A soldier from Stafford who was “the right person in the right place at the right time” has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Sammy Al-Khaldi was the only Arabic speaker in his unit as troops worked to evacuate some 3,000 people from war-torn Sudan in April 2023. At short notice, WO2 Al-Khaldi was on the first plane into Port Sudan as a member of Colchester-based 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.
The father-of-four’s citation says: “WO2 Al-Khaldi successfully negotiated with Sudanese air traffic control when their Armed Forces refused permission for an aircraft carrying the Operational Reconnaissance and Liaison Team to land. Without his intervention, there would have been no UK military presence in the area.”
WO2 Al-Khaldi, 37, said: “To receive an MBE is totally unexpected and I was quite overwhelmed when I was told. It’s almost too big to describe how proud I feel.” A Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers vehicle mechanic by trade, WO2 Al-Khaldi is currently posted to 3 PARA as Artificer Quarter Master Sergeant responsible for checking the standard of vehicle repairs.
His father is Jordanian, and he grew up speaking Arabic. He said: “It was about 36 hours from being in Colchester to finding myself negotiating with Sudanese air traffic control.
“I had flown into Cyprus expecting to be doing my job, but asan Arabic speaker the Commanding Officer said he wanted me in the advance party. I’d just put my bag down and picked it up again to get back on an aircraft.
“It was all quite surreal and a whirlwind, but I was just the right person in the right place at the right time.” The citation continues: “He was also fundamental to negotiating the use of the Coral Hotel as the Evacuee Handling Centre, where his language skills marked him out as a target for countless Affected Persons who desperately sought his help.
"His impact was felt by several nations trying to evacuate their citizens." WO2 Al-Khaldi went on to say: “Everything to do with sorting out accommodation, food and transport had to go through me.
“I was incredibly busy and somehow survived on two or three hours sleep a night for the 11 days we were in Sudan. The culture in Sudan is very similar to Jordan and I quickly felt comfortable there and was able to speak to the locals as a fellow Arab, as well as being a British soldier.”
While deployed in Sudan, WO2 Al-Khalid missed a trip to Buckingham Palace to see his wife Lianne presented the British Empire Medal. She had been recognised for services to the community in Stafford during the COVID pandemic, when she set up a group that made scrubs and masks for NHS workers as well as supporting vulnerable people during lockdown.
“It’s nice to be in the honours club with my wife,” WO2 Al-Khaldi quipped. He is one of 13 members of the British Army have been specially selected to receive operational honours and awards for their outstanding achievements, selfless commitment and exceptional bravery.
Armed Forces Operational Awards List Number 61 was published on Saturday (15 June) alongside the King’s Birthday Honours List.
