Sapper Adam Oxley

Adam Oxley joined the Army in 2009 after attending Gillbrook Academy.

Sapper Oxley has deployed on two tours of Afghanistan with 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault), where he worked as the Resources Yard Commander within Task Force Helmand (TFH).

In 2014 he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for his role in charge of stock and ability to deliver force protection measures, a role usually fulfilled by a more senior soldier.

On one occasion an attack by insurgents on a patrol base caused the destruction of a 60-metre-section of perimeter wall. Spr Oxley worked through the night to organise the preparation and dispatch of material and equipment so the wall could be quickly repaired and reinforced.

He was also responsible for reconditioning and upgrading sangars for use in other parts of the country. This was vital work that saved both time and money as new sangars would have had to be shipped from the UK at considerable cost.

Spr Oxley said: “This award means a lot to me but it is totally unexpected as I don’t think I did anything extraordinary on tour. I was covering a sergeant’s job for a long period, but I had experience and confidence from my first Afghan tour and the support of a hard-working team.

“When the wall was breached it was a real rush job to sort out what was needed to repair it and fly it forward as quickly as possible. I was working in the relative safety of Camp Bastion and you feel obliged to put the extra effort in to make sure soldiers out in more dangerous places are protected.”

Spr Oxley’s citation states: “Oxley’s relentless drive, often working through the night to get the best out of those he commands, has in large part ensured the continued success of the Force Protection Engineering operations. He has demonstrated a maturity and capacity well beyond his rank which has allowed him to develop engineer logistics and broker vital links between TFH and the Joint Force Support (Afghanistan).”

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British Army Press Release Dated 21 March 2014