Major Christine Hunter, a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer for the Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force (ACF), recently received an award from King Charles for her life-saving work in Gaza.
Last year, Major Hunter travelled to Gaza twice as a volunteer nurse with UK-Med to deliver frontline aid, earning her the Humanitarian Medal in recognition of her bravery and selflessness during a humanitarian crisis.
The volunteer, who is in her 70s, said: “I’ve got a lot of skills that I don’t always feel I’m utilising when working here. I went out because I know I can handle those situations and help people who probably need it more than those in this country.”
Major Hunter, who currently works as a Theatre Nurse at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, previously served with the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps for 32 years, during which she deployed to hostile locations such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Having been with Lincolnshire ACF for just over three years, she believes her ‘lateral thinking’ as a CFAV has been invaluable while volunteering as a nurse in field hospitals in Gaza.
“Working with the Cadets and being a CFAV encourages you to think creatively, as obstacles arise, and you’ve got to determine how to overcome them,” she explained.
“For instance, at Spring Camp, you are provided with standard accommodation, and you have to figure out how to transform it into a room suitable for administering first aid. The same principle applies when working in the field.”
