Nurse and mother-of-two Lisa Walker, 47, of Bicton Heath, joined the Territorial Army five years ago after shelving her dreams of being in the navy when she was 18.
A few years later, she found herself stationed at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, treating the war’s wounded – including members of the enemy forces.
The theatre nurse, who has a son Robert, 22, and a daughter Laura who is 20, was deployed to the war zone in March 2009, swopping Shrewsbury’s Nuffield Hospital for the purpose-built hospital in Afghanistan, dedicated to treating victims of the war.
As part of the UK Joint Medical Force and in a team of just 16, including six Americans, Lisa quickly learned to deal with up to 20 patients a day in theatre, and was soon promoted to the officer in charge.
She would often only get four hours sleep as she treated injured British Forces as well as Danish, Estonian, American and Afghan locals.
“It was extremely difficult and challenging but you really felt like you were doing a worthwhile job, and the camaraderie was absolutely fantastic and kept you going. We even had to treat enemy forces but at the end of the day they are patients and that’s how you look at it.
“My job was to make people better and so my personal views never came into it,” she said.
Lisa said she helped soldiers in their thousands during her four months on foreign soil and had to deal with people seriously injured in battle or by roadside mines, many of whom had lost limbs.
She was also personally responsible for the creation of a third operating table in her department – enabling the hospital to treat even more casualties.
“You really feel for the guys who are injured and have wives and children at home. A lot of their injuries were so awful but their spirits are phenomenal and all they want is to get better and get back out there to work.
“I went to Kandahar for two days to look at some other equipment at a hospital and although I was quite nervous leaving the camp I actually felt pretty safe too because the British team I had around me were incredible.”
Last month, on May 25, after attending a talk in Birmingham by Major General Bruce Brealey, Lisa’s face appeared unexpectedly on a projector screen as he outlined achievements in Afghanistan.
It was only then that she realised a Commander of the British Forces Afghanistan Commendation award was to be bestowed upon her – and as Lisa went up to collect the prestigious medal her family turned up. They had kept the ceremony a secret.
“In walked my family and I just started to fill up. It was only when I realised I was standing in front of the General that I stopped myself from crying and I was the only person from my unit to receive a commendation so it was an absolute honour,” Lisa added.
Inspired by her experiences in Afghanistan and determined not to forget the incredible work of the armed forces abroad, Lisa also completed a cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats earlier this year to raise £1,600 for Help for Heroes.
By David Seadon
