A COMBAT medic from Oswaldtwistle has spoken of his life on the front line in Afghanistan.
Private Matt Riley constantly has to put himself in the line of fire to provide life saving medical care to soldiers injured on the battlefield.
Although based at Camp Bastion, the former Norden High School pupil has already found himself as an embedded medic on Combat Logistic Patrols all over Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the south of the country
The 22-year-old said: "I’ve always wanted to be a medic as my mum Helen used to be a nurse at Accrington Victoria. However, I never considered a military career until about two years ago.
"It’s the best thing I’ve done because it gives me the opportunity to do the job I wanted to, play loads of sports and socialise a lot.
"Christmas was different, being away from home and all that.
"I’m really looking forward to seeing my family – mum, Steven and my friends Ben, Joe, Rob and Mick."
Matt’s main role is to provide vital pre-hospital care to injured soldiers and he is expected to administer life-saving first aid to soldiers until they can be evacuated to the field hospital.
And it is not an easy job as his patrols often have to contend with small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threat.
Blackburn Rovers fan Matt, who is currently employed in the medical centre in Camp Souter, Kabul, added: "On one patrol, we found two IEDs and on another I was ‘top cover’ when we were fired at with RPGs. I was a little surprised and startled but I managed to carry out the drills I’ve be trained to do and no one was hurt in that incident.
"Kabul is a much more stable environment than Helmand. From the building roofs in Camp Souter, you can see people getting on with their lives.
"The locals seem to be supportive and in the med centre, I am practising skills than I can use in clinics with the local population.
"The opportunity to practice in primary healthcare is exposing me to different aspects of the CMT (combat medical technician) role.
"It’s a good chance to learn and practice vital medical skills, instead of dealing with battlefield trauma."
Although Afghanistan is Matt’s first operational tour, he has previously spent two months in Kenya with the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh.
