The Genesis of Shapiro.

Nine months ago

a very keen young Squadron Leader from RAF mental Health services came out with a WAGI... 'What a Good Idea'. Why not try to do our annual symposium in Cyprus - the trooping flights should be free, as should the accomodation and catering in respective messes; The weather is great, adventure training opportunities abound and the Military Hospital has excellent conference facilities. Everyone was very supportive, even enthusiastic, as long as I did the work... Luckily Flt Lt Colin Quick in Cyprus was also a 'can do' chap, so the green light was on!

Its now 5 days til lift off. The emotional roller coaster of getting us this far would have killed a civvy... I won't believe this is going to work until I am sitting at a Cypruiot bar, eating a meze and drinking aphrodite...

Who is this fool who suggested such an idea? Well...

Sqn Ldr (Ben) Campion RGN/RMN/DipN/BSc Hon/ENB A12 CBT

Having joined the British Army in 1986 to be a Surveyor, three years in the Royal Engineers building bridges and blowing things up in Germany during the Cold War, as well as operational service in Northern Ireland an epiphany progressed into Student Nurse training. As an Army Student Nurse in London’s Military Hospital (now closed down), and holding a forklift truck licence, the first Gulf War led to suspension of training and 7months in Saudi Arabia, employed both in Nursing and fork lift driving roles. Returning to tea & medals, marriage to fellow student Bev loomed, followed by posting to one of our British Forces Germany hospitals in the Children’s Ward. Recognising that clean hands and lots of coffee were fundamental to occupational satisfaction, an 18mth conversion to Mental Health Nurse was funded by the Army, as the only full salaried student in the University, at Brighton. Once qualified, operational service in the Falkland Island was completed, allowing the motivated Mental Health Nurse to empathise with his alcoholics... Granted a Commission in the Nursing Corp immediately on return, Sandhurst Officer training developed military competences prior to posting to Catterick Garrison Community Psych Team. This involved, amongst other things, being the (sole) MOD response to the 1998 US Embassy bombing in Nairobi. Some 2 years later, having obviously upset someone, tasking to 3½ years with the Airborne forces at Colchester, including a Bosnia tour and ‘first in’ to Kabul, Afghanistan, gave a view of the best and worst aspects of the British Army. Rewarded for this feat of endurance by a Cyprus posting supporting the invasion of Iraq, the experience of Royal Air Force (RAF) Akrotiri was enough to convince any rational man that a light blue uniform was a much nicer colour. Transfer of Commission in April 2004 to the RAF resulted in a year at RAF Kinloss in the far North of Scotland. This provided sound grounding in the application of air power… and reminds us all of where ‘Seasonal Adjustment Disorder’ came from. In March 2005 posted into the OF3 post managing RAF Psychiatry HQ Department in Brize Norton offered new and varied opportunities – most notably as the presenter of choice to courses & conferences from California to Bahrein, Staff College to Latvia! The next stage in this story is an imminent move to SO2 Community Mental Health for the RAF in July 07. Lots & lots of ideas. A more enthusiastic encumbant of the post will be hard to find - as always, it will be beholden on my new boss to temper my excentricities or we shall be doing Ex Shapiro 2008 in Australia...