Medals awarded to Yorks soldiers for deployments, long service and bravery
Five hundred members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Yorkshire Regiment, have received service medals for a range of operations and military service.
Among them were 70 soldiers who had their operational tour extended – at short notice – by three months, which meant families went without loved ones at Christmas.
Paying tribute to them, Lieutenant Colonel Ed Lyons, Commanding Officer, praised their "willingness and readiness" to remain in Iraq for the additional months.
Alongside awarding medals for Op Shader, Major General Zac Stenning, colonel of the regiment and current commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, also awarded operational medals for Op Elgin – the UK's enduring commitment to support Nato in Kosovo.
Other personnel were awarded medals marking the King's Coronation, Accumulative Service, and Long Service and Good Conduct (LSGC).
In a moment of recognition to the families of those who serve, the wives of the men awarded LSGC medals were also presented with bouquets of flowers by the battalion's commanding officer, Ed Lyons.
One soldier on parade, Warrant Officer Class 2 (CSM) Ryan Hearn, was awarded three medals as he had deployed on both Op Shader and Op Elgin, and also qualified for the King's Coronation medal.
When he deployed to Iraq in June 2023, his son Huey was just two months old.
Talking to Forces News, the sergeant major said the tempo of operations had been difficult for his wife, Lauren.
"My son was born during pre-deployment training for Iraq. I then deployed within two months of him being born.
"It was difficult for my wife. Bringing a little baby up is difficult without the full support of her husband."
The contributions of family members like Lauren were emphasised by Lieutenant Colonel Lyons, who also spoke to Forces News.
"Throughout the Shader deployment we've had really close engagement with the families. I was personally talking to them and informing them about what was going on," he said.
"Whilst they were subsequently extended, we provided support through the welfare team as best we could to reassure them, and particularly through Christmas, to wrap our arms around them as a family regiment.
"We, the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, are a county regiment who are very much a family."
There was a special commendation presented to a soldier who had demonstrated exceptional bravery during an animal attack in Kenya.
Private 'Zeke' Gledhill's actions during the incident in October 2022, which involved a large wild elephant that charged at him and a colleague, were described as being pivotal to saving another soldier's life.
For his quick thinking and bravery that night, Zeke was recognised with a commendation from the Chief of the General Staff.
Saturday's medals parade was followed by a families day, which included live music, a barbecue and children's entertainment. The battalion is currently preparing for a large scale exercise on Salisbury Plain.
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