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As a former member of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), where I served for 13 years, the news of the amalgamation of the RAMC, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC), and the Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) into the new Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS) has been incredibly hard to accept. Having served as a combat medic with 16 Medical Regiment in Afghanistan, this feels like the erasure of a part of my identity - a restructuring that feels unnecessary and deeply undermines the proud legacy of the corps I dedicated so much of my life to.
It has taken me a good few months to process the news, it was announced back in October last year! But I felt like I couldn’t quite discuss it until now. I still feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss. This is not just about a new cap badge or a different stable belt; it feels like a reduction of the RAMC’s rich history and traditions, like wiping away the individual identity of the corps and everything it stood for.
A Proud Legacy of Bravery
The RAMC has a distinguished history that stretches back more than a century, a history that I and so many others who served in it are incredibly proud of. Our cap badge was more than just a symbol; it represented our role in saving lives under fire, our commitment to medical excellence in the most challenging conditions, and the bravery of those who came before us. The RAMC is one of the few corps that has had members awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional bravery, a testament to the courage of medics who risked their lives to care for others in the heat of battle.
This history of bravery and sacrifice is something I’ve always carried with pride, and it’s what motivated me to serve in Afghanistan. I can’t help but feel that this amalgamation diminishes that legacy. Each corps being merged into the RAMS, the RAMC, QARANC, and RADC has its own distinct contributions, history, and identity, all of which now seem to be at risk of fading into obscurity under a new banner.
The Challenge of Identity as a Woman Veteran
As a woman veteran, I already find it challenging to navigate life after service. Veterans are often seen through a male-dominated lens, and as women, our experiences are sometimes overlooked or undervalued. For me, being part of the RAMC gave me a tangible connection to my time in the Army a sense of belonging to a group with its own unique identity. Now, with this amalgamation, even that identity feels like it’s being taken away.
Women veterans already struggle to be seen and heard, and now, with the loss of the RAMC, a part of the identity that grounded me as a veteran has been further undermined. The pride I felt wearing my RAMC cap badge, a symbol that represented not just service, but for courage and professionalism, feels diminished. The amalgamation adds yet another layer of disconnection in a world where we, as women veterans, often feel isolated.
A Restructuring Without Clear Purpose
What’s most troubling is the lack of a clear reason for this amalgamation. Is it for cost-cutting purposes? Recruitment issues? A modernisation effort? None of these explanations truly make sense to me. Unlike after World War I, where consolidation was a necessity, this feels like restructuring for the sake of restructuring. There doesn’t seem to be a real benefit to losing the unique identities of these proud corps.
The RAMC, QARANC, and RADC each brought something unique to the table. The RAMC’s history of bravery, the vital role of QARANC nurses, and the specialist expertise of the RADC all contributed to the broader mission of the Army. By merging them into one entity, we risk diluting what made each corps special. As a veteran, and particularly as a woman veteran, this amalgamation has left me feeling adrift. It’s hard enough to find your footing after leaving the military, and now the very foundation I stood on, the identity of the RAMC, is being erased. While I will always support those who continue to serve, it’s difficult not to feel like this change is erasing an important part of my own history.
Looking Ahead
I hope that as the Royal Army Medical Service moves forward, it will continue to uphold the values, professionalism, and bravery that defined the RAMC, QARANC, and RADC. I hope the men and women serving today will carry forward the same spirit of excellence and care that these corps embodied. But for those of us who once wore the RAMC badge with pride, this is a moment of mourning. We are losing a piece of ourselves, and that is not something easily replaced.
While the future may bring new opportunities and challenges for the Royal Army Medical Service, the legacy of the RAMC, and all it represented, will forever hold a special place in my heart. I can only hope that this proud history will not be forgotten, even as it is merged into something new.
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