Queen's Birthday Honours: BFBS staff recognised for services to UK forces overseas

Two members of staff at BFBS, the parent charity of Forces News, have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, along with one of the charity's Trustees.

Indraprasad Limbu (known to everyone as Indra), a Broadcast Technician, receives the British Empire Medal and Paul Wright, a former Station Manager, is made an MBE. Howard Perlin, a long-serving Trustee of BFBS and its Vice-Chairman, is also made an MBE.

Indra and Paul receive their awards for services to UK forces welfare through television and radio broadcasting in Afghanistan.

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From December 2008 to May 2021, Indra was deployed to Afghanistan for a total of 2,462 days to support BFBS TV and radio services for Operation HERRICK and Operation TORAL.

Indra said: "I am very honoured to receive this award and I am grateful to BFBS for providing an opportunity to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 "I would like to thank my family, especially my wife, for supporting me on many years of deployment tours in operational areas."

David Ramsay, BFBS' Head of International Operations, said: "Often operating in austere and hazardous conditions, Indra selflessly delivered an outstanding service to ensure television and radio services were available at multiple locations across Helmand province.

"To provide these essential services, he lived a peripatetic lifestyle, travelling extensively across Helmand province to provide the services that kept British troops informed and entertained, providing that vital link with home. It is safe to say that troop morale was always far higher after his visit, than it had been before."

Paul Wright spent 1,801 days in Afghanistan between August 2009 and May 2021.

He developed a patch of empty desert floor at UK Joint Operating Base Bastion into a radio and television broadcast complex that provided seven hours of live radio programming each day, live television news reports and living accommodation for 14 personnel.

Mr Ramsay said: "BFBS deployed far further forward than other civilian contractor support staff, and this was because Paul Wright developed risk assessments and safety procedures to allow technicians and journalists to work outside base perimeters, delivering broadcasts and supporting delivery of programming to UK and Coalition Forces across Afghanistan."

Both Indra and Paul continue to support BFBS International Operations around the world. Indra is an International Operations Support Technician and Paul is an International Operations Engineer.

Howard Perlin, a Chartered Accountant who has been a BFBS Trustee since 1994, played a key role in restructuring the charity, using his financial expertise, and helping develop it to become the powerful force for good which it is today. He also reshaped the charity’s governance arrangements, setting up committees dealing with Audit, Investment, Nomination and Remuneration.

The Chairman of BFBS, Maj Gen Chris Wilson CB CBE, said: "Everyone associated with BFBS will be absolutely delighted to learn that Howard Perlin, Paul Wright and Indraprasad Limbu have been recognised in the Birthday Honours List 2022. Not only is this thoroughly well-deserved national recognition for their outstanding service to the charity but also a testament to the high esteem in which BFBS is held."

Simon Bucks, the Chief Executive of BFBS, said: "It's marvellous that three BFBS people have all been honoured at the same time, especially in this special Platinum Jubilee Year. Everyone at BFBS will take pride in the fact that the work we do for the Armed Forces every day has been recognised by Her Majesty."