Members of staff at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) received a Long Service Award from the Commander of British Forces Gibraltar in a recent ceremony held in Her  Majesty’s Naval Base. 

A statement from British Forces Gibraltar follows below:

The award aims to highlight the recognition and appreciation to staff members who have  worked in the organisation for a substantial period. 

Laura Rios was awarded her Locally Employed Civilian (LEC) Long Service Award after  dedicating 17 years to MOD Gibraltar. She began her career in 2005 in the Janitorial Section but after four years, she served as Chief of Staff’s and then Commander British Forces’ domestic assistant where her efforts were greatly appreciated. In 2015 Laura was promoted  to Janitorial Supervisor where she managed a team of 18 before taking on a supervisory role  within the Accommodation Section and adding a further 11 personnel to her team. Laura has  proved to be an asset to the department where her efforts have not gone unnoticed by occupants, visitors, and management alike.  

Adam Lima was awarded his LEC Long Service Award after dedicating 36 years to MOD  Gibraltar. He began his career in 1986 as a Motor Transport driver. He began with a B  licence, which enabled him to drive the work vehicles but decided to work towards gaining a  C and D licence, which allowed him to drive vehicles over 3,500kg and minibuses. He is the  only person in his department who has a licence to operate a crane. Adam progressed to a Chargehand in 2005 and eventually became the MTSU Manager in 2017. 

Douglas Serra was awarded his LEC Long Service Award after dedicating 38 years to MOD  Gibraltar. He joined back in 1984 as a labourer and has since worked in various roles  including as a Mess Hand, an MT driver and even an Ambulance driver. Douglas is thought  of highly by his line manager who mentioned he is a reliable and valued member of the  Motor Transport Department.  

Merlyn Freeth was awarded his LEC Long Service Award after dedicating 26 years to MOD  Gibraltar. He started his career in 1996 and spent 2 years at the Gibraltar Logistic Unit,  covering various casual roles as a skilled labourer. From 1997 until this day, Merlyn has  worked as a Security Officer where he has become an important member of the Defence 

Guard Service (DGS). He brings a vast amount of experience to the Department where he is  happy taking on extra responsibilities in his section whenever needed.  

Petty Officer Physical Trainer (POPT) Sutton was awarded the Long Service & Good  Conduct medal for 15 years exemplary service. He joined the Royal Navy as a Marine  Engineering Mechanic in 2005 where he served six years fine tuning his trade craft and  taking full opportunity to follow his passion for sports. He represented Royal Navy Rugby  League in several International competitions. During a tour to Australia, he realised he  wanted to pursue a career in physical development. In 2010 he became a Physical Training  Instructor and decided to continue his professional development and tackle the Exercise  Rehabilitation Instructor course.