Twenty soldiers of the Armed Forces decorated for relevant services during the pandemic

Ten soldiers from the Army, five from the Navy and five from the Air Force receive the National Defense Medal which, by definition, rewards the “high competence, extraordinary performance and relevant personal qualities” of the military or civilians that contribute to the “efficiency , prestige and fulfillment of the mission of the Ministry of National Defense, General Staff of the Armed Forces or of the respective branch ”.

In June, the Defense Minister had already decorated several military personnel, but according to the Ministry, due to the conditions of the pandemic, not all the medals were imposed at that time.

Among the recipients of this Tuesday are young low-ranking soldiers whose names were proposed by the branches of the Armed Forces themselves.

One of them is Pedro Matos, the first Air Force cable that expedited the repair of computers so that needy students can access classes online in Paços de Ferreira, an initiative that has since spread throughout the country.

There is also the example of the second sailor Joana Medeiros, administrative officer of the Naval Medicine Center who was summoned to give direct support to the contingency teams that received health professionals and patients infected with Covid-19 in that unit in Alfeite. The military now wants to graduate from nursing and continue to serve the Navy in this area.