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

Liz McConaghy was the youngest aircrew member to deploy to Iraq and the only female crewman on the Chinook wing for four years. She completed two deployments to Iraq and ten deployments to Helmand province in Afghanistan, surviving a near-fatal wire strike and numerous enemy fire contacts. Her biggest honor was serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team, flying ambulance and witnessing wounded soldiers die and come back to life. Her survival from both battles in foreign lands and in her own head led her to begin telling her story, in the hope of helping others win their wars.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Liz McConaghy, hailing from a small town in County Down, embarked on an extraordinary journey spanning seventeen years with the Royal Air Force's Chinook Fleet. At the tender age of 21, she achieved remarkable feats, including being the youngest aircrew member to deploy to Iraq and serving as the sole female crewman on the Chinook wing for four consecutive years.

In her awe-inspiring career, Liz completed two deployments to Iraq, followed by ten deployments to Helmand province in Afghanistan, in steadfast support of the enduring Operation Herrick campaign. Her inspiringly candid story unveils the highs and lows she witnessed during war, as well as the profound physical and mental toll it took on those involved.

Throughout her deployments, Liz faced numerous perilous challenges. She narrowly escaped a near-fatal wire strike onboard her CH47 helicopter, enduring numerous enemy fire contacts while defending her crew by engaging in fierce firefights with the M134 Minigun and M60 weapons entrusted to her. Her most profound honor, however, was serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team, commonly known as MERT, as an ambulance pilot. This involved the courageous task of recovering wounded soldiers from the battlefield, often under fire, and witnessing them both succumb to injuries and miraculously regain consciousness at her feet within the confines of her Chinook.

Liz witnessed the remarkable transformation of Camp Bastion, from a mere barbed wire fence encircling a cluster of tents in the sand to the expansive Operating Base it eventually became. She was a part of the final 1310 Flight deployment to Camp Bastion as the British forces withdrew after a decade, handing it back to the Afghan National Army. Few Chinook crew members, if any, had the longevity of deployment that Liz McConaghy achieved. This is a truly unique tale that is solely entrusted to Liz, culminating in her grappling with the memories that haunted her long after she bid farewell to the battlefield.

Her own war within took her to a profound point of despair, leading her to contemplate suicide once she left the military. Liz's journey is a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit, as she overcame the adversities she faced and emerged victorious. Her story serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who serve in the armed forces and the profound impact that war can have on individuals and communities.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399072922