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Royal Navy officers receive NATO’s highest decoration for work on ops
8 August 2024
Two Royal Navy officers have been decorated by NATO for their services to allied efforts to keep the seas safe and secure.
Lieutenant Commanders Matthew Harvey and Rob Garner were both assigned to NATO task groups, sharing their expertise with senior NATO officers to help them direct the operations of two of the alliance’s principal task forces.
Its Meritorious Service Medal is the highest decoration, presented to personnel whose service to the NATO’s cause has been particularly distinguished.
NATO operates four task groups 24/7/365 – two dedicated to mine warfare, two dedicated to broader maritime security – which can be found either in northern European waters or the Mediterranean.
Lt Cdr Harvey deployed with Standing Maritime Group 1 – a force of typically around half a dozen frigates/destroyers which patrol the Baltic/North Sea/Atlantic – as its operations officer, advising Germany’s Rear Admiral Thorsten Marx.
He was part of a multi-national staff working with the admiral aboard flagship FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on a demanding deployment (the task group spent three in every four days at sea).
The award of my NATO MSM was a proud moment for both myself and my family, without whom I would not have felt so confident in my job.
“Whilst a demanding role, it was incredibly professionally rewarding to work with officers and ratings from so many NATO member states, and I would strongly recommend that anyone afforded the opportunity to serve in a NATO position grasps what will be an exciting and challenging opportunity,” he said.
“The award of my NATO MSM was a proud moment for both myself and my family, without whom I would not have felt so confident in my job.”
Meanwhile in the eastern Mediterranean, Lieutenant Commander Rob Garner served with two allied vessels, offering his experience as the task force’s expert in anti-submarine warfare to the commander of Standing Maritime Group 2, firstly aboard the Italian frigate ITS Carlo Margottini, then moving to the USS Forrest Sherman, an Arleigh Burke destroyer.
“I’m very proud to receive the NATO MSM,” he said. “My time at sea with the NATO staffs was a really rewarding professional and personal experience.
“I’d recommend a NATO operational tour to anyone serving in the Royal Navy who wants to challenge themselves in unfamiliar environments and get the chance to work closely with our allies.”
Both officers received their medals from Vice Admiral Mike Utley, Commander NATO Maritime Command at MARCOM HQ in Northwood.