Soldiers to be decorated for Afghanistan rescue mission

Army personnel who led evacuation of 15,000 people from Kabul will be rewarded for their bravery

“Given the strategic nature of the operation, the intensity of the tactical situation, the risk to the forces ... this seems absolutely appropriate”

SOLDIERS who led the Afghanistan rescue mission are to be awarded medals after a Daily Telegraph campaign.

Last year this newspaper revealed that military personnel who risked their lives in Operation Pitting would not be given medals because the two-week evacuation effort did not reach the stipulated 30 days continuous’ service for which they are awarded.

Sources previously warned that amending the criteria “could become an issue for the medallic recognition processes in the longer term”.

However, The Daily Telegraph understands that the Queen has now signed off on plans presented to her by the Government which state there should be medallic recognition for all those involved in rescuing 15,000 people. It is understood soldiers will be awarded the medals next month, although an exact date has not yet been given.

Details as to what the medal will look like have yet to be confirmed. However it was previously suggested that a clasp with the words “Kabul evacuation” could be added to the current Afghanistan medal, while younger soldiers who had not previously served there would be awarded the medal in its entirety with the new clasp.

More than 1,000 military personnel were involved in the evacuation, made up predominantly with paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Army’s global response force.

The Paras were the first to land in Kabul in August last year as the country fell to the Taliban, marking the end of the 20-year military campaign. Sir John Lorimer, the former Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment, said the news was “absolutely marvellous”.

“Given the strategic nature of the operation, the intensity of the tactical situation, the risk to the forces and the horrendous circumstances on the ground, this seems absolutely appropriate,” he said.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment were also involved in the mission and worked alongside the Joint Force Headquarters, the Royal Air Force, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and UK Border Force to ensure the safe passage of British nationals and former British staff eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

During the mission soldiers from 2 Para in Afghanistan sent diary entries to The Daily Telegraph where they revealed the surrealness of effectively being on “joint patrol” with the Taliban who killed their friends.

Meanwhile, in his first interview following the mission, Brigadier James Martin, the former Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, told this newspaper that British soldiers “cannot unsee” the horrors of Kabul and warned they would need help to recover from the “harrowing” deployment.