British Army Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Richard Moody, who single-handedly developed a computer data base that has revolutionised information management in the sphere of Army Physical Training, has been awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2022.
Whilst in his post as a Staff Sergeant, Richard, 40, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps recognised that there was a gap in the standardisation of information regarding the personal development of service personnel.
Extraordinarily, all in his own time and with next to no knowledge of computers, he set about teaching himself how to use programs and formulas and eventually built a data base that could be used to fill the identified gap.
Richard said: “I had never really used a computer before. When I was a physical training instructor, I didn’t have much use of a computer, so I spent pretty much four hours a night after work over two years watching YouTube videos and the like. I then built a data base and presented it to the Corps.
"I was speechless when the commanding Officer told me the news that I have been given this award," he said.
Such was the success of the conceptual data base that the chain of command sent him up and down the country presenting the tool to others, working collaboratively to try and perfect its utility. Richard added: “The data base benefits the Corps because it allows the instructors to manage all aspects of personal development, adventurous training and sport in one centralised place at unit level and is very user friendly.”
His citation reads that he went above and beyond his day job to deliver cutting-edge innovative information technology and as such has: “Contributed to the reduction of Muscular Skeletal Injuries, enhanced Personal Development governance and the Lived Experience of the soldier.
"His ambition and drive to support units led to him creating a digital unit Personal Development Management Tool for the whole Force. This tool enhances the governance of Personal Development by automating activity programming, tracking individual qualifications, Physical Training attendance, statistics and hand-railing assurance wrap requirements.”
Richard, who has been in the Army for 21 years comes from New Earswick in Yorkshire where his parents still live. He is married to Natalie, who is also a serving soldier, and has three children.
The former graphic design student and pig farmer is now the Quarter Master Senior Instructor with the 3 (UK) Division Signals Regiment based in Wiltshire, where he runs the Garrison Gymnasium. He said: “I just do my job. My ethic is that you are in work to work, make things easier for others, assist people as they need it and look after your subordinates and to get recognised for it is unimaginable. To get this award is humbling.”
Read the full Queen's Birthday Honours List here