Honours And Awards At The Naval Base
The British Forces Gibraltar Honours and Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 at Her Majesty’s Naval Base and focussed on the efforts and achievements of Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel.
A statement from the MOD follows below:
Flight Lieutenant Martin Hughes was awarded a Commander British Forces Commendation for his significant contribution to mental health and wellbeing initiatives within British Forces Gibraltar and the wider RAF. This included acting as the event coordinator for the Command’s Mental Health Awareness Week and volunteering for the role of Deputy Chairman for the RAF’s Time to Change Network, an organisation that campaigns to change the way people think and act about mental health issues.
RAF Gibraltar Station Commander, Wing Commander Nel Doherty was awarded her Long Service and Good Conduct medal bar having completed 25 years of exemplary service. Nel joined the RAF in 1995 on a university scholarship. She qualified as a Weapons Controller in the Fighter Control specialisation (now Air Operations Branch) and has completed multiple roles as a controller and also as an instructor. In addition, she has deployed on numerous operations and exercises around the globe, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrain, the Falkland Islands, Lithuania, the USA, Canada and Kenya. Nel was also awarded an MBE in 2013 for her work in support of the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Corporal Diane Rutter, who is the Airfield Manager for RAF Gibraltar, was awarded her Long Service and Good Conduct medal having completed 15 years of exemplary service. Diane joined the RAF in 2005 and qualified as a Flight Operations Assistant. She has served at a variety of RAF stations throughout the UK and has deployed on multiple operations and exercises, including Afghanistan, Iraq, South Korea and Japan. An excellent operator, she has received two Air Officer Commanding 1 Group Commendations during her career and has also recently been selected for promotion to Sergeant, a rank she will begin to wear following her return to the UK in April.
Senior Aircraftman Desmond Evans, on detachment to Gibraltar from Tactical Supply Wing in the UK, was awarded a Station Commander’s Safety Commendation. Having noticed a large build-up of rubbish outside his block on Devil’s Tower Camp, he recognised the potential risk it posed to safe airfield operations and took it upon himself to immediately remove it and to make the appropriate reports. Des, in Gibraltar on a temporary basis, could have quite easily ignored the issue and left it for a permanent member of staff to deal with. Instead, he decided to lead by example and, in doing so, demonstrated an excellent attitude to Air Safety.
