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Old 13th Jul 2015, 10:38
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Lima Juliet
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 4,334
Received 80 Likes on 32 Posts
PTSD at home is not a new phenomena for the RAF. Plenty of aircrew in WWII flew combat missions and then returned home with their family. Also, many have frightened themselves fartless during a training mission only to return home the same day.

The Mess Bar used to be a great decompression tool, although that seems to be out of favour with the Sport Billies and the blood-alcohol nazis. However, having a couple of pints and a natter to your mates before going home would certainly help (not 'wife beater' like Stella or Wobbly, though!).

The Sqn needs to manage the PTSD and if that means having a few beds and a bar on the Sqn to allow guys/gals under pressure the option to stay over and 'get it off their chests' then that has to be a good thing.

Finally, the days of decompression at AKI during HERRICK were utter nonsense in my mind. After a 4-6 month stint 'on the job' I just wanted to get home - indeed the idea of going on the lash in Cyprus with the lads introduced more problems at home than they might cure in my circumstances! Luckily I managed to engineer a way of avoiding them for both of my tours...

LJ
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