Sgt Richard Davies has received a long service and good conduct award for 30 years’ service as a Royal Marine.
Richard joined the Royal Marines in Jan 1987 (apparently after only joining for a £10 bet) and after passing basic training was drafted to 42 Commando at Bickleigh near Plymouth.
He received his award from Colonel Simon Chapman (Royal Marines) at a ceremony in HM Naval Base Devonport, Plymouth.
He has since served in the air defence troop based in Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth before switching to the mobile air operations team, including two years on maritime counter terrorism
His current job covers job analysis, recruitment and helping soldiers, sailors and airmen with long-term conditions receive help on the Naval Service Recovery Pathway.
He has also found the time to take part in mountain expeditions (including ice-climbing and reaching the top of Mont Blanc) sailing expeditions (including a rescue at sea) and toured South Africa with a Royal Marines rugby team.
Sgt Davies has forged a specific role for himself on anything to do with employment of ratings and officers who need extra support and are due to leave the service. He has worked tirelessly to identify employers and to match opportunities with individual needs. One of his duties is to ensure requests for extra manpower are met. and his first class organisation is especially vital when these are short-notice.
A Royal Navy sailor in Plymouth has been awarded a long service and good conduct award for her career which has included counter-piracy patrols.
Leading Physical Trainer Joanne Nightingale Joined the Navy in 2001 and her first job was in a warship. She completed an eight-month Arabian Gulf deployment in HMS Cumberland which included anti-piracy and counter-terror operations.
She received her award from Colonel Simon Chapman (Royal Marines) at a ceremony in HMS Drake in Plymouth.
Jo, based at HMS Drake, had various roles on board including part of the boarding team which involves joining the ship’s small boat crew to help with maritime policing of traffic on major shipping lanes. The boarding parties checked on shipping to check for smuggling and other illegal activities.
Her proudest moment on this trip was saving her friend from drowning when they were in Karachi, Pakistan.
After two years in the Navy she transferred to dental nursing after training at Aldershot. Her first job in this role was at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint which she really enjoyed and also received the Commodore’s Prize for her role.
Joanne then moved to Royal Marines, Stonehouse, in Plymouth for two years, before moving to work in Gibraltar for 18 months.
On return to the UK she returned to HMS Raleigh where she was promoted to leading hand and moved to HMS Drake as a dental practice manager. It was at this time she decided to change her specialisation and retrain as a physical training instructor (PTI) – something she had always dreamed of.
After half a year training as a PTI Jo, from Torpoint, SE Cornwall, overcame many ‘obstacles’ and passed out of training successfully – despite her own doubts and was awarded best trainee in adventure training for which she was awarded the Tony Partridge Trophy, which she is extremely proud of.
Her first job as a newly qualified PTI was to HMS Sultan, an engineering training shore base near Portsmouth, where she worked for 12 months. She then moved to Dartmouth for a few months until she started her maternity leave after which she returned to work here at HMS Drake’s sports centre.
Joanne said: “Receiving the good conduct medal has made me feel extremely proud. I never thought I would ever be in this position today 15 ½ years ago nor did I think 15 years would go so fast.”
A Royal Navy sailor has been rewarded for his excellence of long service after serving for 15 years in various ships on patrol worldwide.
Leading Seaman Jamie Hooke joined the Royal Navy in 2002 as a mechanic, age of 29, having completed his training at the former shore base HMS Dryad near Portsmouth.
His first job was on the now decommissioned warship HMS Chatham deployed on patrol to the North Arabian Gulf in 2003 when the ship fired her guns in anger providing naval gunfire support to allied forces on the Al Faw Peninsula during the Iraq War.
Jamie was awarded operational medals for involvement in UK military operations supporting the Iraq War and against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Another deployment to the Gulf in 2004 involved Jamie in disaster relief operations when HMS Chatham diverted from operations to Sri Lanka after the Boxing Day Tsunami.
The well-travelled sailor completed one more deployment on the maritime policing in the Atlantic, including the Falklands Islands in HMS Chatham before being selected for promotion to leading hand from able seaman in 2006. On qualification, once qualified he joined HMS Chatham’s sister ship Plymouth-based HMS Campbeltown in 2007 and deployed to the Baltic and the North Arabian Gulf again in 2008.
Jamie left the ship when it went into dock for a refit to join the military training unit at HMS Raleigh to instruct recruits, a role he found rewarding and thoroughly enjoyed.
He then rejoined HMS Campbeltown and then Type 23 Frigate Argyll, also Plymouth-based, to deploy again to the South Atlantic.
After HMS Campeltown he joined HMS Drake in Plymouth, and HMS Raleigh as a parade ground instructor, followed by his current role in the HMS Drake armoury.
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