Helmand medics are Pride of Britain
29 Sep 08
A team of UK military medics currently serving on operations in Afghanistan will be honoured with a Pride of Britain Award during a special ceremony hosted by Carol Vorderman in London tomorrow night, Tuesday 30 September 2008.
Registered General Nurse 38-year-old Sergeant Liz Shillito, RAF, accepts the Pride of Britain award from Ant (left) and Dec (right) on behalf of the MERT
[Picture: James Vellacott]
The annual event celebrates the achievements of some truly remarkable people who have overcome great challenges to make our world a better place.
Among those receiving national recognition this year is the Camp Bastion-based Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). Pride of Britain co-presenters, primetime celebrities Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - better known as Ant and Dec, flew out to southern Afghanistan recently to present the team with their award.
The tri-Service MERT is Helmand province's combat air ambulance service. Supported by a bomb disposal team, fire and rescue unit and an infantry close protection squad, the specialist unit flies rescue missions night and day around the combat zones of southern Afghanistan.
The MERT teams complete 24 hour shifts and are kept at a high state of readiness, with downtime often spent checking kit and talking through potential scenarios. Commanding Officer of the hospital at Camp Bastion, Colonel Phil Hubbard, explained:
"The equivalent to the MERT in the UK are air ambulances, they don't routinely fly with the level of professional trauma care we have on the MERT every day. We can and have delivered multiple casualties to the hospital, day and night on just one flight."
In the unforgiving, harsh conditions of Afghanistan the role of the MERT is vital for saving lives. The team treats British soldiers, International Security Assistance Force troops as well as local civilians and wounded enemy fighters. Once on board, all patients are afforded care on medical grounds alone.
During their visit, Geordie duo Ant and Dec were waiting to catch a military flight home when Kandahar airport came under rocket attack from nearby hills. The pair were forced to dive for cover:
"It was pretty hairy - not something I’d like to experience again," said 32-year-old Ant. "We couldn't believe how close we were to being hit. It shows what our troops go through every day."
The Pride of Britain Awards will be televised on ITV1 at 8pm on Wednesday evening.