The Royal Naval Medical Services Parade at Whale Island, Portsmouth
[Picture: LA(Phot) Christopher Browne, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, who is the Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Medical Services, presented the medals in recognition of the outstanding and critical contribution made by the Medical Services in the recent combat operations.
The Royal Navy led the Joint Force Medical Group in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, during Operation HERRICK 9, from October 2008 to April 2009. During the course of the operation, the Joint Force Medical Group comprised of 547 personnel from 104 different units of which 340 were from the Royal Naval Medical Services. This was the largest deployment of RN medical personnel since the Falklands campaign in 1982.
In Afghanistan, medical personnel were deployed at the hospital in Camp Bastion and at all of the forward operating bases where they carried out routine patrols and operational missions with the troops on the ground.
In Iraq they were mostly deployed to the Shaibah Logistics Base military field hospital and in the Contingency Operating Base in southern Iraq.
A total of 184 medals were awarded on Friday in the presence of the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, Senior Naval Officers and over 500 supportive family members and friends.
Two of these medals were awarded to civilian critical care nurses who supported operations in Afghanistan under the National Health Service - Support to Operations scheme: Mr Christopher Gill who works for the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and Mrs Nicola Greenwood from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.
After the parade Nicola Greenwood said:
"This has been the most wonderful day. To receive my medal from Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall at such a great occasion was just a fantastic feeling and a lifelong memory."
Contributing a musical edge to the event were the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines School of Music, Portsmouth. In the operational theatre, Royal Marines musicians often work closely alongside the medical staff as casualty handlers.
The organiser of the parade, Commander Ian Philips RN, the Senior Career Manager for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals working for the Director of Naval Personnel, West Battery, Portsmouth, said:
"The Royal Naval Medical Services Operational Medal Parade event was a spectacular occasion for both those on parade and for all the families, friends and guests watching. We were privileged to host our Commodore- in-Chief HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and it was a fitting tribute to the commitment made to current operations by the Medical Services."