A gong, well deserved then and now.
 

Australia Day Honours 2023
"DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS (DSC) Australian Army Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Dean HUMPHREYS For distinguished command and leadership in warlike operations as the Commander Aviation Support Element in Afghanistan from 1 March 2006 to 2 August 2006. Lieutenant Colonel Humphreys expertly led the first rotation of the Aviation Support Element into Afghanistan in preparing for and executing combat support operations. As a CH-47D Chinook pilot he applied great skill, determination and courage to complete missions under fire without loss of life. Lieutenant Colonel Humphreys' inspirational leadership, dedication and tireless professionalism are of the highest order and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force."


https://www.kevinhumphreys.com.au/about-kevin
mjb

Sounds extremely well-deserved. Genuine question from confused Pom: Why the delay of 17 years? Is the gong on his retirement or what?

It is curious, isn't it? He left in 2011. Other recipients of awards are for more contemporary activities: https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/...onspicuous.pdf

​​​​​​I don't know, but I hope it is partially due to the recognition that battles continue after one leaves the service, in this case with a very positive outcome to both military and non miliary personell (see link)
Mjb

Recipients of the award generally come from the community putting the individual forward, next door neighbour received an award in last years list for her work in the disabled area.

I would say some in the community thought his service had not been duly recognised during his period of service and and have got together to put his name forward.

To nominate someone forms available here.

https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-hon...-someone-award
https://forms.business.gov.au/smartf...mVersion=1.0.0

The DSC is a military award, not something your friendly neighbours nominate you for.

Sorry 212 and others, was trapping rabbits down another burrow. :( Not unusual, as in it does happen, in Oz though for folk to have medals/awards granted or upgraded long after the events if a case is put forward. The gentlemen certainly has a profile.

We have a chap who folk were putting forward for a VC some three decades or so after the events, the US had granted him a Silver Star that our government refused to let him accept, not told he was supposed to be attending a parade at which General Westmoreland was to present it to him, he finally did have it presented decades later by the Commander of a US warship visiting during an exercise.

https://www.kevinhumphreys.com.au/about-kevin

From Megan's link.....

Gongs are fine....but this is the kind of Honor that says it all about both Soldiers.

Hand Salute, Kevin!

Real courage is not the absence of Fear.....it is going about your Duty notwithstanding being filled with Fear.

Combat takes a toll on all who experience it.

The other soldier being https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_de_Ruiter_(aviator)

The burrow I should have been trapping, sorry chaps.

https://defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au/

I don’t see him in the completed inquiries?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5e83ff752.jpeg

Flew with Kev a few times in Afghanistan - great guy,.

All credit to the guy but just because you have the "courage" to admit you were bat**** crazy doesn't mean you you are absolved of actually going being bat **** crazy. Acid test, I would not really want to sit behind anyone who has a predisposition for any kind of psychosis. Did we learn much from Littlewings. I have no problem with PTSD but lip wobbling in the cockpit of a helicopter............let me out please.

DB, plenty of we PTSD sufferers held down flying jobs, some found it all too much though, as did mate Andy Perry. Andy received the Silver Star (video below of the presentation on board the USN 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge), like you SAS had a peddle shot off in his slick, but without your post shot drama. Story as I remember it, post service Andy had a helo civil flying job and was called out one night for a medical job that involved flying over a tiger country mountain range, on the outbound leg arranged to meet an ambulance at a certain place, turned around, landed, told the medical crew "take me to hospital". Never flew again, only in the civil job an extremely short period of time.


As therapy Andy circumnavigated Australia in his boat with an open invitation to all to join him on legs of the trip should they desire. His tribunal review.

https://defence-honours-tribunal.gov.../006-Perry.pdf

212, short of talking to the chap himself it's anyones guess.

Megan,

Thank you for posting the linked information.....anyone reading it will begin to understand what flying helicopters in Vietnam could be like when things went ugly.

The Silver Star Medal for Gallantry is not handed out like candy bars.

I have no doubt under different circumstances Perry could easily have been awarded a higher level Award but being an Australian and not an American Pilot that would have presented some problems administratively.

Perry justly deserved that Silver Star from the American Army and deserved much better treatment from his. own Navy.

All of you EMU's are welcome at my end ot the Bar as I see you all as Brothers in a special Brotherhood we hold membership in....one that exacted a high cost to be earn membership.

Those accounts of the action that night have me thinking back to some of my. own as I enjoy my morning coffee.

Things that were commonplace back them take on a much different perspective all these years later when we look back on them.

We were blessed to share Cockpits with Men like Perry and so many others we know and served alongside.