A HALL Green soldier has become the first recipient of an army award which recognises excellence in the junior ranks.
Corporal Luke O’Neill, a Section Commander with B Company, 1st Battalion, The Rifles (1 Rifles), was handed The Fitzgibbon Award at a special ceremony at Sandhurst.
The Fitzgibbon Award is a new Army-wide accolade that recognises exceptional performance at junior rank level – Private to Corporal – and is named after the youngest-ever Victoria Cross recipient.
General Sir Roly Walker, chief of the General Staff, and the Army Sergeant Major presented an engraved commemorative watch, in a presentation case with a signed citation, to Corporal O’Neill at the Royal Military Academy.
Cpl O’Neill was chosen from 25 nominations within 1st (UK) Division alone, underlining the impact he has had within his battalion.
The infantry soldier was at home with his four-year-old daughter when he received the call from the Army Sergeant Major giving him the news about the award.
Major Alex Aitken, Officer Commanding of B Company, 1 Rifles, said: “B Company are so proud of Cpl O’Neill for being the first recipient of the prestigious Fitzgibbon Award, it is truly well deserved for his tireless efforts.
“Humble, compassionate and selflessly committed to his Riflemen, he is exactly the sort of soldier worthy of recognition and a fine example of the Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (JNCOs) that make the British Army one of the best in the world.”
Cpl O’Neill joined the Army in 2015, having worked in a range of roles, mainly within construction.
He began his military career with 2 Rifles in Northern Ireland, before passing through Infantry Training Centre in Catterick.
Alongside his role as a commander, the 31-year-old has become a drone specialist within the battalion.
His interest in technology began before joining the Army, having studied software programming at Solihull College and University Centre, which enabled him to specialise in drone technology, attending training with the Royal Artillery Surveillance and Target Acquisition unit in 2021.
Since then, he has supported the integration of drone capability at battalion level.
Cpl O’Neill said: “Understanding how we use drones also helps you understand how the enemy might use them.
“It gives you a massive advantage when you’re trying to anticipate the next move.”
Looking ahead, Cpl O’Neill hopes the award will support future promotion and his aspiration to become an instructor at Sandhurst.
He is now preparing to deploy on Exercise Rhino Storm in Germany.
