Our People in SA
Simon Jones - Medical man’s Afghan adventure
33-year old Corporal Simon Jones, from Semaphore SA, joined the RAAF as a medic in 2002 and is now serving with the Air Force’s Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan as part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.
“One of my reasons for joining the RAAF was to serve my country, and I think I’ve done that here,” he said. “It’s the highlight of a medic’s career to deploy. You train to look after people in an environment like this, and now that’s what I’m doing.”
Corporal Jones’ main job is to look after the health and well being of the 75 RAAF and 20 US Air Force personnel at Camp Palomino, adjacent to Kandahar Airport and a huge NATO military base. Corporal Jones also provides a 24hr emergency service, and was on hand to help Afghan civilians who were the victim of a Taliban bomber.
Over 25 badly injured people were brought to the multinational hospital at Kandahar for emergency treatment after a Taliban bomber blew himself up in a marketplace near the Pakistan border. An urgent call went out for all available medics to help, and Corporal Jones was one of those who responded.
“It was the first time I had been in a mass casualty incident and I had to look after two children,” he said. “It was a difficult situation but my training kicked in. They both made it through recovery.”
Corporal Jones’s RAAF co-workers provide the airspace management service for the majority of Afghanistan, ensuring that military aircraft can go about their business in a safe and efficient manner. “I’m very impressed with what my colleagues are achieving here,” Corporal Jones said. “They look after a fairly significant chunk of Afghan airspace and the feedback from visiting senior officers has been very good.”
Being a long way from home for a six-month deployment on active service can be difficult, but Corporal Jones said he got a lot of support from his family. “My dad was an Army medic,” he said. “He and mum are proud that I am here and doing a good job, but they’re keen for me to come home safely. I keep in regular touch with them as we have good access to telephones and email, and I’ve been getting parcels as well.
“It’s always nice to get parcels - I’ve been getting all sorts of things, like Tim Tams and coffee. Mum and some friends have been baking and sending stuff like biscuits, slices and Christmas cakes, which all go down nicely.”
Corporal Jones said that while mail, phones and emails helped bridge the distance between Afghanistan and Australia he still missed his family and friends. “You really notice how important they are when you are away,” he said. “I’m looking forward to catching up with them when I return. I also miss the weather and the beach, so when I’m home I’ll do some swimming, hang out in the Semaphore coffee shops and just relax for a while.”