Medal for a man who goes above and beyond

Kevin Mills lives in Milngavie with his wife Trisha and their two children Amy (16) and Becky (14), who both attend Douglas Academy.

The prestigious medal is awarded to NATO staff whose personal initiative and dedication means they go beyond their daily duties to make a real difference - both to their work colleagues and to NATO as an organisation.

Mr Mills, who is a purchasing and contracting section head in the budget and finance department, received the recognition for his “exceptional commitment to achieve value for money for high profile NATO transformational initiatives and projects.”

He has been Head of purchasing and contracting for Allied Command Transformation (ACT) for over ten years and leads a team based in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

He also has functional responsibility for purchasing and contracting teams in Norway, Portugal and Poland.

Kevin received the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, and supporting citation signed by NATO’s Secretary General, from General Jean-Paul Paloméros, French Air Force, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

General Paloméros emphasised the exceptional efforts of the ACT staff to implement the objectives for the Transformation of the Alliance.

He said: “Behind every single task there are men and women.

“ACT’s work is particularly important when dealing with threats such as terrorists and criminal activities which have contributed to instability and triggered a migrant flow.

“With increased critical need for strategic foresight, ACT plays a leading role in preparing the Alliance for the future.

“Anticipation is the mother of success and it’s vital that exercises, education and training adequately support the interoperability objectives of the Alliance.”