Outstanding news and I am glad that Terry is getting recognized for a job well done. –Head Jundi
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ArmorGroup, the leading international provider of protective security services, is very pleased to announce that Terry Goodman, one of its group company employees, has today been awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Silver Medal, the highest honour the Society can bestow. Terry was granted the honour, which is awarded to those who have put themselves in extreme personal danger, for his rescue of a wounded colleague in Iraq while under sustained insurgent fire and while he was seriously injured himself.
Terry (31), a former British Army soldier from Essex, was a vehicle commander in a three vehicle ArmorGroup protective security detail (PSD) team operating in southern Iraq at the time of the incident in June 2007 .The colleague he rescued was Darryl Lowery, a former Australian soldier, who was the commander of one of the other vehicles in the team.
The team was returning from a mission near Basrah when a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated against the left hand side of the Darryl’s vehicle, causing it to be immobilised. Darryl was badly injured in the attack, with multiple shrapnel wounds to both legs and his right foot, while his Iraqi driver was killed.The team immediately came under sustained and heavy small arms fire and Terry’s vehicle was also struck by three Rocket Propelled Grenades from the side of the road.
Terry moved his vehicle up alongside Darryl’s disabled vehicle with the intention of recovering the team members and extracting them to safety. As Terry’s vehicle moved alongside Darryl’s a second IED was detonated against Terry’s vehicle, which killed Terry’s Iraqi driver and his other Iraqi operator. Terry suffered a fractured skull and shrapnel wounds to his left arm and right shoulder in the explosion but was able to extract himself from the vehicle and made his way, under heavy and sustained fire from insurgents on both sides, to Darryl’s vehicle to try and help extract him.
Barely conscious and with no thought for his own safety Terry managed to pull Darryl from his vehicle: initially he attempted to smash a window with a crow bar but eventually managed to prize a door open with brute force. He then dragged Darryl out of the vehicle and applied effective first aid to stem his loss of blood – thereby preserving Darryl’s life. Terry continued to lay down covering fire and providing close protection to Darryl until they were rescued from continuing small arms and mortar fire by the third ArmorGroup team.
Noel Philp, ArmorGroup’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “Without Terry Goodman’s personal bravery under sustained fire in a highly exposed location and while seriously wounded there is little doubt that Darryl Lowrey would have died. I believe he thoroughly deserves to be honoured for his selfless and heroic actions in this ultimately successful rescue. I would also like to congratulate the rest of the team, under Michael Baker’s exemplary command, whose own bravery allowed Terry and Darryl to make a full escape.
The incident as a whole underlines the quality, the professionalism and the bravery of those who work with ArmorGroup in supporting the ongoing reconstruction of Iraq and we are proud of all those involved.”
The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 and the Silver Medal, which dates back to 1775, is the Society’s oldest award and the highest honour that the Society can bestow, although a Gold Medal is awarded once a year to an existing medal-winner for the most outstanding act of bravery of that year . The medal is accompanied by a certificate signed by the Society’s President, HRH Princess Alexandra. Due to its prestige o nly a small number of Silver Medals are awarded each year, with only one presented in 2007, and Terry’s will be the first awarded in 2008.
Dick Wilkinson, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society, said: “Terry Goodman nearly lost his own life trying to rescue a wounded comrade in highly dangerous circumstances while severely wounded himself. We are very proud to honour him for his bravery and humanity and look forward to presenting him with his medal in the near future.”
ArmorGroup Press Release