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Prestigious Romanian Medal awarded to RAF personnel

Flight Lieutenant Turner and 5 of his RAF colleagues on NATO Air Policing duties have been awarded the prestigious Romanian Emblem of Honour medal by the Chief of the Romanian Air Staff, Major General Baraboi. The medal recognises professionalism and collaboration with the Romanian Air Force.

Flight Lieutenant Turner standing in the hangar with a Typhoon behind him, holding his certificate and medal.

The medals were awarded at a formal ceremony to mark the successful completion of the RAF’s 4-month air policing mission. The medals highlight the strong bilateral relationship between the RAF and the Romanian Air Force within the NATO alliance.

Medal and certificate, propped up on a table.

Flight Lieutenant Turner is the Detachment Armament Officer (DArmO), responsible for managing explosives safety and providing advice on explosive risk management. The DArmO also leads a team of Armourers who handle the storage, preparation and delivery of armaments to the RAF Typhoons.

“Receiving the Emblem of Honour fills me with immense gratitude, and I attribute this achievement to the exceptional efforts of my team of Armourers, as well as the continuous support and trust from both my chain of command and the armaments experts back in the UK.

Working with our Romanian and other NATO partners has been a fantastic experience, offering an amazing opportunity to learn from each other’s differing Armament Engineering practices, permitting us to further enhance the RAF’s ability to fly and fight."

Flight Lieutenant Turner

The five other recipients of the medal on 140 Expeditionary Air Wing were:

  • Squadron Leader Kiernan – Chief of Staff
  • Squadron Leader Monaghan – IX (B) Squadron Executive Officer
  • Flying Officer Greenwood –Intelligence Officer
  • Sergeant Rowlands –Mechanical Transport Officer
  • Sergeant Jackson – Physical Training Instructor

The RAF has conducted this NATO Air Policing mission from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Constanta in Romania near the Black Sea coast. NATO Air Policing is an enduring mission dating back to 1961. It ensures the integrity, safety, and security of the NATO airspace.

Flight Lieutenant Turner being awarded his medal by Chief of the Romanian Air Staff, Major General Baraboi

Air policing is part of NATO’s assurance measures introduced in 2014. The Alliance started implementing these assurance measures with the goal to demonstrate the collective resolve of Allies, demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO and deter Russia from aggression against NATO Allies.

The successful 4-month RAF deployment has now concluded, and the Spanish Air Force will take over the role from Romania.