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In
May 2006 a group of trainees from the Defence
College of Aeronautical Engineering went to
participate in the 2006 International Military
Pilgrimage. I led them, accompanied by some RAF
guys to look after them. We joined a large British
contingent in Lourdes, which in turn was part of
the IMP of some 18,000 military from over 30
different countries. For the trainees, this was an
opportunity to meet young military from other
countries and to get to know them - in the future
in various deployments / detachments / coalitions
that they find themselves involved with they will
in all likelihood meet up with these nations again.
They were also exposed to Lourdes in all its gaudy
Catholicism, an experience which hopefully will
lead them to understand a bit and at least to
respect the religious beliefs and cultures of other
people. And, very importantly, in Lourdes they will
have seen disability lived positively, hopefully
and joyfully. For fit young men and women this will
have been an experience that they simply won’t have
come across before.