Army Major awarded prestigious honour for commitment to Combat Stress
Congratulations to Major Eammon Coogan MBE, Cadet Executive Officer of the Royal County of Berkshire Army Cadet Force, who was awarded the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate for Meritorious service at a ceremony in Sandhurst Military Academy on 29 September.
This prestigious award, which ranks second to the King’s Honours List, gives public recognition to staff and members of the Reserve and Cadet Forces.
Major Coogan was recognised for his longstanding commitment and tireless fundraising for Combat Stress and leading the Berkshire Army Cadet Force since 2014. He served for 32 years with the Royal Irish Rangers/Regiment and then 3 years with the United Kingdom Special Forces Reserve.
Reflecting on his award, Eammon said: “As a veteran of some 35 years there are many mental health conditions that Combat Stress can help with, be it my own anxiety of having to join the civilian population, to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that many veterans have to deal with in later life. Being nominated and receiving the Lord Lieutenants Meritorious Service Award for me enables me to raise the profile of Combat Stress within the community as many people simply do not understand the unseen injuries that our veterans face”
His testimonial recognised, amongst many other skills, his exceptional leadership, charitable endeavours and maintaining an effective youth organisation in the midst of a once in a lifetime pandemic.
Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress, said: “Our volunteers are such an important part of the Combat Stress community and their support and dedication is such an inspiration to me and colleagues across the charity. Congratulations to Eammon on receiving such a prestigious award, which is richly deserved.”
