An Army Medical Support Officer (MSO), originally from Romania but who serves in the British Army and is currently living in Larkhill Wiltshire, has been managing six Vaccine Quick Reaction Forces teams from across the south east of England during the pandemic, and has recently been given the unique opportunity, alongside a group of other serving personnel, to speak to His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge on a video call about their work in support of the National Health Service (NHS) during the pandemic.
Lieutenant Alexandra Merisoiu, is a Medical Support Officer with 4 Armoured Medical Regiment based in Tidworth. This is her second deployment as part of the COVID Support Force and in April and May last year she helped to support the build of the Bristol Nightingale Hospital. She said, “It’s quite a privilege to work with the NHS and to be part of the national project. I’m pretty proud as well.” Alexandra like a lot of the nation, is currently working from home.
During the video call, His Royal Highness was keen to know more about what Alexandra's role as a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force Regional Team Manager entailed, she explained, “The Vaccine Quick Reaction Force (VQRF) are formed of several teams, each region has their Quick Reaction Force formed of six teams in my case. They deploy at very short notice in support of the NHS to help them deliver the vaccines, which normally expire within a few days from delivery.”
Lt Merisoiu commissioned from Sandhurst in December 2019. She promoted to Lieutenant in December 2020 and is very proud to have been giving the responsibility of this role so early in her career.
Over 5,000 military personnel are committed to COVID-19 operations supporting 74 different tasks in the UK and abroad including the vaccine rollout, support to hospitals and community testing across the UK. In total there are currently 42 teams deployed to support the seven NHS regions.
Alexandra is originally from Bucharest, Romania. She moved to the UK in 2011 and became a British Citizen in 2018. She was honoured to get the opportunity to speak with The Duke of Cambridge and said, “It was totally unexpected; I am hugely privileged. It was a completely unique experience, and I am so humbled and proud to have been selected and given the opportunity.”
Prior to joining the Army, Alexandra ran her own business as a Physical Trainer specialising in running biomechanics. In her spare time, she enjoys Martial Arts, Shotokan Karate and has practiced since the age of eight. She has represented England at various championships since 2014 and is a member of the Army Martial Arts Association having recently competed in the Army Martial Arts Association (AMAA) Championships.
Although now living in the UK, Alexandra has family in Romania and France but has not been able to see them since 2017. In this current climate with family so important she is making use of Zoom and Messenger to stay connected.