A Petty Officer Aircrewman from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose has been awarded a Special Endeavour award for her high standards and professionalism on 824 Naval Air Squadron.

Petty Officer Aircrewman Shona Smith (37) from Helston picked up her special award from Captain Ade Orchard OBE Commanding Officer of RNAS Culdrose, at a ceremony attended by her friends and colleagues from the Air Station.

Shona receives the prestigious award for her time at 824 NAS where she has displayed competence on both the Flight line and the Merlin Training Facility locations. Despite often working under significant time and resource pressures she consistently maintains a sense of humour and engenders morale around her, underlining how her personal qualities have in no small way contributed to the squadron and Culdrose output. Her extremely high standard of work ethic and professionalism added to her considerable knowledge makes her one of the most highly qualified Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircrewman within the Fleet (certainly with respect to Advanced Acoustic Analysis) and her skill sets have enabled her to undertake roles and responsibilities within 824 Squadron, in excess of that expected of a Petty Officer.

“I am very pleased to award the RNAS Culdrose Award for Special Endeavour (CASE) to PO Shona Smith, who has made a particularly valuable contribution to Culdrose and the Royal Navy as a whole,” said Capt Ade Orchard OBE. “Her tireless efforts to improve the duty of care to those requiring maternity and paternity management as well as showing initiative to support individuals, both at work and the care for those still on maternity leave is admirable.”

Setting herself the task of focussing on individuals, has required flexibility and adaptability in dealing with various military (Culdrose and Navy Command) and civilian departments, not least of which locally have included liaison with community midwifery and GP practices in Helston, Porthleven, Penryn and Falmouth. It has often presented her with the difficult challenge of promoting co-operation between military and civilian organisations, to act in a more intertwined and holistic manner. Furthermore, the dedication she has shown towards charity work in general and in particular the liaison with 824 NAS local affiliated charity - ‘Heidi’s Quest’ - marks her out as someone worthy of recognition.

On receiving the award Shona said, “I am very honoured to receive this award. As a Senior Rate, my intent was to enable a service for maternity and paternity care at RNAS Culdrose, providing support for participants, line managers and divisional officers which in turn encourages retention of new parents within the Royal Navy.”