RAF officer from Shropshire talks of terrorist challenge as he collects his OBE

Wing Commander Michael Formby was at an investiture ceremony at the palace to collect a military division OBE for his services in the field.

After growing up near Pontesbury and attending Mary Webb School from 1979 to 1984, Wg Cdr Formby had wanted to join the armed forces from a young age.

He went to Sixth Form College on an RAF scholarship, passed out as an officer at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire and joined the RAF Regiment.

Currently serving in Africa, he was flown home specially to attend the ceremony last Friday.

After picking up his honour from the Prince of Wales, the 48-year-old spoke of his military service in war-torn parts of the Middle East and described the challenges facing those attempting to remove terrorist rebels.

He said: "I think Islamic State are a very potent threat. I think the likes of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army, with multinational backing, are now making great progress in removing them from Iraq."

Attending the ceremony with his wife Julie and their children Phoebe, 16 and Will, 11, who live in Macclesfield, Cheshire, he said "it was first class" being given the award and said it was "an honour" to talk to Prince Charles about his work.

Discussing the details around the operation which saw him given the award, he said two years ago he had been based in northern Iraq to "deliver assistance to the Peshmerga" forces, which are made up of the military forces of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

He said: "I was dealing with the minister of the Peshmerga and looking at the different requirements that they had and then to align UK assistance to those.

"That ended up as military teams, kit and equipment - we ended up giving them the sort of training so that they could do the sort of jobs they are doing at the moment around Mosul."

Wg Cdr Formby, who is based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, described it as a "massively rewarding" process and said it was one of the best jobs he has ever done.

"To be asked to go out and find out how the UK can contribute and take your ideas and pass them through to be signed off and see them come out on the ground later, you do feel you are making a contribution," he added. "To not just UK defence, but worldwide defence."

He said at the moment the infantry is being used to train the Peshmerga, adding: "Part of the assistance was to gift a number of heavy machine guns, and so we used the infantry again to train the guys how to use those and then ensure the ammunition was delivered to the Peshmerga.

"We know the contribution had a direct effect on operations and the various successes they have had over the last two years."

His mother Maureen Formby, who still lives in Shrewsbury, said she was very proud of her son.

She said: "He is very modest about it.

"We joined him at the Savoy for tea after and he was the last one to get his award because Prince Charles wanted to specifically talk to him.

"I am very proud of him. He has worked very hard."