CAT A Compassionate

[Wyler]

Folks, below is an edited version of an e-mail just reproduced with the authors permission. He is a TG12 FS serving in Afghanistan.

Late yesterday afternoon I was sitting in Lash when I received a call that my FIL was seriously ill and not expected to last much longer.
A quick call to the UK casualty centre with the hospital details and I was quickly classed as a CAT A.
Less than an hour later a Sea King arrived (with mini gun Chinook top cover) in the pitch black with the sole purpose of collecting me.
I was very soon at Kandahar after just one hours flying where I was met by guys who quickly got me onto a C-17 which was waiting for me. The Crew bunk was reserved and I was treated like a King, nothing was too much trouble. A quick crew change and refuel in Turkey and then it was direct to Aberdeen (aircraft diverted from Brize just for me).
I was put in the jump seat for the last 30 minutes to see what was going on. Poor weather was the order of the day but we made it in for an engines running drop off and I was immediately picked up and whisked away to the hospital.
Sadly, I just missed my FIL passing but I was there for my family and I will never forget the lengths my Service colleagues and friends went to to get me home as soon as they could.
In this day of tight budgets and resources it is good to see that the individual can still come first. My FIL, who served in India with the RAF in WW2 and, according to his diary, was being strafed by Jap Zeros exactly 64 years ago, would have been proud.

What a great story and a change from the usual gripes and moans (mostly justified). I have always thought that it is the ability of the UK Armed Forces to rise to a challenge, and improvise, that has made us amongst the best in the world.