Presentation of Afghanistan Medals

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall presenting an Afghanistan campaign medal to Able Seaman Michelle Ping, winner of 'Best Reservist' at last year's Sun Military Awards
[Picture: LA(Phot) Simmo Simpson, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The Duchess of Cornwall, Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Medical Services, presented Afghanistan medals to more than 200 men and women from all three Services at a parade on Friday at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth.

By far the greatest number of personnel came from the Royal Navy, which led the joint medical support for Operation HERRICK 14.

Some of the men and women on parade were receiving a medal for their first tour of duty, others had already completed several tours.

The MOD Medals Office is part of the services that the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency provides for the Armed Forces Community.  If you want to know more about this work, then take a look at our Veterans Today video below.

'Our War' - a personal experience

Bjorn Rose, former Army Lieutenant, has written about army life in Afghanistan for the BBC TV blog [Copyright Simon Panter/BBC]

Tomorrow night, the first episode of Our War airs on BBC Three, the three-part series marking a decade of the War in Afghanistan. 

The first episode - Ambushed - focuses on 1 Battalion Royal Anglian's tour of Helmand Province in 2007. The whole tour was filmed on a helmet camera by the platoon's sergeant (the MOD gave the BBC unprecedented access to thousands of hours of footage shot on helmet cameras and personal video cameras).  During the tour, the platoon suffered a casualty with the loss of 19 year old Private Chris Gray. 

Bjorn Rose, a former Army Lieutenant, was the officer commanding 3 (Corunna) Platoon (one of the nine platoons in the Battalion) and is featured in the Ambushed episode. He talks about his involvement in the series and impact of Private Gray's death in a moving blog post, which can be read on the BBC TV blog post  here.

'Our War' - marking a decade in Afghanistan

New BBC Three series will look at a decade in Afghanistan

Marking a decade of the War in Afghanistan, BBC Three is airing a new three-part series Our War next week.

The MOD gave the BBC unprecedented access to thousands of hours of footage shot on helmet cameras and personal video cameras.  The series will give a unique insight into the War, told through films shot by the soldiers themselves.

With the raw honesty of first person stories of life on the front line, the series offers a gripping and poignant insight into every aspect of the young soldiers' experiences -  the average age of the soldiers is 21 - from fear to boredom, grief to bravery, the camaraderie of the platoon and the return home.

The first episode - Ambushed - will air on June 7 at 9pm. This episode focuses on 1 Battalion Royal Anglian's tour of Helmand Province in 2007.

The second episode - The Invisible Enemy - will air on June 14 at 9pm.  This episode follows the plight of the first troops sent to Helmand Province in 2006 and shows how, three years later, Improvised Explosive Devices had changed the War.

The final episode - Caught in the Crossfire  - will air on June 21 at 9pm.  This episode looks at the transition from bloody conflict to the fight for 'hearts and minds' as civilians and the military are caught in the crossfire.

Defence Minister visits SPVA



Lt Col (Rtd) Peter Lockyear (Left) with Andrew Robathan MP (right) at the SPVA Medal Office at Imjin Barracks

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan MP, today paid tribute to staff working in support of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan during a visit to our offices at Imjin Barracks, near Gloucester.

The Minister first visited the Agency’s Medal Office which over the last year has issued some 44,000 medals to Service personnel and veterans. He saw first hand the research necessary to confirm entitlement, as well as the preparation, engraving, cleaning and despatch of medals to their rightful recipients. He was especially interested in the work undertaken to prepare and issue the Elizabeth Cross, which is granted to the next of kin of Armed Forces personnel killed on operations, or as a result of terrorism, in a mark of national recognition for their loss.

Andrew Robathan MP (right) and Lt Col (Rtd) Peter Lockyear watch a medal being engraved

The Minister then moved on to see our Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (JCCC) and talked to personnel dealing with some of the 90,000 calls the centre receives each year. The JCCC’s operations room receives information on all UK Armed Forces casualties (both injuries and deaths) from around the world, including operations in Afghanistan, and ensures the families of those involved are quickly informed and offered appropriate support. Where death has occurred JCCC staff also support the families of those involved by providing advice on funeral entitlements, arranging the marking of Service graves and assisting the executor with resolution of the deceased’s estate.

Mr Robathan also saw how the JCCC authorises and arranges immediate travel back to the UK for servicemen and women in the event of a family crisis such as the sudden hospitalisation of an immediate family member.

Later, he visited the JCCC’s Commemorations team. This specialist group arranges the tracing of families, repatriation and appropriate funeral services following the discovery of the remains of UK Service personnel on battlefields and aircraft crash sites around the world, often dating back to World War I and beyond

The full press release can be viewed here.

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Remember the fallen

Two online ‘Books of Remembrance’ have been launched, commemorating all those members of the armed forces who have died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Visitors can post memories, pictures and anecdotes about each individual, forming a record of the sacrifices made by Armed Forces personnel and their families that is accessible to all. The tribute books are supported by the three armed services’ charities: the RAF Benevolent Fund, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

The creator, Jonathan Haward, has provided brief biographies for many of the fallen, but wants the general public to make their own contributions by visiting the online books. In this way he hopes the online tributes will form a broader public testament to the bravery and sacrifice of Britain’s military.

Jonathan Haward, creator of the online 'Books of Remembrance'

Jonathan has strong personal reasons for wanting to create the online spaces:

“My mother worked in a radar station during the Battle of Britain, directing fighter planes to intercept the enemy. The RAF was an important part of her life and holds a special place in the heart of our family. Both of my elder brothers, Chris and David, became pilots. Sadly David was killed on exercise 11 years ago, shortly after being appointed a Station Commander.

Jonathan's mother, who worked in a radar station during the Battle of Britain

“A few years ago a friend emailed me some pictures of my brother that I had never seen. I forwarded these to my relatives and they brought such joy that it inspired us to set up  website where families can leave tributes to departed loved ones, post images and share memories. The Books of Remembrance are a logical extension of this idea, giving everyone the chance to take an interactive, personal approach to Armistice Day. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness of the three Service charities and their vital work."

Jacqui Thompson, whose husband Gary died in Afghanistan, has shared her memories in the online tribute

Jacqui Thompson lost her husband Gary in 2008. He was killed at the age of 51 whilst serving as a reservist in the RAF Regiment, when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Jacqui has added her own pictures and memories to Gary’s page in the Afghanistan Book of Remembrance and encourages others to do the same:

“Since I lost Gary all I have are cherished memories – that’s why Remembrance is so important to me. The online Books of Remembrance are a lovely way of keeping Gary alive - recognising his actions and collecting together my memories, and those of all the people that knew him. It helps to keep him with us, in our hearts.”

Please take time to visit the books during this time of Remembrance.

Changes to campaign medals criteria

The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan
(Picture: Andy Cargill ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009)

Hundreds more British Servicemen and women will receive operational campaign medals under new plans announced by the MOD in August.

At present, members of the Armed Forces who serve for 30 continuous days qualify for Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals.

Following a review, those who have served for an aggregate period of 45 days are also now eligible. These changes will be backdated to the start of both operations - 11 September 2001 for Afghanistan and 20 January 2003 for Iraq.

Examples of Service personnel who could now be eligible include members of the aeromedical evacuation teams who accompany injured patients back to the UK.

Under the new plans, personnel who deploy for short periods of time will be allowed to build up accrued days to achieve an aggregate qualifying period of 45 days' service.

If you believe you may be eligible, then contact the MOD Medal Office.