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Father's fears over son's return to Afghanistan

Jan 29 2012 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

John and Marilyn Miller, parents of soldier Simon Miller who was killed in Iraq in 2003

THE father of a murdered military officer has told of his fears after learning his only other son is being sent to Afghanistan.

John Miller’s youngest son Simon, 21, was one of six Red Caps who were training local police officers in an Iraqi town in 2003 when the station was attacked by a mob of 300 civilians.

Now, almost nine years on, his only surviving son Jon – who followed his brother into the military police – is being sent to Afghanistan to perform similar duties to those his brother was carrying out when he was killed.

Jon, 33, who has an 18-month-old son who was named Simon in memory of his lost loved one, will fly out to the war-torn country later this year.

“Jon is a sergeant in the military police and he goes out to Afghanistan in October,” said Mr Miller, of Washington, Tyne and Wear. “It makes me feel numb.

“As each day gets closer to his leaving date, it gets worse.

“But it’s his job. He doesn’t want to go but it’s what he has to do – and he’s got his little boy now too, who was named after his uncle.”