I must admit to a slight raising of an eyebrow at the VERY short list of RAF personnel awarded MBE or QCVS (only one of each in Afghanistan?). These are not gallantry awards but are "a job exceptionally well done" awards; accordingly I am left with the impression that either:
1) Our deployed pers are doing the least work they can get away with;
2) The standard of our citations is poor;
3) We are not submitting enough citations.
Having seen a few tri-service citations in my time I lean towards 3) - some of the stuff that the other services put up for MBE/QCVS really is "day job with lipstick on". But good on them - that's what those awards are for! Despite this I note that someone looked after the senior RAF officers at the CAOC; poor show by them for (apparently) not doing so down the chain. More writeups for the coal-face next time please. Even reducing it to a matter of self-interest, I thought it was supposed to be to a commander's benefit to maximise the number of awards in his AoR?
Well done to those that did receive an award (and lucky you for having a switched-on Boss!)