OBE presented for Services to International Defence Relations

A Pembrokeshire woman who served as Senior Adviser to the First Deputy Minister of the Afghan Ministry of the Interior has been presented with an Order of the Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to International Defence Relations.

Samantha Birch of Pembroke was presented with her OBE by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards, at a ceremony at County Hall in Haverfordwest.

Ms Birch, whose honour was announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021, was accompanied by her family Linda Birch, Hugh Sweeney and Emma-Jayne Birch.

The ceremony was hosted by the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Pat Davies, and was attended by the Council’s Chief Executive, Will Bramble, and the Lord Lieutenant’s cadet Maisie Millichip.

The Lord-Lieutenant said: “On behalf of His Majesty The King it is both an honour and great pleasure to present Ms Samantha Birch with her OBE, and especially here on her home territory of Pembrokeshire. I am sure that I speak for all of us in the community when I say how pleased we all are for her and her family and friends, and I extend my most sincere congratulations to her.”

Ms Birch was awarded the OBE following a one-year deployment at the Ministry of the Interior at the forefront of police development.

Described as a ‘stellar performance’, her work included training, assisting and advising at the heart of rapid advances in the Ministry. A third of the year through her deployment, Ms Birch was also selected to lead all aspects of Ministerial Development.