MILITARY AWARDS
MILITARY AWARD WINNERS
101 Engineer Regiment (EOD)
2023 Winners: 2Lt Willum Jessiman and SSgt Ross Meehan
2Lt Willum Jessiman inherited a troop that was demoralised, fractured, and losing personnel, on a site scheduled to close. In the space of 6-months he has turned the troop around, it’s the strongest in the Sqn.
2Lt Jessiman met with local counsellors and community leaders to involve the troop in community events, Sqn open evenings and local education events creating a regular inflow of potential recruits.
Critical to this success was SSgt Ross Meehan, a stalwart mentor to 2Lt Jessiman. Working weekends to renovate a dilapidated site, without his input the rejuvenation would have been much more challenging. His innovative approach to training has driven excellence and his training plans are cross-capbadge and inventive.
The combined work of 2Lt Jessiman and SSgt Meehan has had an immediately positive effect on the troop. It continues to go from strength to strength.
HMS Lancaster
HMS LANCASTER (Port Crew) Sailor of the Year, PO(ET)(ME), Stewart Fletcher:
This award recognises someone who has consistently demonstrated that he is not only an adept engineer, but a highly capable and effective Senior Rate. As the Marine Engineering Departmental Coordinator, his management of the department’s workforce has been exemplary, and he has used his vast engineering experience to conduct major defect rectification and trials on the ship’s sprint propulsion capability, ensuring that LANCASTER can deliver on Operation KIPION. He exhibits a kind-hearted nature, infectious sense of humour and proactive approach to everything that he does, making positive contributions to all committees and organisations that span the safety, welfare, health and professional development of Port Crew. He is a very modest person, but makes a huge contribution to Port Crew and he should be extremely proud of his achievements. HMS LANCASTER (Port Crew)’s Sailor of the Year prize for 2022 is awarded to Petty Officer Stewart Fletcher.
HMS LANCASTER (Stbd Crew) Sailor of the year (Petty Officer (ET) (CIS), Reece Beesley
Petty Officer Reece Beesley joined LANCASTER in early 2022, and immediately displayed an extremely positive approach to his duties as satellite and external communications maintainer. At short notice he became the acting Head of the Ship’s Communications Group, a key leadership role normally executed by far more senior individuals. In only his first assignment as a Petty Officer, Beesley led his team admirably; guiding them in the rectification of 26 complex Operational Defects which were often muti-layered and required many long hours, or sometimes days, of arduous work to restore full capability. Beesley’s standout performance directly enabled HMS LANCASTER’s success on globally deployed operations throughout 2022 – he is the deserving winner of this prestigious award.
5001 Squadron RAF
2023 Winner: Cpl Adam Moore
Cpl Adam Moore has made an outstanding contribution to Sqn output. In 2022 he was second in command as his team reacted to the failure of a hangar door in a Middle Eastern Location. Strong technical and leadership abilities enabled rapid repairs in a high tempo operational environment.
During the redeployment of the Chinooks from Mali West Africa, he was pivotal in the challenging dismantling of hangars deployed by the UK and other NATO partners. He then remained in Mali to assist with the recovery of other equipment as part of the drawdown. Selfless effort earned him significant praise from the Detachment Commander.
14 Company South West London Army Cadet Force
2023 Winner: Maj Steven Ronner
