Major Robert Sawford (retd), known as 'Rawby', was presented with a first and second Federation Star by Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane.
A graduate of the 32nd intake of Army apprentices, Major Sawford began his career in 1977 as an electronics tradesman and completed 17 postings before retiring in 2022.
The Federation Stars mark his commitment to the Army and the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Major Sawford grew up in Brisbane and moved to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Cairns, both within and outside his field of expertise.
He said one of the highlights of his career was being selected for Exercise Longlook in north Yorkshire in England.
"I got to take part in Exercise Lionheart, which involved the largest movement of NATO troops since World War 2," Major Sawford said.
In 2012 he was a team leader on Exercise Pacific Partnership on the United States Navy Ship Mercy, providing civil and military cooperation and humanitarian aid to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
He said his most important career highlight was in 2001 as the Officer Commanding the Ninox Validation and Support Team (NVST), conducting census and validation activities on the Army, Navy, and Air Force suite of night fighting equipment across Australia.
"As part of this role, I had to also incorporate a visit to infantry troops [as part of Operation Tanager] positioned on the border of East and West Timor, which was later lauded as a great success and of inestimable value by both equipment users and the Project Ninox Team," he said.
Major Sawford married his wife, Jennifer, the eldest daughter of Lord Waddington and Lady Waddington in the Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey. Their wedding reception was held in the Palace of Westminster and attended by Margaret Thatcher. One London newspaper headlined a story about the wedding as "Ms Waddington will wed Wizard from Oz".
Major Sawford recounted an amusing moment during his officer selection board in 1999.
The chairman of the board asked him how he thought his wife Jennifer would "fit in" at an officers' mess function. Major Sawford said his wife had been a guest at far better functions than one an officers' mess could put on, and was a debutante presented before Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace after finishing school in the late 1980s.
In the UK's order of precedence, her title outranked an Army Field Marshal.
"In conclusion and with all stories and witticism aside, it's been an incredible and heartfelt journey," Major Sawford said.
"This recognition means so much, not just to me but to my family and those I've served with throughout the years."
