Former Royal Navy aircraft engineer Kayleigh Beckley is reflecting on service, sacrifice and life after the forces as Armed Forces Day approaches.
Kayleigh, who now works as a Maintenance Planner at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Bolton, served nine years with the Fleet Air Arm after joining the Navy at the age of 20.
Originally from Oldham and now living in Blackburn, she had spent a couple of years working in retail before deciding to follow a very different path. With grandparents and uncles who had served before her, the armed forces had always been part of her family story.
“I’d previously looked at the RAF, then I ended up joining the Navy,” she said. “It just seemed like a bit more fun, and it had the helicopter I wanted to work on.”
Kayleigh joined the Commando Helicopter Force and went on to serve three tours in Afghanistan. Between deployments, she also completed Arctic survival training in Norway.
Despite joining the Navy, she says she spent only 10 days at sea during her nine years of service, joking that she preferred “the sandy and cold places to the wet ones”.
After leaving the forces, Kayleigh briefly moved into the motor trade, but quickly realised she missed engineering and the close-knit environment she had known in the military.
One of the biggest adjustments after service, she says, is the loss of camaraderie.
“The people is the thing I probably miss the most about the military,” she said. “That banter you get with everyone. It’s like being back in a little family.”
That sense of belonging has remained important to Kayleigh in civilian life. She is now involved in supporting fellow veterans through a workplace veterans network, helping organise events across the UK, from charity fundraisers to community days that bring former service personnel together.
For Kayleigh, Armed Forces Day is an important opportunity to recognise not only those who serve, but also the families behind them.
“Remembrance Day is for people that have passed,” she said. “Armed Forces Day is just nice to have a day to say, ‘You know what? I recognise you. I recognise what you do, your sacrifices, and your family, what they sacrifice as well.’ That’s really nice.”
She also believes former service personnel have a huge amount to offer once they leave the armed forces, particularly in technical, engineering and leadership roles.
Her advice to anyone considering life after the military is simple.
“Do it,” she said. “As much as I love the military, it’s nice to go home to your own house every night. You still miss parts of it, but there are ways to keep that camaraderie and sense of purpose.”
As Bolton and communities across the country mark Armed Forces Day, Kayleigh’s story is a reminder of the skills, resilience and humour many veterans bring with them into civilian life.
