As we see the chaotic scenes from Kabul as the Western World evacuates all those who are deemed eligible from the now Taliban held Afghanistan, it is important for us to take stock of how East Devon may play its part and what our involvement may be in a conflict that is so far away from our shores.

Opinion may be divided here as many war weary views are held that “we should just let them get on with it”. What I write here is from a humanitarian view point and one where we cannot turn our backs on families and children who are either UK citizens or have indeed dedicated and risked their lives and the lives of their family to support the UK armed forces.

As a former Royal Marine of 32 years, I know many young men and women who have served over the last 20 years in this conflict have been based here in the South West as part of 3 Commando Brigade. All Royal Marines commandos will have been trained at the Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines in Lympstone and many Afghan veterans continue to live in the South West. But obviously it is not just the Royal Marines, it is those who have also served in the Army and the Navy and those who have been involved in the wider effort.

There is still real evidence of life-changing injuries suffered in Afghanistan on our streets. But probably more worrying is the hidden injuries that exist in our communities in the South West. Last week whilst working with the charity HighGround, I met up with a doctor suffering with PTSD who can no longer practice medicine because of the impact from their service in Afghanistan. We also often hear of veterans who have taken their own lives or who now reside in prison because of their lives being shattered as a result of their military experience. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a ticking time bomb in our society and for many it does not raise its ugly head until many years afterwards. The Afghanistan conflict will live with us for long after the evacuations cease and the media move on.

It is excellent to already see so many generous and kind-hearted people donating clothing and important items for everyday living ready for the influx of people. I’m sure as I write Devon County Council is making plans to integrate some of these Afghan people into our local communities. It brings back memories when Motiv-8 were part of the integration project following the removal of people from the Calais jungle. We worked alongside the charity Catch 22 to help young men to find relatives or new lives in the UK.
Volunteers made up most of the staff at the rehabilitation centre in what proved to be a very successful operation. My lasting memories of that period were just how ambitious many of those young men were despite the terrible traumas that they had suffered on their plight to reach the UK.
I know the people of Devon will play their part in whatever way they can from a friendly and welcoming smile to donating something worthwhile to assist these war weary families. For surely if the boot was on the other foot we would hope to see similar behaviours to help our own families.

But we must also look after those who were involved in the conflict in terms of their physical limitations, mental fortitude and wellness and their plain sense of worth having given so much for their country to see it all appear to go to waste. War and nation building are two different things. We won the war but we lost the nation building and I know a good many of my friends are asking was it all worthwhile? Only history will tell us that.