Flight Lieutenant Laura Hodson – Nursing Officer

“Going to Afghanistan was one of the main reasons I joined. There’s nothing like the feeling that you’re saving lives and helping the troops to do their job.”

My role

I’m an A&E nurse in my day job and an Aeromedical Evacuation/Emergency Nursing Officer in the RAF Reserves. I like balancing both lives and the different experiences they give me.

Originally, I wanted to join the RAF full time and studied for my degree in nursing to help me qualify. I’ve since decided to continue my career in the NHS but I get enormous satisfaction from my Reserves job – which is about treating injured personnel in theatre.

I joined as a Corporal and have since been commissioned and now hold the rank of Flight Lieutenant. As well as basic training, I did a junior management leadership course and I studied independently for a postgraduate diploma in tropical nursing, which helped me prepare for deployment.

My experiences

I’ve done two tours in Afghanistan. The first time, we did a massive airlift operation involving 18 patients suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. It was hot and noisy, and sometimes we had to work with limited equipment, but it was an all-round brilliant experience. The second time, I worked in the emergency department at Camp Bastion. We saw a lot of complex, multiple trauma patients — a far cry from what I usually see in the NHS.

My life

Now I go away with the RAF one weekend a month for training, but the rest of the time I work as an NHS nurse, spend time with my husband and family and live a normal life. I’d recommend this route to anyone who is interested in working alongside the RAF. It’s a great way to experience what RAF life is like and you get to do so many new things.