, and we can understand any challenges that you have now.”

On the twentieth anniversary of the invasion, Kirsty also hopes the public to reflect and remember what those in the military community went through as part of their duty.

“The Armed Forces went forward with great commitment and bravery and integrity, and their families stood behind them. That's what we should remember.

“Whatever your personal position on the War in Iraq is, all these individuals went to fight, doing their duty to their country. We shouldn’t put an overlay of hindsight on it now, which devalues what they did.

“We certainly should not forget what happened or the people who gave or risked their lives to serve in Iraq. Every conflict we have ever taken part of has shaped our nation, and we need people to remember and our young people to learn about the sacrifices that were made.

“It's also important to make sure we support charities like SSAFA, to make sure that all those involved have access to help if they need it. Some will still feel the effects of war, due to injury, mental health problems and the implications of military life.

“We need the public to back those men and women who supported the war effort – and every war effort we have been involved in, so we can offer the best and most relevant support possible.

“I think it is part of our collective responsibility to make sure we can reach everybody and can continue to evolve in how we support people.”