St Albans soldier wins Military Cross in Afghanistan - Major Russell Lewis MC (S86-91)
A soldier from St Albans has won a top bravery award for his actions in Afghanistan. “Major Russ Lewis, aged 35, has been awarded the Military Cross for his heroic leadership of a company of the Parachute Regiment during a six-month tour in southern Afghanistan.
“Major Lewis and his company of 160 troops of 2PARA were located in a Forward Operating Base deep in the hostile Upper Sangin Valley and were subjected to almost daily rocket and mortar attacks. He led many foot patrols through the dense vegetation, canals and compounds of the surrounding countryside and during frequent bouts of intense fighting with the Taliban.
Major Lewis’ citation described him as "tenacious and courageous in attack" and added: "Major Lewis has set an outstanding example to his company at significant personal risk and has been an inspiration to all ranks."
“Major Lewis lives with his wife Andrea at Colchester where his unit is stationed. His wife, who is pregnant with their first child, is a major in the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps and set up the first field hospital in Iraq.
“Said Major Lewis of the bravery award: "I have mixed feelings about the award. It's a fantastic honour to receive such an award and I do think that it represents all of B Company, 2 PARA and what we achieved last summer".
Speaking about the intensity of the deployment on the Army’s website after his Company’s return from Afghanistan at the end of October, Major Lewis said: “Once it started it didn’t really stop for three months. We were just in the thick of it. We went through a period where every single patrol that went out came into contact of some description. There have been some horrible moments. I said before we went, I felt this tour would give us the best soldiering days of our careers and our worst. It has.”
Major Lewis described the soldiers under his command as “the finest generation of paratroopers in the history of the Parachute Regiment”. He added: “we lost three in one go to a suicide bomber and that was just an awful day, but it’s amazing how the guys deal with it. We had a night of grieving and the next day we were back out there. We had to, but I think that was what we wanted to do for our comrades, we are paratroopers and we go straight back out there and take the fight to the enemy.”
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