Lets call him Roy, not his real name. What he does everyday is to get up, have breakfast and shower before starting work. His work each day is roughly the same; he walks in front of other soldiers in Afghanistan looking for bombs that are designed to kill him and his colleagues. Rather than trying to avoid them he tries to find them, knowing each one is designed to kill him. He finds at least a few a day, sometimes more. The bomb-makers also try to booby- trap these devices to catch him out. His life, and that of his friends, is literally in his hands as you are reading this. That doesn’t take into account the possibility of the Taliban snipers shooting him as he does his work as he is the best target, being a specialist.
He has got 30 more days to do before he comes home. Unsurprisingly he is counting every single one. One of the bomb disposal experts who died this year was killed on his last day of duty before flying home. But Roy isn’t complaining – that’s what he does, to protect his colleagues. What he worries about is getting back to the UK and not being able to find a job.
I’ve literally finished talking to him on the internet just now. I’ve promised him that his lack of formal qualifications doesn’t really matter, that his professionalism will be evidence enough for an employer. Even at 23 he has experienced more than most of us will in our whole lives. I hope that I and all of us in the HR community can live up to what Roy deserves. Tomorrow as you sit at your desk starting work think of Roy who will already have been doing his work for three hours; think of him walking to work and thinking about what the day might hold for him, counting down the days.
When Roy comes home I hope we are able to live up to what he deserves from us all and that you will help me in doing that.
Chris Roebuck served as an Army officer for a number of years and is visiting professor of transformational leadership at Cass Business School and a columnist for HR Magazine.
