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Part 2 of the interview with ex-Australian Army and current Search and Rescue pilot Kevin Humphreys looking at the topic of aircrew mental health. In this episode the focus shifts from Kevin’s military career to his personal experience with mental health challenges, the recovery process and what other aircrew can take away for their own careers and perhaps more importantly, for their long term wellbeing.
Mental health is just such an under-represented topic in crewrooms and hangars the world over that I’m really glad that we can cover it here and that Kevin is so open and willing to share his story and what he has learnt on the way through.
Kevin’s career at-a-glance:
* Blackhawks, Chinooks – Australian Army Aviation
* Deployments – East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan
* OC CH-47 Chinook Squadron, twice Detachment Commander of Australian Chinooks in Afghanistan
* Search and Rescue – Bell 412, BK117, AW139
* Check and Training Captain, Chief Pilot, Director of Operations
There is an assumption here that you have listened to Episode 70 before starting into this particular podcast.
I’d recommend that you stop and go do that to get the entire context if you are not up to speed – as this interview launches straight back into where we left off – and this time around the discussion is much more focused on the aircrew mental health side of things – both Kevin’s person experience and a discussion for general aircrew applicability.
In the last episode Kev speaks about an air assault mission he flew in Afghanistan with 9 other Australian Army aircrew in 2 Chinooks to extract Canadian special forces soldiers which saw them involved in a fierce firefight at the extraction point. All done on NVGs with essentially zero illumination with RPGs being fired around the aircraft.
For the last 7 or so years Kevin has been flying in the civil search and rescue role and is currently a check and training captain on the AW139 type.
There is a lot more in that interview but that quickly gives you the bare bones to understand that Kev has been around the block a few times and is speaking to us with some solid experience behind him.
Kevin picks up the story talking about when things started to go off the rails for him.
A number of links are provided below to mental health resources for anyone looking to take advantage of them.
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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon
MILITARY Mental Health Support
Mates4Mates
Stand Tall 4 PTS
Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation
Redsix APP – Phone App for veterans that alerts when other veterans are nearby and you/they need help
GENERAL COMMUNITY Mental Health Support
Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health
R U OK? – suicide prevention charity that aims to start life-changing conversations
Moodgym – online self-help program designed to help prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Free for Australians.
Beyond Blue – information and support to help everyone achieve their best possible mental health
Be a Looper APP – App that keeps you in contact with up to 5 people for regular check-ins, peer support that is unique to you
AVIATION SPECIFIC Mental Health Support
CASA Fact Sheet on Depression and Aviation Safety
Australian Federation of Air Pilots – Welfare Services
A couple of points I’ve pulled out from my notes that might be worth summarising:
* Kevin points out it being important to talk about mental health – even if you don’t know how, or the words to use, just the act of talking about how you are feeling with someone starts the recovery.
* Kevin’s Cheeseburger and coke analogy – comparing mental fitness to physical fitness is an easy way to remember and visualise the whole concept.
* If you encounter a mental health episode that it is not flying career ending with the proper intervention and support – just like any other medical issue
* Statistically most of us are going to deal with periods of mental illness either ourselves or with close friends and family at some time in our life.
* It can afflict anyone and that there is no shame or guilt or personal failing attached to it. It is just a function of living in a homo sapien body with an organ called a brain, and that its probably actually amazing that our brain works as well as it does most of the time.
* And lastly – The longer you ignore it or suppress it – the more you’ll have to work through when it finally does catch up with you.
Kevin’s story especially, and I’m sure there are many more like his, illustrates that you just wouldn’t want to have to go through those years of mental anguish, perceived isolation and that pain if you knew it was normal just to talk to someone early and that it is something that so many other people are going through or have gone through.
If there was a part of Kevin’s story that really resonated with you or if you wanted to provide some feedback or be part of the conversation around this episode in particular then please post a comment below
