Just days after returning home from the dust and heat of Afghanistan, members of the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group — including men and women based at Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot — have been honoured.
More than 90 soldiers from the Didcot-based 11 EOD Regiment, Royal Logistic Corp, and 58 Field Squadron (EOD), part of 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD), who together formed the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, marched on to the parade square at Carver Barracks, Wimbish, Essex, to be receive their Operation Herrick campaign medals.
The soldiers were responsible for finding and disposing of explosive ordnance and improvised explosive devices in Helmand Province.
In their six month deployment they dealt with more than 1,400 reported incidents, ranging from the disposal of Taliban weapon caches to improvised explosive devices.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “It is without doubt the actions of the Joint Force EOD Group have saved the lives of many soldiers and the civilian population over the past six months.”
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