Obscene Eyedeas
June 14th, 2010, 03:34 PM
A soldier who defused seven bombs to rescue wounded troops from a minefield in Afghanistan and a second, elite bomb disposal expert who died doing the job he loved were today awarded the George Cross, one of the highest military honours.
Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes, who embarrassed Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, last year, by asking for more troops, and the late Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid are being recognised for exceptional acts of courage, said Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff.
They will go down in history as "the bravest of the brave", he said.
More than 100 servicemen and women, most of who served during Britain’s bloodiest summer in Afghanistan last year, are also due to receive awards for their efforts in a full list that will be published tomorrow.
RELATED LINKS
The VC and GC — an enduring comradeship
Celebrities 'get more respect than war dead'
Staff-Sergeant Olaf Schmid: The Times obituary
At a ceremony in London, Staff Sergeant Schmid's widow accepted a framed citation on behalf of her “legendary husband”. The Queen will present the actual George Cross at Buckingham Palace later in the year.
“I am as proud of my husband as he was magnificent and I’m truly thrilled,” Mrs Schmid, said. “The huge George Cross is a fitting tribute to decorate Oz for his outstanding bravery.”
Staff Sergeant Schmid, 30, better known as Oz, deployed to Afghanistan at the height of Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther’s Claw, a major offensive against the Taleban in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, last summer. He faced daily danger, clearing routes and compounds of improvised explosive devices – the biggest killer of soldiers in Afghanistan.
The soldier, of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, succeeded in making safe 70 bombs before he himself was killed by one on October 31, the day before he was due to return to the Winchester home he shared with his wife and her five-year-old son Laird.
Demonstrating similar courage in the face of death, Sergeant Hughes, 30, from Telford in Shropshire, is accredited with “the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan”.
The soldier, also with The Royal Logistics Corps, defused seven bombs while helping a team extract five wounded troops and two dead from an IED minefield southwest of Sangin in Helmand province on August 16, 2009. One of the wounded also subsequently died.
“To receive the award was amazing,” Staff Sergeant Hughes said. He believed that every soldier who ventured out of one of the forward operating bases and patrol bases in Helmand deserved some sort of recognition.
“It’s horrendous over there. You can’t explain what it’s like over there without physically being there yourself.”
Asked if he would return, however, the bomb disposal specialist said: “If I was asked to go back out I would go out.”
Staff Sergeant Hughes hit the headlines last October when he put Mr Ainsworth on the spot during a visit to troops in Helmand.
The Defence Secretary asked him “So what's your top desire here from right at the chalkface - what would you have more of today?''
Staff Sergeant Hughes replied: "More troops on the ground.”
Announcing the awards, Sir Jock said: “As one of our top two operational honours, the George Cross is awarded only rarely; its recipients must have displayed the very highest levels of gallantry.”
Referring to the two bomb disposal experts, he added: “Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty and unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling. The nation will rightly take enormous pride in their service; it owes them and their families an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Mr Ainsworth also paid tribute to the men.
“The UK has the most gallant and professional Armed Forces in the world — but as George Cross recipients, Staff Sergeant Schmid and Staff Sergeant Hughes will always be part of an even more special group: those responsible for the most outstanding acts of bravery.”
The George Cross was created by George VI in 1940 and only 161 have been awarded to civilians and military personnel. The George Cross, which can also be awarded to civilians, is second only to the Victoria Cross. It is awarded to military personnel for acts of heroism not in the presence of the enemy.
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7067184.ece
This is what hughes did: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/7474209/Official-citation-Staff-Sergeant-Kim-Hughes-The-Royal-Logistic-Corps.html
Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes, who embarrassed Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, last year, by asking for more troops, and the late Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid are being recognised for exceptional acts of courage, said Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff.
They will go down in history as "the bravest of the brave", he said.
More than 100 servicemen and women, most of who served during Britain’s bloodiest summer in Afghanistan last year, are also due to receive awards for their efforts in a full list that will be published tomorrow.
RELATED LINKS
The VC and GC — an enduring comradeship
Celebrities 'get more respect than war dead'
Staff-Sergeant Olaf Schmid: The Times obituary
At a ceremony in London, Staff Sergeant Schmid's widow accepted a framed citation on behalf of her “legendary husband”. The Queen will present the actual George Cross at Buckingham Palace later in the year.
“I am as proud of my husband as he was magnificent and I’m truly thrilled,” Mrs Schmid, said. “The huge George Cross is a fitting tribute to decorate Oz for his outstanding bravery.”
Staff Sergeant Schmid, 30, better known as Oz, deployed to Afghanistan at the height of Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther’s Claw, a major offensive against the Taleban in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, last summer. He faced daily danger, clearing routes and compounds of improvised explosive devices – the biggest killer of soldiers in Afghanistan.
The soldier, of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, succeeded in making safe 70 bombs before he himself was killed by one on October 31, the day before he was due to return to the Winchester home he shared with his wife and her five-year-old son Laird.
Demonstrating similar courage in the face of death, Sergeant Hughes, 30, from Telford in Shropshire, is accredited with “the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan”.
The soldier, also with The Royal Logistics Corps, defused seven bombs while helping a team extract five wounded troops and two dead from an IED minefield southwest of Sangin in Helmand province on August 16, 2009. One of the wounded also subsequently died.
“To receive the award was amazing,” Staff Sergeant Hughes said. He believed that every soldier who ventured out of one of the forward operating bases and patrol bases in Helmand deserved some sort of recognition.
“It’s horrendous over there. You can’t explain what it’s like over there without physically being there yourself.”
Asked if he would return, however, the bomb disposal specialist said: “If I was asked to go back out I would go out.”
Staff Sergeant Hughes hit the headlines last October when he put Mr Ainsworth on the spot during a visit to troops in Helmand.
The Defence Secretary asked him “So what's your top desire here from right at the chalkface - what would you have more of today?''
Staff Sergeant Hughes replied: "More troops on the ground.”
Announcing the awards, Sir Jock said: “As one of our top two operational honours, the George Cross is awarded only rarely; its recipients must have displayed the very highest levels of gallantry.”
Referring to the two bomb disposal experts, he added: “Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty and unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling. The nation will rightly take enormous pride in their service; it owes them and their families an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Mr Ainsworth also paid tribute to the men.
“The UK has the most gallant and professional Armed Forces in the world — but as George Cross recipients, Staff Sergeant Schmid and Staff Sergeant Hughes will always be part of an even more special group: those responsible for the most outstanding acts of bravery.”
The George Cross was created by George VI in 1940 and only 161 have been awarded to civilians and military personnel. The George Cross, which can also be awarded to civilians, is second only to the Victoria Cross. It is awarded to military personnel for acts of heroism not in the presence of the enemy.
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7067184.ece
This is what hughes did: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/7474209/Official-citation-Staff-Sergeant-Kim-Hughes-The-Royal-Logistic-Corps.html