On Thursday 13th December Commander Stafford Allan (Sam) Seward MBE Royal Navy attended Buckingham Palace to receive an OBE from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for operations conducted in South Arabia.  This was the second occasion Sam had been honoured on the Operational Honours list; the former being the MBE for operations in Sierra Leone in 2001.  Sam said ‘this is a fantastic honour, the first time was incredible, but no one expects to be honoured for a second time’, more importantly it is recognition for what the UK armed forces do best, ‘instil hope and security in unstable areas today, to provide for a better tomorrow.   Although unable to disclose full details of the operation due to security reasons, he added that the period had been intense and extremely hard work, in what can only be described as a harsh, unforgiving environment, but one where a small team had achieved a significant impact and the honour bestowed was very much attributable to the professionalism of the team as a whole.  Part of his citation read:

‘Working almost continuously to maximise the impact of the UK team in an area of known hostilities and formidable climate, Seward is an inspirational leader who has performed beyond the very highest expectations.  His unselfishness, vision and unswerving devotion to succeed and ability to provide nothing but excellence has been an inspiration to all, and provides a bench mark for all others to aspire to’.  

Educated at Kilmington Primary & Axe Valley Community College, Sam joined the Royal Navy in 1975 and gained his commission in 1992.  Since 2000 he has been involved in overseas forward operations which have meant long periods away from his family. He ended by saying ‘I dedicate my award to the fantastic support and team spirit of the lads I have had the honour to command, and to my wife Diane, whom without I would never have achieved so much’.  

I would also like to add my thanks to people of Kilmington for their very kind support and messages of congratulations.