Airborne engineers decorated for Sinai peacekeeping mission

Airborne engineers have been presented with the Multinational Force and Observers Medal in recognition of their construction work on a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula.

Some 100 troops from 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, part of Woodbridge-based 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment, deployed to the Sinai between March and June 2016 to update infrastructure at bases used by the MFO, a non-UN multinational peacekeeping organisation.

The sappers renewed the MFO’s bases’ protective walls and checkpoints and carried out electrical and plumbing work on accommodation blocks. A particularly important task was installing air conditioning units to make the harsh desert environment more bearable, with temperatures peaking at 42°C.

The MFO was created by an agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel to monitor the terms of the 1979 Treaty of the Peace and continues to make an important contribution to peace and stability in the region.

The troops were presented with the MFO Medal by Brigadier John Ridge, Commander of 8 Engineer Brigade, at a parade at Rock Barracks today *Tue 27 Jun*.

Major Dave Stead, who led the deployment, was awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service. He said: “This deployment was three months of hard work in arduous conditions that tested all of our engineering skills, requiring real flexibility, initiative and creativity. The camps in the Sinai were designed and built in the late 1970s and we updated the infrastructure to enable the MFO to carry out its challenging mission in a difficult part of the world. I am hugely proud to have commanded a fantastic bunch of men and women who did fantastic work in the Sinai.”

Lance Corporal Ricky Senior, 31 from Ripon, was in charge of bricklaying and concreting. He said: “Getting out on an operation and using our trade skills was a great opportunity. We laid more than 2,500 blocks in extreme heat, and it was real back breaking work. As a Squadron, we’ve developed because we’ve learnt a lot about each other, how everyone works and how our different jobs fit together.”

During their time with the MFO the sappers worked alongside peacekeepers from across the world, including USA, Uruguay, Colombia, Fiji and Canada.

Sapper Jack Fullard, 22 from Plymouth, said: “It was a very interesting experience to go out and work with the MFO and mix with all the different nationalities and learn about them. Personally, I only arrived at the Squadron in January and we deployed in late February so it was great to get involved in an operation so soon to get to know the lads and show them what I can do.”