Armed Forces

Corporal Thomas Hopkins, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

Corporal Hopkins displays excellence as a matter of routine. In camp he embodies the role of a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). Bearing, professionalism, dynamism regardless of the task – he has it all and acts as a role model to all around him.

Where he stands head and shoulders above the rest is in the field. His capacity for green soldiering is second to none. As A Squadron’s Arctic Warfare specialist, Cpl Hopkins operated in the most austere of environments. During Operation Cabrit Cpl Hopkins tackled the gruelling Finnish Winter Warfare Course, conducted by Finnish Cold Weather Warfare experts and elite forces from various nations.  His success in this elite course, failed by an infantry Colour Sergeant, is testament to his extraordinary skill and determination. It also earned him further training invitations with the Finnish military and a commendation from the Commander of Operation Cabrit.

Upon completion Cpl Hopkins identified the critical need for cold weather training to improve the lethality and survivability of our soldiers. He spearheaded efforts to train soldiers in winter warfare, playing a pivotal role in delivering the Cold Weather Operators Course. His relentless dedication was a cornerstone in the squadron’s advancement, and his efforts have been transformative in equipping soldiers for operations in extreme cold weather conditions.

Citation report by Captain Edward Cooper

Corporal Tom Rose, 230 Squadron RAF

Corporal Rose places team success as his highest priority. His determination to gain the best from each person sees him take great pride in the professional development of his peers and subordinates. This dedication has helped to build self confidence, loyalty, and vastly increased motivation throughout the Avionics team. This was most recently demonstrated when owing to Senior Non-Commissioned Officer absence, he guided the team through complex fault diagnosis task with minimal supervision, ensuring that 230 could deliver its MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) commitment.

His mentoring of non-SQEP (Suitably Qualified Experienced People) rotational personnel through their NVQ packages is commendable, delivering benefit across wider Puma Force as many of those he trains are returned to employment in the UK and Cyprus with increased qualifications, enhanced hand skills and greater self-assurance in on-wing fault diagnosis. As a key member of the Squadron social events team he sacrifices significant personal time to enhance the lived experience of others. Assisting in the organisation of multiple social functions, both for Service personnel and for their families, his impact on the morale of the section cannot be underestimated.

Citation report by Squadron Leader Luke Foreman

Leading Engineering Technician Bryn Bridges, HMS Audacious

Leading Engineering Technician (LET) Bridges is a professionally confident, well-liked individual, who has excelled during his time on board HMS Audacious. LET Bridges has stood in as a local acting watch supervisor. As a Communication Information Systems Rating the role’s primary purpose at sea is managing communication traffic in and out of the submarine during covert operations.

This role is critical in keeping the submarine undetected from potential adversaries whilst on operations, and involves mastering cryptography equipment akin to a modern version of the enigma machine. He completed a very lengthy and operationally challenging deployment at sea gaining significant praise from Command for his performance and professionalism.

During this current maintenance period he has used his spare capacity to arrange site visits to Navy HQ in Portsmouth to develop his section and increase all round knowledge. An excellent submariner, LET Bridges rounded off this successful time on board HMS Audacious with his selection and promotion to Leading Engineering Technician.

Citation report by Commander J Howard