ENERGETIC ARMY RESERVES TRAINER HONOURED AT HILLSBOROUGH

An energetic Army Reserves trainer has been honoured at a formal ceremony at Hillsborough Castle.

Ballymena man, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Ian McKeown, received the Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate for Outstanding Meritorious Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, one of the highest accolades that can be conferred on members of the Reserve Forces and Cadet movement. 

Warrant Officer McKeown was recognised for having given more than thirty years of ‘loyal, dedicated and committed service’ to the Army Reserves in Northern Ireland and for the contribution he now makes as Company Sergeant Major of Somme Company for the Army Training Unit (Northern Ireland) based at Ballykinler. 

The Citation which accompanies his award charts a number of outstanding successes, highlighting in particular service as a specialist Training Wing Instructor at the Regional Training Centre where he taught Defence Instructional Techniques to potential Army Reserve instructors; as an instructor at Queens University Officer Training Corps where he taught and mentored Officer Cadets, as well as overseas deployment to Uganda and support of numerous exercises throughout the UK and Europe.

Throughout his tenure as CSM, WO2 McKeown has guided and assisted two Company Commanders and for the past year has stepped up to act as Company Second in Command, in addition to his own role.  

The Citation concludes, “He has really delivered … and goes above and beyond what is expected of someone in his role.  A very real example of a quality Reservist, …. he rarely misses any training being run at this unit and leads by personal example.”

Congratulating Warrant Officer McKeown and presenting him with the Certificate which marks his achievement is Mrs Joan Christie, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the County of Antrim.