Tactical Medical Wing recently held a Resilience Day as a reflection of commitment.
Triple amputee, and guest speaker, Mark Ormrod joined Tactical Medical Wing (TMW) personnel, whose powerful story of resilience deeply resonated with the team. His involvement brought a renewed sense of purpose to the work the team undertake and set the tone for meaningful reflection and conversation.
Group Captain Charlotte Thompson ARRC KHN, AH Med Pers & Training and Director of Nursing Services (RAF) said:
“I commend TMW for recognising the importance of resilience training within their squadron. In the context of ongoing conflict in Europe and the immense pressure on medical services, equipping personnel with effective coping strategies, and the ability to recognise signs of stress in others, is absolutely essential. It was a pleasure to reconnect with Mark Ormrod today, a former patient of mine from Operation Herrick. Despite the life-changing injuries he sustained, his inspirational talk offered powerful insights into resilience and mental strength. I also applaud RAF Brize Norton for supporting this vital training, which should be made available to all personnel.”
Group Captain Charlotte Thompson ARRC KHN
AH Med Pers & Training and Director of Nursing Services (RAF)
This momentum continued throughout the day into Human Performance workshop, which encouraged open dialogue and insight into how we can better support ourselves and each other.
Mark Ormrod said:
“Today was not only a huge honour for me but it was also a bit of a full circle moment. 17 years after having my life saved in Afghanistan by MERT [Medical Emergency Response Team] I had the privilege of sharing my story with them. What made it extra special was that one of the medics primarily responsible for saving my life Group Captain Charlie Thompson was able to be there to tell part of the story from her perspective. The Veteran owned company I’m part of also got to delivery a resilience workshop to the team with many of the lesson born from the experiences and lessons we learned from leading and operating in combat”.
Mark Ormrod
The day concluded with a physically demanding yet rewarding Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session, led by Brize BJJ head coaches, pushing all those involved outside their comfort zones; offering both a physical challenges and a valuable opportunity for stress release, camaraderie, and laughter.
Resilience Lead for the Operations Squadron, Sergeant Danielle Thorpe-Gray, EM Nurse said:
“One of my key priorities has been to create development opportunities that invest in the wellbeing of our personnel. Our aim is to equip our highly skilled clinicians with practical mental and physical tools to help them thrive in high-pressure environments, while also strengthening team cohesion. Yesterday’s Resilience Day was a reflection of that commitment. We were honoured to be joined by Mark Ormrod, whose powerful story of resilience deeply resonated with the team”.
Sergeant Danielle Thorpe-Gray
Resilience Lead for TMW Operations Squadron
Initiatives like these are vital for maintaining the wellbeing and operational readiness of our personnel.
