DCAS AM Rich Maddison

[Dan_Brown]

Has anyone else seen Rich's letter and the reply from CAS? Or are we tactfully avoiding this?

I won't post the letter/reply unless the mods think its acceptable - but for those that have seen them, thoughts? (it's out there on Social Media) It certainly shows he is a bad way, but has fortunately been located safely. It does open up discussion as to how he has ended up in this situation and what limited resources he felt were available to him.

Maybe this will bring some positive change and Rich will get the help he needs - but for those of us who have seen his very personal letter - chilling what he must be going through.

 

[Downsizer]

It's on twitter (or X) but it's basically his suicide note.

Don't know the guy but he must be in a bad way.

 

[Spearmint]

I noticed a slightly cryptic message from the RAF Banter and Bollocks What page on Facebook late last night but my phone went dead so didn't investigate further till this morning.

Poor bloke but glad he's been found in time and I hope he gets the help he needs to put a fresh perspective on things.

A self-help book I've had for a few years, and which had a recent Netflix short series about it, was quite good for me in realising you can't control every sodding thing in the world, so just worry about your own AoR and what orbits it.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck https://g.co/kgs/aoBsKp

 

[muttywhitedog]

Ive seen it. The guy needs help and hopefully it is now happening.

I've read his bio, and picked up on a comment - "he runs and swims, neither to a standard he is satisfied with". That comment shows someone not happy with themselves.

 

[GrumpyTech]

Hopefully he is getting the help he needs. The letter read as he was in a dark place, after 30 old years in defence and being a fantastic leader it shows we never know what is going on anyone’s head.
Shame the letter has been taken down and people are being asked to delete. He was brave reaching out, it could be used to show how much everyone struggles. By trying to erase it make it’s a shameful secret.
He was scathing towards religion in his letter. Not sure what has gone on but roughly 1/3rd of the text was telling religious person to stay away from his family after he was gone.
Hopefully the RAF and MOD can use this to help anyone having a hard time and reduce the stigma attached to MH problems.

 

[muttywhitedog]

Shame the letter has been taken down and people are being asked to delete.

Is this the start of Operation "Sweep under carpet"? If the deputy head of a 30k organisation has a MH issue, then you can rest assured that a damn sight more than the MOD would care to admit of those he leads will also have similar daily thoughts.

 

[Oldstacker]

Swept under the carpet or taken down to give him and his family the privacy and space to deal with the issues away from the glare of public interest in what is an extremely difficult time?
He is not the first senior leader to have struggled (the ex RM a couple of years back) but the issues are perhaps better understood now.
It should do 2 things though;
Encourage those at lower ranks to seek help if they need it, MH issues can affect anyone at any time.
Encourage those in Whitehall and Westminster who keep asking the services to do more with less to see that they are pushing even the most resilient of personnel to breaking point.

 

[UlsterExile]

Met the man on several occasions and is a nice bloke. on a more serious note and rather cynical one, if AS1 Bloggs had done this a RAF Nowhere would CAS have moved hell and high water to assist?????????? I SUSPECT NOT.

 

[4everAD]

Met the man on several occasions and is a nice bloke. on a more serious note and rather cynical one, if AS1 Bloggs had done this a RAF Nowhere would CAS have moved hell and high water to assist?????????? I SUSPECT NOT.

He might not have, but I can guarantee everyone in AS1 Blogs direct CoC would have. You have to remember he is the bloke's direct line manager, you'd hope he'd be pro-active.

 

[4mastacker]

................... if AS1 Bloggs had done this a RAF Nowhere would CAS have moved hell and high water to assist?????????? I SUSPECT NOT.

Tragically true. Our squadron lost a lad who none of his CoC , except his FS, wanted to get involved with his problem even though he cried for help. His FS had tried to warn the flt commander, sqn commander, guard commander, OC Admin; unfortunately, even the padre did not want to get involved. The lad was on guard duty at the time and shot himself later that day in the main gate sangar......then all the wise-after-the-event brigade came out of the woodwork and put the FS through the mill.

 

[Oldstacker]

Tragically true. Our squadron lost a lad who none of his CoC , except his FS, wanted to get involved with his problem even though he cried for help. His FS had tried to warn the flt commander, sqn commander, guard commander, OC Admin; unfortunately, even the padre did not want to get involved. The lad was on guard duty at the time and shot himself later that day in the main gate sangar......then all the wise-after-the-event brigade came out of the woodwork and put the FS through the mill.

Sadly, dealing with somebody who is in a bad place with MH is not easy nor something that everyone is cut out for. I would hope that the training for individuals in a CoC is better now than it was, say, post GW1 and that the process works better. But the CoC is made up of human beings too and there will always be the possibility that those humans beings are unable or even unwilling to grasp one of the most difficult situations that they could be presented with.

 

[4mastacker]

Sadly, dealing with somebody who is in a bad place with MH is not easy nor something that everyone is cut out for. I would hope that the training for individuals in a CoC is better now than it was, say, post GW1 and that the process works better. But the CoC is made up of human beings too and there will always be the possibility that those humans beings are unable or even unwilling to grasp one of the most difficult situations that they could be presented with.

In the case I mentioned, the airman's FS had tried to get him taken of live-armed guard but couldn't convince those further up the chain that he was at risk. Quite what options the FS had, other than putting the him under close arrest, when further up the chain refused to take him off guard-duty is difficult to work-out. I'm not sure if putting him under close arrest - (protective custody perhaps?) would have had legal standing. I know the FS himself was deeply affected by the tragedy and needed a sequence of counselling sessions by a MH specialist. There were consequences for further up the CoC, including a very rapid posting, but that didn't bring that young airman back.

 

[Talk Wrench]

In the case I mentioned, the airman's FS had tried to get him taken of live-armed guard but couldn't convince those further up the chain that he was at risk. Quite what options the FS had, other than putting the him under close arrest, when further up the chain refused to take him off guard-duty is difficult to work-out. I'm not sure if putting him under close arrest - (protective custody perhaps?) would have had legal standing. I know the FS himself was deeply affected by the tragedy and needed a sequence of counselling sessions by a MH specialist. There were consequences for further up the CoC, including a very rapid posting, but that didn't bring that young airman back.

An absolutely harrowing tale. PM inbound.