It's 10 years since the last British troops withdrew from Iraq. However, many veterans still carry the mental and physical scars of their service in Iraq. Every day, they overcome challenges linked to their injury or illness. Here we highlight three stories of inspirational veterans wounded in Iraq who we have supported in their on-going recovery.
“We are still here. We may not be at war but military personnel are still getting hurt and will need support for 30 or 40 years from injuries attributable to service that happened in 30 to 40 seconds of chaos.” – said Si Brown, Veteran.
For many, the charity has been there for them, and their families, throughout their recovery journey so far. With our life-changing services offering psychological wellbeing, clinical and medical; welfare and fellowship support, we aim to enable every wounded veteran to lead a secure, healthy and purposeful life.
“The last British troops withdrew from Iraq 10 years ago but for many wounded veterans and their families, the battle never ends. The support needs of these ‘unexpected survivors’ and those carrying the mental scars of their service will continue to change over time. We must ensure that the nation keeps its promise to support them for the rest of their lives.” – said Help for Heroes CEO, Mel Waters.
As a charity, we’re continually adapting to the changing needs of veterans and ensuring we understand how we can best support them, and their families, in the years to come. All of our services are now available face to face in the community or digitally, allowing us to reach more veterans and families than ever before.
While it takes strength to serve in the Armed Forces, it takes a different kind of strength to live life beyond injury. With your support, we continue to be here for all those affected by their military service, no matter when or where they served.
Together, we can help our wounded veterans overcome their daily battles and thrive. Together, we can give strength to those who gave for us.
Here we share three stories of inspirational veterans wounded in Iraq who we have supported in their on-going recovery. Ways of communicating with loved ones back home were scarce in the warzone so they relied on sending military airmail letters, known as ‘Blueys’.
They’ve shared some of their precious letters with us….