Recognition is something that we do very poorly indeed, beyond the usual round of MBEs etc., most of which go to Commissioned Officers (I'm not sure that this was John Major's intention when he suspended the BEM). I had to speak to my SO1 last year about fellow SO2 who was leaving the Colours for the last time just prior to his 60th Birthday and who had completed 45 years service man and boy in the Royal Corps of Signals (Harrogate Apprentice, then Crypto Tech, served on Op Corporate and survived the attack on the Galahad, retired as a WO2 (RQMS), commissioned in to the TA, QM, OC Sqn, SO2). It took the Full Col Dep Comd to go into the Brigadier's office and 'invite' the Bde Comd to present said SO2 with his Bar to his VRSM (as well as present another SO1 with 39 years service with a VRSM and Bar and an SO3 with her VRSM). As I said to my SO1 at the time, it is the only bit of regonition that you get. So, as you can see, it's not just the Air Force that get it wrong...
Last edited by Failed_Scopie; 15th Feb 2013 at 10:05.