Liz McConaghy

An RAF veteran, Liz McConaghy served a decorated career as a member of the Chinook Crew of the Royal Air Force. Aged just 21, Liz was the youngest aircrew member to be deployed to Iraq, going on to serve for 17 years with four of those years as the only female ‘crewman’ in the Chinook wing. Deployed twice to Iraq and ten times to Afghanistan, Liz struggled with her mental health feeling detached emotionally and suicidal. Now hired as a motivational speaker, Liz shares how she has overcome her struggles with mental health and the ins and outs of her military career.

In 2001, Liz joined the Royal Air Force, deployed as a member of the Chinook Aircrew. Based at RAF Odiham, Liz became an Aircrew Instructor in 2010 and also served as a member of the Medical Emergency Response Team, saving hundreds of lives in the Helmand Province. Flying into war zones to rescue severely wounded soldiers, Liz flew the Boeing CH-47 Chinook – often referred to as the ‘flying ambulance’. Having witnessed horrific scenarios, Liz began to struggle with her mental health, attempting to take her own life in 2020. Waking up in Basingstoke Intensive Care, Liz made the decision to turn her life around.

Now the author of Chinook Crew ‘Chick’: Highs and Lows of Force Life from the Longest Serving Female RAF Chinook Crewmember, Liz is on a mission to support those who are entering a career in the Royal Air Force and those who have endured difficult experiences in the military. Encouraging people to learn from her sobering and life-changing experience, Liz shares how she would look after the mental health and wellbeing of others, but forget her own wellbeing in the meantime. Having sought help from the mental health charities PTSD Resolution and Help for Heroes, Liz emphasises the importance of such organisations and their tireless commitment to soldier and veteran wellbeing. Leaving the forces in 2019, Liz has since worked as a Wounded Injured Soldiers Programme Manager for Aerobility, a Simulator Instructor for Inzpire Ltd and a Project manager for Modini Ltd.

Now hired as a popular motivational speaker, Liz McConaghy shares her heartfelt stories of battling mental health in the RAF. Emphasising the importance of looking after wellbeing and mental health, Liz encourages others to reach out for help when struggling. Turning adversity into positivity, Liz’s talks focus on finding hope and overcoming adversity, sharing anecdotes from the darkest times in her life and how she has emerged from the darkest of places. If you are looking for a military veteran with a truly inspirational story to tell who will provide audiences with the tools needed to build the path to a new life, look no further than Liz McConaghy.

In May 2023 we sat down virtually with Liz McConaghy and discussed her experiences with PTSD and mental health in the workplace. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Liz McConaghy.