Name: Paul Mason 

Job title:  Team Manager Scheduled Care Coulby Newham 

Army Regiment: Royal Corps of Signals 

Duration served: 24 years from 1987 to 2011 

Where did you serve? 

Worldwide in various roles and demanding conditions, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Falkland Islands, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Cyprus and Kenya.  

How long have you been at NEAS?  7 years 

Why did you choose to work for NEAS? 

Stability, a new challenge and being part of a valued organisation such as the NHS and NEAS. I wanted to use my varied military background and all-round skills/values within my current job role to help patients and support my staff. I love managing my team and the interaction with all my staff on a daily basis. 

What transferable skills do you have from the army? 

British Army values and standards. Courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. 

What does Remembrance Day mean to you? 

Remembrance is a time of year for reflection, a time to remember all those service personnel who have sadly passed away and paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can now live in peace today. It’s a time to remember our service friends and colleagues personally that we sadly miss and to pay our respects. It’s a prayer for all the service families that have lost loved ones. I always shed a tear, reflect, remember and raise a glass to all absent friends, we will remember them. Wear your poppy with pride. 

We are so proud to have served, we stand side by side together as one. It’s a time that we meet up for parades across the country, meet up with fellow service colleagues and stand side by side. As veterans, it’s once a year we put on our blazers, ties and polish our medals, but more importantly it’s pride, it’s memories and refection. 

Remembrance is not only for those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, but it’s for the families that are left behind. Some young children will not remember their brave parents that have sadly died in action. They only have the memories of their brave parent/relatives through photographs. So that’s why Remembrance Day and the Royal British Legion are so important in supporting soldiers and service families and veterans.