For many people across the country, Christmas can be a challenging time of year, and it is no different for the courageous aircraft crew of RAF Lossiemouth.
Just as the men and women at Moray’s air station keep a watchful eye over the skies of the country, there is a dedicated team of padres ready to offer an ear and offer guidance whenever a crew member should require support.
The trio of chaplains, who are known as the “friendly faces” at RAF Lossiemouth, are there to support the personnel at any time of day, each and every day of the year.
Wing Commander Colin Weir, the Senior Chaplain at the RAF base says: “We’re always here to provide pastoral services and support.
“We’ll be visiting the station throughout the Christmas and New Year period just to remind everyone that we haven’t forgotten about them and bring a little festive cheer as we go.”
Their role is invaluable at keeping the members of the aircraft crew mentally well both personally and professionally, either by simply listening, or perhaps by encouraging an individual to integrate into one of the many social groups or sports clubs at the base if they feel isolated.
From his experience of leading the chaplaincy team at RAF Lossie for almost three years now, Wing Commander Weir says: “It’s massively important that help is available over the Christmas period because it’s easy to look at the Royal Air Force as an organisation full of shiny kit and fantastic aircraft.
“We do have all of that but primarily we need the people to operate and maintain all those aircraft, so the people have to be our core focus as an organisation.
“I would like to ask people to remember that the personnel are here 365 days a year, and in many ways Christmas day will be like any other day, so just have a wee thought for the men and women of the Royal Air Force keeping the UK safe.”
