Career
Hughes made safe over 80 improvised explosive devices on his tour of Afghanistan. The citation was presented to Hughes by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup on 18 March 2010 in a ceremony in the City of London. The posthumous award of the Government College to Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was announced at the same time.
The awarded was gazetted on 19 March 2010.
His citation states that he carried out "the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan". Hughes was born in Germany, where his father was serving in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and returned to England in 1985.
He lived in Weston-super-Mare until 1988 when he moved to Telford. There he was educated at Thomas Telford School.