Photo By Michael Land | Royal Air Force Cpl. Dan Housden, weapons technician, Patuxent River F-35 Integrated...... read more read more
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NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD -- A Royal Air Force corporal helping integrate United Kingdom weapons on the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft received a longevity award during a flightline ceremony in mid-February at the Patuxent River F-35 Integrated Test Force (PAX ITF) facility here.
RAF Cpl. Daniel Housden, weapons technician, was presented the service’s Long Service and Good Conduct (LSGC) Medal by RAF Group Captain Roger Elliot, head of the Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC), USA Division, Feb. 12, 2024.
Housden’s wife and both his children joined several members of his team during the afternoon ceremony.
“Corporal Housden is a key part of the UK F-35 weapons integration efforts and a highly valued member of the UK team based at Pax River,” said UK Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lewis Roach, UK F35 Trials Management Officer. “We’re grateful that his family were able to witness his award today as it’s an opportunity for the UK Armed Forces to recognise the commitment and sacrifices that they have all shared in throughout Cpl Housden’s career.”
Leaders award the LSGC medal to personnel based on achievement of the requirements, which were updated in October 2016. To qualify, you must have 15 years’ reckonable service in the RAF; a clear record with no misconduct for at least the last 15 years; and have been serving on or after Oct. 1, 2016, if you’re an ‘other rank,’ or a non-commissioned officer.
Housden, who was promoted to his current rank in March 2021, arrived for his current assignment here at the PAX ITF in August 2022. Since arriving, he has continued to carry out his work to an exemplary standard and has been a critical part of furthering the United Kingdom weapons integration on the F-35 platform, according to the citation.
Housden has been posted to several UK installations and has been deployed numerous times.
He joined the RAF in September 2008, undertaking nine weeks of basic training at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire, England. After choosing to specialize as a Weapons Technician, he carried out 16 months of trade career training at Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering Cosford. Finishing career training in March 2010, Housden obtained his first posting to RAF Lossiemouth in the Station Explosive Storage Area (ESA).
It was during his first posting that he deployed on his first operational tour with 12(B) Squadron (Sqn) (Tornado) as part of Operation Herrick in Kandahar Province Afghanistan. Upon his return, Housden requested to formally join 12(B) Sqn, which he did in 2012. While there, he took part in Exercise Red Flag and a multination exercise in Sweden before deploying again on another operational tour to Afghanistan for Operation Herrick.
In 2014 Housden was posted to RAF Brize Norton Armoury, from where he once again deployed: this time as part of Operation Shader with C-130 Hercules. This was followed closely by a United Nations operation to Uganda in East Africa and critical flood relief efforts within the UK.
Posted to 2 Sqn RAF Regiment at RAF Honington in 2016, Housden supported multiple RAF REGT taskings around the UK and abroad. He was heavily involved in the squadron move from Honington to Brize Norton in 2018, earning recognition for his efforts with the presentation of an Air Officer Commanding (AOC) 2 Group Commendation.
Following his promotion, Cpl. Housden chose to remain at RAF Brize Norton supporting deployments to Mali for Operation Newcombe with the RAF Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft prior to seeking a new challenge at the PAX ITF.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2024 13:56 |
| Story ID: | 464904 |
| Location: | MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 309 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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