According to the Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces personnel that participated in the rescue of Afghans from more than 15,000 in Afghanistan in August 2021 will receive a medal in recognition of their efforts.
The Operational Service Medal Afghanistan will be given to personnel. It includes a clasp that reads ‘Operation Pitting’ and is meant to acknowledge their contributions in the evacuation of Afghan nationals as well as British citizens.
Personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force evacuated more than 15,000 persons during this effort.
All personnel will be presented with the Operational Service Medal Afghanistan. This medal has a new clasp that says ‘Operation Pitting.
Pictured is a full flight consisting of 265 persons, supported by the UK Armed Forces. It was taken from Kabul Airport in Afghanistan.
During the operation, more than 15,000 people were evacuated from the Royal Navy and British Army by Royal Air Force personnel.
After the Taliban took over the country, 600 soldiers were sent to Kabul to provide food, water and other medical aid to the evacuees.
The Royal Air Force flew the evacuation of Kabul’s refugees out to Kabul in what Defense Secretary Ben Wallace called ‘the largest British evacuation ever since the Second World War.
With 439 passengers, one flight broke the record for most people in an RAF C-17 plane.
“I am delighted Her Majesty the Queen granted permission to award a medal special to those who went to Kabul to honor their courage in facing extreme hardship.
Operation Pitting is a great achievement of both the UK Armed Services (and their civilian counterparts) in post-war times.
“The entire country should be proud of the tireless efforts they have made to get men, children and women safe. They are the best.
Pictured are some of the UK Armed Forces members who participated in evacuation of Afghanistan’s Kabul airport entitled personnel
Wallace described the Armed Forces as a ‘true heroism. Bravery. and devotion’. He added that the security situation was worsening by the hour and that our troops had stepped in and performed the largest British evacuation since World War II. These men and women will receive the right medallic recognition.
“Following approval of Her Majesty, The Queen, they’ll now receive the medallic acknowledgment for their efforts.
John Healey, Shadow Defence Secretary, praised the decision and said: “Troops involved with the Kabul Airlift absolutely deserve a medal. Labour have been arguing this since September.”
“The Military Medal is a fitting tribute to their courage and professionalism. It also reflects the national pride and respect for their service.
Pictured: The evacuation of Afghanistan’s Kabul Airport to entitled personnel by members of the UK Armed Forces
However, the accolades won’t go to everyone who was involved in the evacuation.
In December, the Foreign Office’s top mandarin told shocked MPs he stayed on holiday for 11 days after the dramatic fall of Kabul – and admitted there are ‘lessons to be learned’ from the Afghanistan disaster.
Sir Philip Barton, who was present at a hearing of a committee, revealed that he had been on leave since August 9, and didn’t return until August 26, almost two weeks after the collapse and handing over control to the Taliban.
Sir Philip and Dominic Raab, then Foreign Secretary at the time, were all criticized by the junior civil servant. The witness claimed that they sometimes had to deal with thousands of emails from Taliban fleeing fighters.
Raphael Marshall stated that soldiers were required to work as desk workers in the Foreign Office if officials refused to go overtime and remained at home.
A dossier was submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee. He accused Mr Raab, who was on vacation at the same resort in Crete during the crisis, of trying to undermine rescue efforts and delaying decisions.