Chinook Crew 'Chick': Highs and Lows of Forces Life from the Longest Serving Female RAF Chinook Force Crewmember

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Liz’s journey resonated deeply with us at Defence Discount Service. Her courage in the face of PTSD and mental health challenges serves as a powerful testament that others facing similar struggles do not define us, but rather constitute a part of our life from which invaluable lessons can be learned. Forces TV Interview https://www.forces.net/mental-health/how-one-female-chinook-crewman-turned-her-life-around-after-nearly-ending-it-all McConaghy’s Chinook, despite taking her to the worst war zones, made her feel safe, even though her daily reality was filled with danger. It tells me a lot about how my own mental state was by this time of the campaign as even this didn’t make me bat an eyelid or flinch,” she recalls.

Article: Local woman's book looks at life in a Chinook during wartime: 'Each of the stretchers came over the ramp and each had a flag over the body' County Down Spectator This is a unique tale that only Liz could tell, which ends with her battling the memories that haunted her long after she had left the battlefield. Air Mail. RAF Association, October - December 2022 As I read this book, my admiration for this woman really grew and grew. She worked SO hard and she put her body through the wringer as she did it. This is one person who really gave her all for her country and her mates. So sad about the soldiers who didn't make it :( From dodging bullets to saving soldiers and witnessing the brutality and loss of war, Liz discusses how she found herself bringing the battlefield home, despite her fighting days being over.With votes opening earlier this year on International Women’s Day, the award called upon the British defence community to nominate women working within all areas of the armed forces – including the reserve forces, MoD civil servants, cadet forces and UK-based NATO personnel – who had gone above and beyond the call of duty. McConaghy was the longest-serving female crewman on the RAF Chinook Fleet, spanning a 17-year career on the aircraft.

Waking in intensive care two days later, McConaghy's feelings had completely shifted; she realised she didn't want to die. With the support of the veterans' system, McConaghy began her recovery journey, recognising how crucial that support network was to her survival. The book touches on, but is not dominated by, the theme of women in the armed forces. This is a topic that has been constantly in the UK news following a series of sex-related scandals. But McConaghy is pragmatic, explaining that in her experience, the men have never treated her or the only other female on her squadron any differently. Just seconds from smashing into the ground, the co-pilot managed to regain control and the Chinook soared into the sky. They had escaped death by a hair’s breadth.

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My love of my life was the chinook. It's such a unique aircraft; the smell of the aircraft will stay with me forever," she reflects. I knew we were about to crash so I braced myself hard against the door frame and placed my hand on the release straps of my harness,” she said. Aged 21, Liz was the youngest member of the aircrew to deploy to Iraq and the only female crew member on the Chinook wing for four years, so her story is entirely unique. In 2001, Liz joined the Royal Air Force, deployed as a member of the Chinook Aircrew. Based at RAF Odiham, Liz became an Aircrew Instructor in 2010 and also served as a member of the Medical Emergency Response Team, saving hundreds of lives in the Helmand Province. Flying into war zones to rescue severely wounded soldiers, Liz flew the Boeing CH-47 Chinook – often referred to as the ‘flying ambulance’. Having witnessed horrific scenarios, Liz began to struggle with her mental health, attempting to take her own life in 2020. Waking up in Basingstoke Intensive Care, Liz made the decision to turn her life around.