Honours reward Armed Forces' dedication

Honours reward Armed Forces' dedication

The Ministry of Defence has announced its operational honours for the six months to April 2003. They recognise the bravery and dedication that members of the Armed Forces regularly display when defending the nation and supporting peace and humanity worldwide.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said:

"These awards highlight the exceptional achievements of our servicemen and women during wide ranging operations, including in the campaign against international terrorism. The recipients deserve our wholehearted congratulations."

The honours cover the period of 1 October 2002 to 31 March 2003 and recognise service in Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Iraq (No Fly Zone), and the Congo. They also cover various non-operational incidents.

Service personnel from all ranks and a variety of professional skills are honoured and include:

An OBE for Lt Col Barry Barnwell of the Royal Marines Reserve. On a United Nations peacekeeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo he single-handedly planned and directed a programme aimed at repatriating tens of thousands of Rwandan Hutus.

An MBE for Sqn Ldr Joanna Khan, a Royal Air Force Engineering Officer. She was based at Incirlik in Turkey as part of the support team for aircraft policing the No Fly Zones over Iraq.

An MBE for Cpl Justin Grattan of The Staffordshire Regiment. He completed a tour of duty in Kosovo where his coolness and presence of mind under pressure were pivotal to the success of his mission.

Two Royal Naval ratings and four soldiers receive Queen's Commendations for Bravery for their courage while undertaking fire-fighting duties.

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