184 honoured for courage and professionalism on Operations

181 members of the Armed Forces and three MOD civilians have been honoured today, Friday 7 March 2008, for their courage and professionalism on operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world.

Five Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses, five Distinguished Service Orders, 28 Military Crosses, and three Distinguished Flying Crosses have been awarded in the honours list for the period 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007.
Brigadier John Lorimer MBE and Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Carver have been awarded a Distinguished Service Order for their leadership during 12 Mechanised Brigade's deployment to Helmand Province in the summer of 2007.
Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman becomes the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for her bravery in Basra.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said:

"Our servicemen and women risk their lives on operations every day, and it gives me great pleasure to congratulate those honoured today and to thank them for their tireless service to our country.
"These men and women are a credit to the Armed Forces. Many of them have displayed courage beyond the call of duty and all of them have shown unstinting dedication. We owe thanks to them all and to their families for their invaluable support and commitment to the Armed Forces."

"The Service personnel that we honour today have all distinguished themselves - many in the face of great danger - and some have risked their own lives to save others. They have all earned the nation's thanks and respect, and I pay tribute to their outstanding achievements in the face of most difficult and dangerous circumstances."Military personnel honoured for service in Afghanistan include:

Brigadier John Lorimer MBE, late of the Parachute Regiment, receives the Distinguished Service Order. He commanded a multi-national force of over 7,000 troops operating in the harsh and dangerous environment of Helmand Province. Under his inspiring leadership, and despite suffering significant casualties, the force measurably improved the security situation in Helmand.

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Carver, of The Royal Anglian Regiment, also receives the Distinguished Service Order. Lt Col Carver, through personal example, impeccable judgement, and exemplary leadership led his soldiers through the complex and dangerous jungle-like ‘green zone' of Helmand Province. Despite the loss of several soldiers in combat they never relented in their desire to take the fight to the Taliban. He initiated reconstruction and development projects to show local Afghans that the battle group was a force for good, and the feeling of hope and optimism it generated was overwhelming.

Lieutenant Simon Cupples, of The Mercian Regiment, is awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. On a night mission, Cupples' section was caught in open ground by very intense and accurate enemy fire and sustained several casualties. He rallied a team of five men and led them to the killing zone on four separate occasions, painstakingly recovering three of the casualties. For the fifth time, he crawled forward in an attempt to recover the last casualty but the remorseless intensity of the enemy fire forced him to withdraw. He was utterly determined not to leave his soldier behind and subsequently commanded a rescue team who successfully recovered the soldier.

Corporal Craig Brelsford, of The Mercian Regiment, is posthumously awarded the Military Cross for his involvement in the same engagement as Lieutenant Cupples. When tasked to assist Lieutenant Cupples's section in evacuating four casualties from a killing area with Taliban firing positions on two sides, Brelsford quickly assessed the situation. He placed himself between the enemy and the casualties and created a protective screen for them. Whilst providing inspiration and encouragement to some very frightened young soldiers, he was critically injured but he continued to command his men. Only once he was in the safety of a Viking vehicle did he stop, and sadly he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Brelsford displayed leadership, professional skill and courage of the very highest order.

Private Paul Wilmott, of The Mercian Regiment, receives the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for work in Helmand. On a patrol in the Upper Gereshk Valley, he assumed command of his section in the most testing of circumstances and, neutralizing the Taliban as he went, withdrew his section to safety while not abandoning a casualty. He showed exceptional courage and resolve and extreme devotion to duty and to his comrades.

Lance Corporal Donald Campbell, Corps of Royal Engineers, has won the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an incredible act of pre-meditated bravery. He intentionally drove an unprotected piece of large plant machinery into a Taleban killing zone, and whilst under very intense accurate fire for a considerable amount of time, he carefully placed a bridge-plate into a ditch to enable an armoured advance.

Captain David Hicks, of The Royal Anglian Regiment, is posthumously awarded the Military Cross. He led his company during an extremely demanding eight days which ultimately cost him his life. As a relatively junior officer he demonstrated leadership, courage and tactical skill of the highest level, and way beyond that which would be expected, he repeatedly ‘led the fight' against a determined enemy putting himself in the centre of the action. He is honoured for his dedication to duty and inspirational example.

Lance Corporal Oliver Ruecker, of The Royal Anglian Regiment, receives the Military Cross. When Ruecker was part of a Viking vehicle patrol, two rocket propelled grenades hit the vehicle setting it alight. As Ruecker dismounted from the vehicle he saw an armed Taliban fighter about to engage his colleagues as they climbed out of the vehicle. He immediately neutralized the fighter, removing a serious threat to his fellow soldiers. He then realised that there was still someone stuck in the burning vehicle. With a complete disregard for his own safety, Ruecker returned through a hail of enemy fire, and extracted the soldier from the burning vehicle. Seconds later it exploded into a ball of flames.

Among the servicemen and women honoured for service in Iraq are:

Brigadier Timothy Evans MBE, late of The Light Infantry, wins the Distinguished Service Order for his success in launching over 200 strike operations in a six month period; resulting in many enemy detained and neutralized. His drive, morally courageous decision-making and astonishing and unquenchable energy have all been critical to the maintenance and direction of these operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Justin Maciejewski MBE, of The Rifles, receives the Distinguished Service Order for his inspirational leadership of 2nd Battalion The Rifles during an exceptionally challenging tour. Under his command the Battalion maintained a high morale despite a massive amount of enemy small arms, mortar and rocket propelled grenade attacks and the deaths of 14 soldiers.

Corporal Adam Miller, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, is awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. In an attempt to recover a military vehicle Cpl Miller worked tirelessly for nearly two hours, much of that time under constant and heavy fire in a 360° and three-dimensional urban battle. Cpl Miller displayed extraordinary dedication, icy nerve and determination.

Staff Sergeant James Wadsworth, of The Royal Logistic Corps, receives the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for rendering safe, by hand, and recovering one of the largest bombs ever found. His extraordinary, selfless courage saved a nearby hospital and prevented potentially severe and untold consequences.

Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman, of the Royal Air Force, is the first woman to win a Distinguished Flying Cross. She was Aircraft Captain of an Incident Reaction Team (IRT) Merlin Helicopter. Told of a serious casualty in central Basra City on 1 June 2007, she chose to fly into an extremely dangerous area. Flying on night goggles and under very heavy fire she landed next to the casualty and extracted him, despite mortar rounds landing nearby. Without the IRT, the casualty would have died within 15 minutes.

Corporal David Hayden, of the RAF Regiment, is the first Airman to receive the Military Cross. In a particularly ferocious battle against a determined group of insurgents, involving a fully dismounted patrol in Iraq, Hayden repeatedly showed the most outstanding courage, selflessness and personal example. With absolute disregard for his own safety he repeatedly risked his own life in order to rescue a wounded comrade and extract his combat team.