Sergeant Prakash Bhandari, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Sergeant Bhandari is commended for his outstanding leadership as acting Company Sergeant Major of A Company, The Second Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei during an outbreak of the COVID Delta variant that rapidly escalated into a harsh national lockdown and resulted in hospitals becoming overwhelmed.
His company led British Forces Brunei’s relief effort and immediate response in setting up a rapid testing and tracing programme at multiple locations together with the support to several large-scale vaccination centres.
Under his leadership, purpose and control were brought to the deteriorating situation in Kuala Belait, and in three days of his engagement waiting times at the hospital had decreased by half, order had been re-established and the queuing systems had become safer, with the risk of virus spread reduced significantly, His calmness under pressure, his stoic delivery and exemplary performance are most deserving of his formal recognition.
