Conflict Chronicles

19 - Remembrance Special, war poems - Liz McConaghy, Royal Air Force, Chinnock Crew Veteran.

Liz joined the RAF as a Chinook Crewman on her 19th birthday. Throughout her 17 year career on Chinooks she deployed to Iraq twice and Afghanistan 10 times, along with detachments to both the Falklands and Northern Ireland, her home ‘turf’. Out of all these tasks, her greatest was flying on the MERT aircraft during Op Herrick, recovering wounded soldiers from the battlefield, which shaped her outlook on life forever. On leaving the RAF, Liz joined the UK disabled flying charity Aerobility as the Wounded Injured Soldiers rep, which she was naturally drawn to. She now helps many of those injured soldiers on their recovery journey, getting into the skies to train as pilots.

18 - Michael Lorrigan, Australian Army, Afghanistan.

Michael Lorrigan, he joined the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in June 2006. Serving with the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment of the Australian Army, as a Troop Leader. In 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan with an Australian Battle Group as a Manoeuvre Support Commander. On returning from deployment, Michael become restless within the military, after the intensity of Afghanistan. In 2015 he removed his Army uniform for the last time and departed to work as a civilian in the Middle East. With his desire to do more for other veterans, Michael returned to Australia in 2017 to start from humble beginnings his coffee empire, Café Two 14 in Queensland, Australia, since then he’s opened 5 more sites and started a franchised model. Not content, he was busy enough; at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, he started Two 14 Recruitment to help Australian Veterans gain employment. Michael's commitment to helping others is truly humbling. He is currently concentrating on finding various methods to help veterans and civilians by financial or non-financial means. This includes creating fundraisers, donating where possible, and providing free food and drink donations to women’s shelters as survivors of domestic violence. Today, Michael tells his story of how an event in Afghanistan gave him a perspective on what it means to be an Australian Solider and the qualities that make the Australian New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) spirit so unique - endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and mateship.

17 - Will Stevenson - 1st Infantry Division of the US Army , 12 months Afghanistan.in

Will Stevenson, a solider from the frontline of conflict. Will served with B Coy (Viper Company) 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division of the US Army from September 2006 until December 2010. He deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months in 2008-2009, with his battalion taking over operations in Kunar Province and the surrounding areas. Viper company was responsible for occupying the Korengal Valley, and during their stay, we were involved in some 500-600 firefights, sustaining 13 men KIA and another 40 with serious wounds. Roughly 70% of all indirect and air-delivered munitions used in the country that year were used in support of Viper Company operations. Will is going to share a particular incident that occurred on 24 August 2008, when a helicopter was hit with a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) at his Fire Base in Vegas.

16 - Lieutenant General Richard Nugee CB, CVO, CBE - British Army three star general.

Lieutenant General Richard Nugee was commissioned into the Army in 1986. He completed operational tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Cyprus and Afghanistan. He also specialised in personnel (HR) roles, culminating in Chief of Defence People (equivalent to Global HR Director for Defence).

15 - Dick Thompson - U.S. Army Special Forces Group (Green Berets), Vietnam.

Numerous command and staff positions during his 21-year military service have resulted in exceptional management insight and expertise. During that time, he trained and led some of the most elite special operations teams in the world.