RAF Regiment 80: Squadron Leader talks about 30 years’ service in Regiment

As 2022, the 80th anniversary year of the RAF Regiment, draws to a close, a serving officer in the regiment has spoken about his experiences and career. 

Squadron Leader Matt Shutler enlisted as a Gunner in January 1992 and rose to the rank of Sergeant before commissioning in 2008. 

During his career he has been on deployment on operations to Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.

Matt, 52, of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, said he was initially told about the RAF Regiment by a friend. 

He said: “I was drawn to the diversity of opportunities, the prospect of travel and the chance of deploying on operations. I thought that life in the RAF would better appeal to my character as the work tends to be in smaller, tight-knit teams in comparison to the other Services. There is a focus within the RAF to develop and invest in people which leads to better retention.”

He added: “Thirty-one years have gone by in a flash. I have visited around 25 countries, seen some amazing things, worked with amazing people and hopefully made a positive difference with the things the teams I have worked with have done. There are ups and downs but overall, it has been a positive experience.”

Married with three children, Matt says one of the main difficulties is being away from family, but he says it is a “necessary sacrifice”. 

Reflecting on other challenges he said: “I have attended far more funerals than I would have liked to. Some people have been lost on operations, and some in accidents – on and off duty. There are also a number of veterans who I have previously worked with, and a lot more that I haven’t, that have taken their own lives in recent years. The service can place a heavy burden on individuals through experiencing things that wouldn’t happen in other parts of society; sometimes mental health issues are hard to spot from the outside, or harder to discuss for the individuals suffering. Support is available, but sometimes taking a step towards it is very difficult. I feel I should have done more in the past and could be doing more now to help those who need it – I am more aware of this today than ever.”

Turning to the positives, Matt said: “Even though operations can be dangerous and stressful, you see some amazing things and meet amazing people who are enduring incredible hardship; this is a real education and gives perspective on some of the less important issues that consume us in the west. I have also had some incredible experiences. In 1996 I took part in the largest military parachute deployment since the Second World War during an exercise in the USA; I was part of the first conventional parachute deployment of British troops since Suez; I have been scuba diving in the Caribbean, skiing in Canada, and mountain biking in Austria. There is so much more I could mention.”

Matt was keen to urge anyone who needs support to come forward and ask for it. 

He said: “Don’t be afraid of what seeking help may look like to others; everyone, regardless of rank, branch, trade, or background will struggle at some point. This can be amplified by the strain of Service life and the impact it places on individuals and families. Everyone who I have had contact with at the RAF Benevolent Fund has been fantastic; those at the front end of facilitating welfare to those in head office organising the charity. If you need help reach out; you will not be judged, the Fund will do everything in its power to help. Sometimes just this act of crossing the line to ask for assistance can help.”

He added: “I am lucky not to have ever needed the help of the RAF Benevolent Fund. During my second tour of Afghanistan one of our patrols hit an explosive device that destroyed a vehicle and very seriously injured the commander, who was a superb NCO. He was evacuated and saved by an RAF Medical Emergency Response Team and eventually went to the Defence Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court. After visiting him, I contacted the Fund to buy him a television for his room; it transpired that this was a drop in the ocean compared to the support that they went on to provide. What the RAF Benevolent Fund do is nothing short of phenomenal. I would urge anyone who is struggling in any way to go to them.”

Finally, speaking about the 80th anniversary of the RAF Regiment, he said: “The anniversary coincided with my thirtieth year in the Corps. The 50th anniversary, in 1992, was marked by a visit to RAF Catterick by Her Majesty the Queen and I was honoured to be involved in this parade during my first year of service. For the last two years I have been on the organising committee for the 80th anniversary, this has involved coordinating activity and liaising with our friends at the RAF Benevolent Fund.”