At the Installation Banquet held on 24th October in Grocers’ Hall, the Master Nicola Cohen presented the
Worshipful Company of Arbitrators 2024 Blondie Swales award for Number 622 Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron to Master Aircrew ZZ (name anonymised).
The citation for the 2024 award:
This month sees Master Aircrew ZZ having completed 41 years of service to the Royal Air Force.
Having joined the RAF in 1983, he initially trained as an Airframe and Propulsion Technician. In the early 90’s he retrained into the aircrew profession as an Air Engineer. Operating on the Hercules aircraft he managed to accrue an impressive 6449 flying hours, operating in nearly every UK military operation over 25 years. In this time he achieved the prestigious rank of Warrant Officer and was an aircrew instructor for 20 years.
Apart from his military operational awards, he has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. On completion of his flying career, he moved into running the RAF Air Mobility Tasking Centre, prior to becoming an Electronic Warfare Officer within the Air Mobility Force helping to design equipment and train aircrew to operate safely in hostile environments.
Joining the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and 622 Squadron in 2020, he took up the role of Human Factors Training Manager for the RAF Air Mobility Force from previous Blondie Swales award winner Squadron Leader Stu Avent. This role involves training which enables the optimisation of both systems and individuals to improve performance, safety management, operational effectiveness and staff well-being. Not only with responsibility for the organisation of approximately 120 courses training 1400 people annually, ZZ has personally carried out over 50 courses training 700 people this year. An impressive stat, however he has also over the last 2 years, personally trained over 10% of the entire RAF.
ZZ has also qualified as a coach and mentor and obtained qualifications in ‘training and education’ and ‘strategic management’. This training has been put to good use both within and outside of the RAF across a range of topics. Of particular note, he ran team cohesion sessions with the England U21 & Bath Rugby teams as well as helping design and run a 5-day RAF leadership course for potential RAF officers in the Brecon Beacons which has resulted in him to volunteer as a mentor to Women in Defence. This last year, his work led to the winner of an award specifically mentioning him by name for the ‘support and leadership expertise he was able to share’ and ‘the time he dedicated to me’.
ZZ’s leadership and teamwork throughout his military career has been exemplary but none more so than when on 622 Squadron. I am therefore pleased to announce that for his excellent contribution to his country, Defence and 622 Squadron, Master Aircrew ZZ is wholly worthy of receiving this year’s Blondie Swales award. I now invite ZZ to receive his award from the Master.