Naval officer from north Northumberland receives service accolade

Sarah Kirk, from Duddo, near Etal, is a Leading Engineering Technician (Communications and Information Systems).

She was presented with the Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate for Meritorious Service by Susan Winfield, Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, in a ceremony at the Army Reserve Centre in Seaburn.

It is awarded to members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces for service that deserves high praise and commendation.

Sarah joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1998, initially based at HMS Dalriada in Greenock before transferring to HMS Calliope in Gateshead in 2005.

She has been mobilised for full-time service on multiple occasions including eight months at sea in the Arabian Gulf on Op Telic, for which she was awarded the Iraq Medal and most recently, seven months in Bahrain in support of Op Kipion.