BANGOR RESERVIST HONOURED AT HILLSBOROUGH

Staff Sergeant Alan Smith is praised in his Award Citation for the far reaching contribution which he has made to the Army Reserve, both at home in Bangor and on deployment overseas.

While on Op HERRICK to Afghanistan in 2012, on attachment to 21 Engineer Regiment, he assumed the role of  a Deployable Engineer Workshop Manager, performing  well over the course of a tough, yet rewarding, deployment and ably  demonstrating the ability for Reservists to contribute positively on operations. 

In addition to serving in Afghanistan he has deployed in role on exercises throughout the world with the Squadron. Of particular note was Exercise GOLDEN COYOTE in South Dakota, where he worked alongside the US National Guard, plus the Canadian and Danish military in 2015. More recently, Staff Sergeant Smith deployed with the Squadron to Belize on Exercise MAYAN STAR 18 where his expertise came to the forefront as he helped with the running and management of essential vehicles. Despite arduous conditions he was able to maintain and fix key vehicles throughout his time on exercise. 

He has also been instrumental in success of numerous Support Troop tasks throughout his time in the Squadron, including the construction of a carpark at Queen’s University Officer Training Corps, a mountain bike track at Palace Barracks, a demolitions range at Magiligan Training Centre, a memorial garden at Thiepval Barracks, a huge Bulk Fuel Installation at Aldergrove and the driver training track at Ballykinler.  

Staff Sergeant Smith was promoted in 2015 to his current rank and maintains a keen interest in Adventure Training and Fitness. In recent years he has been on expeditions to both Spain and Belize. 

His Award Citation concludes, “Staff Sergeant Smith is a model Reserve soldier,  able to perform at all levels.  From serving in Afghanistan on Operations himself, to training other members of the Squadron for Operations and leading on real life construction tasks throughout Northern Ireland and further afield, all while holding down a full-time civilian job and a busy family life, show why he is an example of what Reserve Soldiers can achieve.”