As work ramps up at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose ahead of the deployment of the carrier strike group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth later in the spring, Lieutenant Jason Moore is a busy man.

He is the logistics officer for the Merlin Mk2 helicopter force, which is heavily committed into the Royal Navy flagship's maiden deployment.

The 44-year-old Cornishman has come up through the ranks and spent many years as a non-commissioned officer before making the move to become a lieutenant.

With family links to the Royal Navy, he began his career young, joining the service as a teenager just six months after taking his GCSEs at Redruth School. He grew up in the village of Stithians, between Redruth and Falmouth and where he lives today.

He said:

"My father had a naval career, along with my older brother and cousins, so perhaps I saw what they were doing which ultimately influenced me in my decision to join.

"I wasn't particularly academic and I was realistic in my expectations of myself. Being reasonably young when I joined, I never thought I would progress to where I am today.

"Without the more traditional university education required to become a commissioned officer, I progressed my way through the ranks within the Logistics branch.

"Thoroughly enjoying my time, I got to a point where my potential was recognised by others and by myself which led me to apply for an in-service chance of promotion to officer."

After much work to meet all the criteria for promotion, including nomination and approval, Lt Moore sat the daunting Admiral Interview Board, a two-day intensive selection process.

He failed.

"I think I tried to be someone else, the person I thought they were looking for," he said. "After my initial failure I carried on with my role until one of my commanding officers told me to 'don't think about it, just go and do it', which I did.

"I attended the interview this time with a totally different perspective, one that was simple; 'If I'm not what they're after then fine'. This proved successful - very successful in fact. One of the comments from the three senior interview board members was that I was very relaxed and he could see I was simply showing them 'myself'."

Lt Moore now manages a large team of sailors and civil servants in the supply chain department. Next to his office is the large warehouse of goods and materials which support the whole of operation of the air station.

"I work closely with the naval air squadrons and station engineers as well as industry contractors. We manage the logistical support to the front-line units and their aircraft at the base or when deployed on ships around the world," he said.

"My current focus is in the generation of aircraft to support the aircraft carrier task group which is due to deploy later this year."

When not at RNAS Culdrose, Lt Moore has worked with the Royal Marines in Europe and America, an ice patrol ship in Antarctica and as the deputy logistics officer on a frigate.

More than 200 sailors from RNAS Culdrose, from 820 and 1700 naval air squadrons, are due to join HMS Queen Elizabeth and the carrier strike group for the major deployment to the Mediterranean and the Far East later this spring.

Click here to see more from RNAS Culdrose.

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