Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Jayandra Garbuja - Meritorious Service Medal

Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Jayandra Garbuja has been awarded a Meritorious Service Medal on the New Years Honours List 2025.

He is the third generation of his family to serve in the British Army. He enlisted into the Brigade of Gurkhas on 21 January 2002, where he was recognized as the overall best potential recruit. Upon completing recruit training, he joined the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (QGE). In April 2003, he excelled on the Combat Engineer Class 3 course at 3 Royal School of Military Engineering, finishing first and receiving the prestigious award for Overall Combat Champion Sapper.

WO1 Garbuja deployed on his first operational tour to Iraq during Operation TELIC 4 as a troop Sapper. Upon his return, he participated in Exercise NORTHERN QUEST in Norway in July 2005 as a key tradesman. In 2006, he completed the Potential Non-Commissioned Officers Course at 36 Engineer Regiment, achieving 3rd place out of 50 candidates and earning promotion to Lance Corporal Cpl off the square.

In 2007, WO1 Garbuja deployed to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK 7 as a Section Second in Command. Following his return, he attended the All Arms Commando Course, where his exceptional performance was highlighted by being awarded both the Commando Medal and the Achnacarry Award, becoming the first individual to receive both honours. In 2009, he completed the Military Engineering (Bricklayer and Concreting) Class 1 course, earning top student distinction and the Bricklayer of the Year award. In December 2010, he posted to the Infantry Training Centre Catterick as a Section Commander. He was awarded the Commandant’s Trophy in 2012 and promoted to Corporal. Under his leadership, his section became Champion Section of intake 2013. While at Gurkha Company Catterick in 2014, he attended the Platoon Sergeant’s Battle Course, becoming the first from individual from QGE to achieve an A grade and earning a recommendation to serve as an instructor at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon.

In 2016, WO1 Garbuja completed the All Arms Parachute Course, becoming the oldest participant to pass. As a Platoon Sergeant in Catterick, his leadership earned his Platoon the Champion Platoon award, and he personally received the Role Model Trophy. From 2017 to 2018, he served on Operation TOSCA with 61 Field Support Squadron as a Platoon Sergeant and on Operation TRENTON with 20 Field Squadron as Troop Staff Sergeant, managing UK forces to deliver security and force engineering.

In 2020, WO1 Garbuja returned to Gurkha Company Catterick as a Warrant Officer Class Two, where he assisted in refining and delivering the 39-week Combat Infantry Course Gurkha. He coordinated resources for 165 trainees and instructors and also assumed the role of Platoon Commander, demonstrating exceptional management, coaching, and mentoring skills.

A career highlight for WO1 Garbuja was serving as Squadron Sergeant Major in the only Hybrid (UKTAP/QGE) Royal Engineer Field Squadron, laying the groundwork for the establishment of 67 Gurkha Field Squadron, where his late father had served. This role provided him with a deeper understanding of UK soldiers’ discipline, welfare needs, and leadership challenges.

In 2022, WO1 Garbuja was promoted to WO1, becoming the first WO1 in 34 years in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers. In July 2023, he was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of the Gurkha Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion, where he is responsible for the integration of multinational personnel from across all Services, operating in support of NATO.