Officers and soldiers from 7th Infantry Brigade & HQ East, also known as the Desert Rats, received a commemorative medal to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The medal, which signifies the thanks of a nation, follows the tradition of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilees, with the first one being awarded to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign in 1887.

The Platinum Medal features an image of the Queen with the Latin inscription 'Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fid Def' which translates as 'Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'

The medal was awarded to service men and women who have been in the forces for five or more years.

The Commander of 7th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Guy Foden, presented the medals. He said: "Awarding any medal is an honour and the Platinum Jubilee Medal is no different. It is a mark of dedication and everyone receiving the medal should be proud of their achievements and service to their country. The Desert Rats submit their warmest congratulations to Her Majesty, whose public service to our country is an inspiration to us all."

The Brigadier's own Jubilee Medal was presented to him by Private Arron Walker (24), who was the most junior soldier on parade. Arron who works in Military Transport said: "I was highly honoured to be selected to present the Jubilee Medal to our Brigade Commander. It's not very often you hear about a Private presenting a medal to a Brigadier."

He added: "It's unlikely there will be another Platinum Jubilee, so it's been nice to be a part of history with the added bonus of presenting the medal."

Six Army personnel who have together completed over 95 years of service were also awarded their Long Service and Good Conduct Medal or clasp in recognition of their years of loyal and exemplary service.

Once again highlighting their outstanding service, the 2nd Royal Anglian troops sorted and packed 84,000 surplus helmets to send to the Ukrainian military in March 2022.

The 2nd Royal Anglian troops are a Light Mechanised Infantry Battalion, who are recruited from across the counties of the East of England and East Midlands including Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northampton, Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire.

Find out more about this endeavour here.

Congratulations to all troops involved in these achievements and may they continue to have a prosperous 2022.