FLIGHT COMMANDER AWARDED QCVS

FLIGHT Commander's unstinting efforts to help those devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria earn her Queens Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS).

Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) Amy Gilmore’s Wildcat Flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, was embarked in RFA Mounts Bay in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma smashed through the Caribbean closely followed by Hurricane Maria.

Lt Cdr Gilmore when hearing the news that she had been awarded the QCVS;

“I’m absolutely delighted, and humbled, to be recognised with such a prestigious award. Op RUMAN was extremely challenging, heart breaking and exhausting for all involved and it’s down to the professionalism and determination of the guys and girls from 216 and 213 Flights, and of course our fellow shipmates from RFA Mounts Bay, that we were able to help so many people. This was an outstanding team effort for which I will always be extremely grateful and proud.

I often think about our friends in the affected British Overseas Territories and I’m so relieved that this year’s hurricane season was kind to them.”

Lt Cdr Gilmore as the Flight Commander/Observer of 216 Wildcat Flight (navigator/weapons and sensors specialist) ran a dozen-strong team of air and ground crew maintaining and operating the state-of-the-art Wildcat helicopter embarked in support ship RFA Mounts Bay part of the first response and immediate aid effort.

The helicopter flew 90 hours of missions during Operation Ruman – codename for the UK armed forces’ response to the storms; it was often first on the scene in the aftermath of the storms, delivering 37 tonnes of aid to inaccessible areas, evacuating medical emergencies, flying in 16 tonnes of water, 3 tonnes of food and rescued 1 adult and two children from a capsized boat.

Congratulations to Lt Commander Amy Gilmore