Midlands troops in Iraq and Afghanistan get home treat
“I was initially expecting him back this week but he has had to stay a bit longer to finish his job.
“We’re going to have the best Christmas ever when he gets back in January, and I’ll do another Christmas spread especially.
“On the message I told him how much I loved and missed him and that I can’t wait to give him a big cuddle when he gets home.”
Cannock marine Mark Long, 25, will also receive a special message because his mum, dad and sister recorded a joint Christmas and Birthday video for him to watch at the base in Afghanistan.
“We are exceptionally proud of him,” said sister Josie. “In our eyes he is a hero. We’ve sent him food parcels because we know, as a combat soldier, he will be out in the sticks in the most basic conditions.
“We wanted him to be able to see us on Christmas Day, and on Boxing Day for his birthday, so we recorded a special message telling him how much we all loved him, and that we were thinking about him.”
Earlier this week, the Taliban blew up a lorry packed with Christmas turkeys bound for 3,000 British troops in Afghanistan.
But the Ministry of Defence, which gives as many soldiers as possible the day off on December 25, have now flown out replacement birds ensuring their dinner will go ahead as planned.
As is traditional in the army, senior officers will serve the junior ranks first to show their appreciation. The 35 chefs at British base, Camp Bastion, who never have a day off, will prepare most of the food on Christmas Eve.
