Corporal Meehan is awarded the Australian Army Aviation Association Soldier of the Year for 2003. He joined the Army in 1991 and served as a trooper with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Darwin before corps transferring in 1995. He was posted to the 5th Aviation Regiment as an armament Groundcrewman with Iroquois gunships in C Squadron before successfully completing a Loadmaster course in 2000. Corporal Meehan was then posted to the 171st Operational Support Squadron Aerial Fire Support Troop, responsible for training subordinates, and conducting both utility and fire support flying operations.
Peewee, as he is better known in the Squadron, is an excellent door gunner both in accuracy and effectiveness of fire. He works very hard at keeping his miniguns operating and firing. He is a tireless worker, whose enthusiasm and commitment to his trade and the Army ethos has been instrumental in the success of 171 Operational Support Squadron gunship operations over the past three years. He displays leadership qualities far in excess of those required for his position, and is an outstanding role model for junior loadmasters and Groundcrewmen. In addition to his primary tasks associated with the Aerial Fire Support Troop, Peewee is also a sub-unit PTI.
Corporal Meehan has proven time and again that he is a self-starter of enduring good humour and integrity who continually seeks and accepts additional responsibilities. In short, he is an outstanding soldier, and a very worthy recipient of the Aviation Soldier of the Year award for 2003.