Rank:

Sergeant

Awarded on:

September 8th, 1992

"Sergeant Rogers is employed as the Senior Non Commissioned Officer (Air) in the UK Explosive Ordnance Disposal (BOD) Cell in Kuwait City. On 20th June 1991 at 1040 hours he was summoned by a Kuwait police captain to an incident in an Iraqi laid coastal minefield nearby. Responding instantly, Sergeant Rogers arrived with a colleague and assessed the situation. Lying in the middle of scores of densely laid anti-personnel mines were two Kuwaiti boys, both very seriously injured from at least two mine detonations. Both were conscious but had each lost a leg and had multiple lacerations and other injuries. Sergeant Rogers had to act quickly in order to save the boys' lives; he immediately ordered all military and civilian onlookers behind cover and then entered the minefield fastened by a secure line back to Corporal Winter. With complete disregard for his own safety he crawled towards the first casualty and recovered him along the approach route to safety. Without hesitation he entered the minefield again. Now dehydrated in temperatures in excess of 45°C, he breached through more mines past the first position to reach the second casualty. Thinking only of the boy's own safety Sergeant Rogers painstakingly retrieved the boy back along the breached route, between many mines, eventually delivering him to a medical team. In the opinion of the military medical officer on the scene he acted just in time to save the boys' lives. Sergeant Rogers has had no training in minefield breaching and there is no doubt that he placed his own life at very serious risk throughout his action. During the breach he had to locate and move a number of sensitive and powerful mines, even though he did not know whether or not they had anti-disturbance fuses. Sergeant Rogers' courageous and selfless action cannot be praised enough. In a harrowing operation he kept cool and in a most hostile environment he thought only of the welfare of the casualties. His action was typical of his brave and strong character shown throughout his exceptional service in the aftermath of the Gulf War in Kuwait. There is no doubt that his outstanding effort during this incident was in the best traditions of the Service."