THE families of soldiers who have received medals for their service in Afghanistan have welcomed Armed Forces Day being held in Nottingham.
Around 50 members of the 62 Works Group Royal Engineers who have returned from a six-month tour of Afghanistan received medals yesterday.
And family and friends who turned out in large numbers to cheer their heroes are gearing up to celebrate the work of the Armed Forces in Nottingham.
Armed Forces Day comes to the city on Saturday, June 29, in the Old Market Square and Victoria Embankment, with bumper crowds and royal visitors expected.
Allison Stacey's husband, Kev, who hails from Hucknall and is a Forest fan, received a special medal for 15 years of long service and good conduct.
Mother-of-three Allison said: "He's got a special medal and he's happy about that. The day is about being proud of him – he's been away for seven months."
And for Allison, Armed Forces Day coming to Nottingham is a perfect chance to thank the soldiers for what they do.
She added: "It is an overwhelming day of pride. A lot of people don't fully understand the families behind these guys and what they go through. This is a great day and we'll definitely go – it is a chance for people to come out and say thanks as well.
"People stop him in the street and say 'thank you' – the British public seem to be taking them to their hearts."
Kirsty Fenton's husband, Kev, has been in the regiment since August 2012 and had to return from duty to see her give birth to their second child.
Twenty-nine-year-old Kirsty, who lives in Chilwell, said Armed Forces Day was a welcome celebration.
"We will be going – it is really important. I think they should get a pay rise as well as more praise! They put their lives at risk – I'm really proud of him."
Darren and Tracey Ellidge attended the event to watch their son, Wes, 27, rewarded for his efforts in Afghanistan.
Darren said: "Armed Forces Day sounds great – I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be going. It's a celebration for the family and for us to show how proud we are of him."
The regiment was deployed across Afghanistan to support military operations and develop the civilian infrastructure of Afghanistan.
Their role was to develop and maintain all facilities used by UK forces and increase the Afghans' own expertise so they can plan, build and maintain their own infrastructure.
Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Hatcher, Commanding Officer of 62 Wks Gp, said: "We can look back on our time in Afghanistan with an immense sense of pride and achievement; as an organisation we really have delivered a significant amount in a relatively short timeframe."
