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Col Paul Jobbins GM OBE RD, MoD Main Building, 18th March 2005
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Colonel Paul Jobbins OBE RD MSc Royal Marines Reserve - George Medal
Published
Friday 18th March 2005
Colonel Paul Anthony Jobbins,
a Royal Marine Reserve, is honoured for his actions in the Democratic
Republic of Congo in 2004 and receives the
George Medal.
Col Jobbins was responsible for tactical control of
all UN forces in Bukavu, the major city in the eastern Congo, when serious
fighting broke out and the city fell to insurgents in June 2004. Women were
raped, innocent children murdered and homes pillaged. Throughout this dangerous
period, unarmed and at great personal risk, Col Jobbins worked ceaselessly to
conduct negotiations with faction commanders, arrange the withdrawal of all
forces and rescue UN personnel and Congolese civilians. Col Jobbins drove
through crossfire to meet with a dissident General, persuaded him to halt his
advance, and personally rescued many terrified civilians, often under fire. He
personally ensured the safety of thousands of civilians and is cited for his
commitment and courage, and his gallant leadership under fire.
Paul
Jobbins was born on 2 April 1948 in Bristol. In 1972 he joined Royal Marines
Reserve Bristol as a recruit, completing commando training in April 1973 and
he was commissioned in April 1975. He was awarded the Reserve decoration in
1983 and achieved a bar to this award in 1993. Subsequently he assumed
command of RMR Bristol in 1994 in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 2001 he
was appointed as Royal Marines Reserve Colonel the senior RMR post and was
appointed OBE in the Golden Jubilee Honours list in 2003 for services to the
RMR.
In his
civilian occupation, Paul Jobbins served as a Fingerprint officer with Avon
and Somerset Constabulary until his retirement in 2001. With the support of
the police he was able to make a substantial commitment to Royal Marines
Reserve Bristol holding a number of training appointments in the unit and
serving with the Regular Corps. He served with 45 Commando in Northern
Ireland in 1981 and with 3 Commando Brigade during Op CORPORATE (Falklands
War) in 1982. In 1999 he led a Royal Marines training team in Egypt working
alongside Egyptian regulars. On his return to UK he volunteered for
mobilisation for operations in Bosnia serving 2 tours consecutively.
Returning to his civilian employment, he was immediately mobilised again to
serve as the British Military Liaison Officer to the High Commission in
Freetown, Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone he was heavily involved in attempts
to rescue a UK patrol kidnapped by the gang known as the West Side Soldiers
which resulted in Op BARRAS.
More
recently Colonel Jobbins served with MONUC, the UN peacekeeping force in the
Democratic Republic of Congo acting as lead Military Observer in South Kivu,
the scene of unrest in June 2004.
Colonel
Jobbins is married to Nicola, a Fingerprint officer with Avon and Somerset
Police and has three children. In his spare time he has a keen interest in
field sports. He is a member of Wessex Reserve Forces and Cadets
Association, serving as the selected marine member for RFCA in
Gloucestershire, and is Chairman of the Badminton and District branch of the
Royal British Legion.
His
citation reads in full:
"Colonel Jobbins deployed
to the Democratic Republic of Congo in April 2004 as Chief of Staff
United Nations Joint Operations Centre, Bukavu, the major city in
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He was delegated tactical control
of all United Nations forces in Bukavu, amounting to two infantry
companies. After three months of increasing tension and ill discipline
between two rival factions of the Congolese Land Forces based in the
city, serious fighting broke out on 26th May 2004. The fighting, which
lasted two weeks, claimed over one hundred lives, hundreds of injured,
and forced the displacement of thousands of the minority community.
Women were raped, innocent children murdered and houses pillaged. Bukavu
fell to the insurgents on 9th June. Calm of sorts was finally restored
after the authorities regained control five days later. Throughout this
extended period, unarmed, at great personal risk, Jobbins continuously
demonstrated remarkable gallantry. He conducted ceasefire negotiations
with the faction commanders, arranged the withdrawal of all forces, and
rescued United Nations personnel and Congolese civilians. These actions
were frequently conducted under small arms and mortar fire between the
opposing forces.
"After negotiating a
ceasefire Jobbins arranged a meeting between the dissident former
General Nkunda, who was advancing on Bukavu with four thousand soldiers,
and the United Nations Force Commander. Unable to contact other military
personnel, still unarmed and with only one officer to support him,
Jobbins drove through sustained crossfire between retreating Government
forces and the advancing rebels. He successfully persuaded Nkunda to
halt his advance and meet the Force Commander. Jobbins then drove to the
airport, through which any evacuation would be conducted, to assess the
situation where fighting had isolated United Nations logistic units. He
encountered hostile crowds due to the United Nations’ perceived
inaction. Learning that United Nations troops were reluctant to escort
much needed supplies to Bukavu, he quickly organized a convoy and led a
small escort. Jobbins then again assisted the United Nations Brigade
Commander to create a buffer zone between the rebels and Government
forces. With the city being pillaged by successive groups, the dangerous
and deteriorating security situation threatened the lives of thousands.
Confronted by this chaos, Jobbins worked tirelessly to rescue those who
requested assistance. Assisted by a few brave volunteers, including
United Nations civilians but with few reliable military personnel, he
personally rescued many terrified civilians, often under fire, and
always at risk.
"Recognized by all United
Nations personnel in Bukavu, civil and military alike, as one of the few
United Nations’ officers with commitment and courage, his gallant
leadership under fire inspired renewed confidence of those around him.
Despite being threatened personally by both factions, his negotiation
skills contributed directly to the successful outcome of the Bukavu
crisis. He personally ensured the safety of thousands of innocent
civilians. Unarmed, Jobbins’ repeatedly gallant actions throughout the
crisis were in the finest traditions of the British Armed Forces and
clearly went well beyond the normal limits of United Nations
peacekeeping."
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