Frontline soldiers are doing their bit for Help the Heroes charity

Nov 1 2009 by Mieka Smiles, Sunday Sun

WHILE most of us are looking forward to celebrating the festive season with friends and family, 24-year-old corporal Craig Etherton is gearing up for his third Christmas in Iraq.

But one extra special Christmas gift - that is currently being signed off in Whitehall - should bring military policeman Craig a much deserved bit of festive cheer.

Red cap Craig, 24, has been awarded a US Army Achievement Medal, a rare honour for a member of the British forces.

“I don’t really think anything of it other than ‘thank you very much’ for appreciating what we do,” says brave Craig, who has lost several friends and close colleagues in service, including 22-year-old Corporal Christopher Read, originally from Poole in Dorset, and Sergeant Ben Ross, 34, who grew up in Dubai.

Corporal Read died in July 2007 after being injured by small arms fire whilst in Basra City and Sergeant Ross was killed by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan’s notorious Helmand province in May this year.

“I served with Chris for four months in Bulford in 2006,” says Craig, who grew up on the Catterick army base in North Yorkshire.

“He had gone out on patrol and a sniper or something fired. It went through the vehicle and through his neck. I was gutted. It wasn’t long since I had seen him.

“I went through training with Ben in Chichester and he was also one of my instructors on a close protection course.

“People get upset but there’s nothing you can do.

“My mum doesn’t watch the news at all when I’m out there.”

It was his dad, Keith, 49, a staff sergeant at RAF Waddington - and a member of Royal Regiment of Fusiliers for 23 and a half years - who was Craig’s inspiration to join the army at just 16: “My dad was in the army and I wanted to do the same or be in the police.

“I kind of grew up with it.”

Craig trained in Harrogate and Catterick, before being transferred to Chichester in 2003 to train with the military police.

He was posted to Germany before leaving for Iraq for the first time in November 2005, celebrating his 21st birthday there: “Whenever someone got injured or killed I would have to deal with it and open a case file.

“I have seen everything from burns to limbs being blown off - you name it.”

At just 24 the Craig has witnessed more than most will a lifetime, yet he is pragmatic about his experiences: “You can’t let it get to you. You just need to do your job. It happens so often that you kind of get used to it.

“A lot of people ask why we are there but the fact is that we are there so we might as well get on with it.”

Craig trained in close protection in 2008 and was sent to Baghdad for the second time in December last year. It was then when Craig was acknowledged with the American military award for protecting high ranking US servicemen.

Now he is set to face blistering heat of up 50C for the third time: “The only way I can describe the heat is as a hair dryer. I hate the heat. As soon as you walk out you start sweating.”

For Craig it’s the distance between friends and family that hits the hardest: “When you’re having a down day you ring your friends to see what they’re up to and they’ll say ‘we’re just getting ready to go out’.”

It was while on the phone to his then girlfriend that Craig had his closest call to date: “I was on the phone to my girlfriend at the time and I heard like a whizzing through the air. I looked up but I couldn’t see anything.

“I heard a crack and there was lots of sand and dust everywhere. I knew it was close - it turned out it was a mortar.”

Now Craig is paying tribute to his fellow service men by helping to raise cash for Help for Heroes - a charity which raises money to support members of the armed forces who have been wounded in the service of their country.

He has helped organised an event at Newcastle’s Bijoux which is set to feature an appearance from pop band Bad Lashes and Miss Great Britain Sophie Gradon.

Craig added: “It’s a good cause, let’s raise some money,”

:: Tickets for the event that takes place on November 3 at Bijoux, in Mosely Street, Newcastle are £7 on the door or £5 if purchased prior to the event from the venue or Luxe in Jesmond. The event starts at 8pm.

Page 2: 'I just want to make him as proud of me as I am of him'