Again I echo the congratulations to all those who received awards (and particularly poignant are the number of posthumous awards).
We often hear in OJARs and SJARs or 'Ratings creep'. Well, the reverse has happened in the award of Honours and Comendations the near-Decade that HM Forces have been in continuous conflict. I recall serving in Macedonia (err, sorry, err, FYROM) in the build-up for KFOR. All sorts of people got commendations for pretty mundane tasks, eg: assembling portaloos (I sh!t you not - an AOC's commendation, I believe). I was written-up for resolving (!) a particularly hair-raising incident with some 'Allies', along with my driver and a medic. Brave as we felt at the time, I suspect now such actions wouldn't rate a mention, given the intensity of operations in the 'Stan.
The bar has risen so high, and quite rightly so, but it will be interesting to see what will happen when we eventually disengage in Afghanistan. In other words, what consitutes bravery or exceptional devotion to Service (assembling portaloos, I hope, will not be a criteria)?