RAF CHAPLAINCY
SERVING THIS GENERATION: DEPLOYED ON OPERATIONS IN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS
The Reverend Nick Hanover
Four months is a long time and 8,000 miles is a long way, yet these were the twin challenges facing not only me, but my family, once we knew I was deploying to the Falkland Islands. Just eighteen months into my time with the Royal Air Force I was heading south( a long way south!) as the Force Chaplain to the British Forces South Atlantic Islands( BFSAI). Like many before me, I awaited my 4am pickup with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation; concerned I was taking too much and that I was bound to be over the baggage allowance, while convinced I would inevitably forget something important. But all things come to pass and after a surprisingly comfortable 18 hour flight I arrived at the distinctly wintery Mount Pleasant Complex( MPC).
In seeking to safeguard UK sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination the permanent military presence of around 1,300 service personnel is supported by around 50 MOD civilians and 700 contractors. It ' s fair to say that providing pastoral care and support for such a large community is not an insignificant challenge. After all, until I deployed I had enjoyed being part of a Chaplaincy team with fellow Padres to guide and support me- in the Falklands I was on my own!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, following an all too brief handover with my predecessor, it was a case of hitting the ground running. Day-to-day welfare issues vied for attention along with the regular aspects of weekly ministry. There were Sunday services and Bible studies to lead and as well as various memorial services. There were school assemblies to deliver, newsletters to write and a weekly feature on the radio to prepare for. All-in-all, the days were long, but the weeks were short and time flew by!
Which is perhaps just as well because the Padre ' s office is ideally( dangerously?!) situated between the church and the Oasis Cafe with its endless supply of home-baked cakes. Such good fortune ensures a constant passing‘ trade’ as everyone knows where the cafe is and that the Padre can be found next door! Chaplaincy is so often a matter of being present, being seen and being available and this deployment certainly afforded plenty of opportunity to get alongside the MPC community in all its diversity.
Indeed one of the unique aspects of life in the Falklands is that it is a Tri-Service environment. So alongside the RAF commitment there is a rotational Army infantry unit and a permanent naval presence. This meant that as well as numerous opportunities to get in the air I had the chance to head to sea with the men and women of HMS Clyde and join the Infantry‘ in the field’ and on patrol. Seeing the ability and commitment of my colleagues at such close quarters was always impressive and whoever you are, jumping in the back of a Chinook in the middle of the night will always get the heart going!
While I really had little idea of what to expect in the Falklands, there were certainly things I didn’ t expect! Although I knew the weather was likely to be cold and windy I didn’ t envisage‘ canoe-sledging’ or go-karting in blizzard-like conditions. Nor did I anticipate being cast as the victim in a Murder Mystery play, going paint-balling or celebrating the Nepalese festival of Dashain with the Gurkhas. Although I figured penguins would probably feature, I certainly didn ' t realise I would see a pod of Killer Whales or get as close to mating Elephant Seals as I did!
More predictably, for most, the toughest aspect of deployment is being away from home, separated from loved ones for so long and the stresses and strains that can often arise. In the Falklands this is not helped by the limited, and at times sporadic, nature of communication links to the UK. Believing all ministry, at its best, is incarnational, I have always liked the fact that Chaplains are treated the same as everyone else- same selection process, same fitness requirements, same training as other professional entrants.
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