Public Servant Lifestyle

A Royal Navy (RN) administrator from Wymondham has swapped a life at sea for a tour of duty in the desert, becoming a member of the Multi-National Force (MNF) helping to put Iraq back on its feet.

Writer Ellen Shephard, 22, is currently working at the Headquarters Multinational Division (South East) in Basra. Ellen is responsible for looking after the administrative requirements of a 20-strong team.

Pictured (right): From sea to sand; writer Ellen Shepherd is enjoying her time in Iraq. (photo credit: Cpl Ian Forsyth RCL).

Ellen, a former pupil of Wymondham High School, normally works at the Defence Media Operations Centre, based at RAF Uxbridge in Middlesex. She explained her role in Iraq: "I enjoy working as part of a busy team and assisting with organising facilities for journalists who are visiting here, especially when you see the finished product on television or in the newspapers.

Smoothly

"It's important to ensure things run smoothly for the journalists so they can get the very best picture of what's happening here. That in turn helps the public back at home understand better about what British troops are doing in Iraq.

"My day to day role is very much like it would be at home. Of course the working environment is different, and the surroundings are a world away from what I'm used to. I am working with different people here, all of whom are dedicated to doing a good job."

Ellen, whose mum Jacqueline still lives in Wymondham, enjoys running, reading and shopping in her spare time. Although she misses home when she goes on an operational deployment - Ellen has already served nearly two years on the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Manchester, and has spent time in Afghanistan - she is grateful for her family's support. "Being away from home is always difficult," she said. "But at the end of the day I joined the Navy to travel and I thrive on going away, it's perfect for me. Luckily my family are really supportive and they always keep in touch, which helps prevent me becoming homesick.

"I am enjoying my time here. I think of my family and friends a lot and am looking forward to seeing them soon."

NAAFI

Ellen's working days are long, with little leisure time. So what does she do in her downtime? "There are good gym facilities here as well as a NAAFI where you can go for a cup of tea and a sandwich. There are televisions and plenty of DVDs to watch so you don't usually have the opportunity to get bored."

With UK troops in the country busy working hard to establish an infrastructure of democratic governance in southern Iraq the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are increasingly taking responsibility for security. Although there is still work to be done, there is increasing confidence in their capabilities.

Ellen ends her tour of duty in April, by which time she hopes she will have played some part in helping bring peace and stability to Iraq. Progress is being made and the hope that the whole of the south can be brought under Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) in the coming months is increasing.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has set clear priorities for PIC to be reached. These priorities focus on security, improving electric supply, economic reform and building democratic structures. But to succeed they will continue to need help from dedicated people like Ellen along with the rest of the international community.

Photo credit: Cpl Ian Forsyth RCL - From sea to sand; writer Ellen Shepherd is enjoying her time in Iraq. Distributed on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by Government News Network (GNN) East.

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