TUNE into ITV tonight to see a fearless Taunton soldier receive an award for risking his life to save an injured Afghan colleague under heavy Taliban fire.
Cpl Ash Kelly, 27, led the operation, which involved dashing 100 yards over open ground to rescue the soldier.
And now the bravery shown by him and his comrades from 3 Rifles Brigade Advisory Group has been recognised by being voted best unit in The Sun Military Awards 2012.
The casualty, who was bleeding heavily after being shot in the chest, was curled up in a ditch and pinned down by enemy fire.
But Cpl Kelly led British and Afghan colleagues in a perilous sprint to him, dressed his wounds and carried him back over the open ground on a stretcher. He was later successfully treated at Camp Bastion.
Cpl Kelly was with 3 Rifles battalion in the summer training Afghan troops and he and his colleagues witnessed a ‘green on blue’ incident on their first day when a soldier from the ranks they were due to advise shot two British servicemen.
But that did not deter Cpl Kelly’s rescue operation later on during their tour of duty – he said: “I don’t see it as crazy that we would risk ourselves for the Afghans.
“It’s our job as advisers. He’s a soldier just like me.”
l Watch Cpl Kelly and his colleagues on in The Sun ‘Millies’ awards on ITV1 tonight (Friday) at 9pm.
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