Institution news
Warrant Officer Class 1 Duncan Booth MBE was awarded this year’s prize for the best contribution to engineering by a non-commissioned officer in the REME. He was presented with a certificate and a prize of £250. Runners up Sgt Liam Cullen and WO1 (now Captain) Anthony Cotty were also hailed for the excellence of their engineering contribution.
WO1 ASM Booth is recognised as a driving force for improvement and for maintaining the highest of standards. He initiated and managed an assessment of 300 vehicle test facilities to meet legislative standards, using Power Apps to provide users feedback on their submissions.
Duncan also designed a framework for vehicle inspector annual assessments to improve quality, managed a change to the engineering MIS that saved around £40,000 per month and advised a team of software engineers to deliver the Field Army Equipment Readiness Dashboard.
WO1 Booth, who was recently elected IEng MIMechE, has been working in Field Army Headquarters, Andover in an Equipment Planning team. When asked about the award he said:
“I’ve been privileged to work in an environment where I am empowered to work autonomously and have been well supported. Our Corps is brimming with highly motivated engineers who achieve amazing things every day, I have been fortunate to both be in the position to effect change and to have that work recognised”
In his nomination, Brigadier Phil Prosser stated:
“It is his mindset and the way he thinks that makes him stand out. He thinks ambitiously, which means his work always makes a difference on a broader scale; he has had Field Army wide impact. He thinks creatively, so he doesn’t just do the same thing quicker, he does it differently and always better.”
This year’s presentation was conducted at MOD Lyneham, the home of the REME as part of the Corps Annual Engineering Awards Ceremony. The Institution launched the Award for Best REME SNCO or WO in 2013 in recognition of the close relationship between the IMechE and the REME, which is ever growing with well-developed paths for individuals of all ranks to achieve professional registration.
Johnathan Milsom added: “It was a great event and I was honoured to hand out this award and meet a number of the other great engineers and help celebrate their achievement.”