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Major Justin Stenhouse honoured for Afghanistan tour | Major Justin Stenhouse honoured for Afghanistan tour |
(about 1 hour later) | |
An Army major who threw himself into the line of fire in Afghanistan to protect the men under his command from Taliban insurgents has been honoured. | An Army major who threw himself into the line of fire in Afghanistan to protect the men under his command from Taliban insurgents has been honoured. |
Major Justin Stenhouse, 36, from Hartfield, East Sussex, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leadership in battle. | Major Justin Stenhouse, 36, from Hartfield, East Sussex, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leadership in battle. |
He was leading an elite reconnaissance unit which came under attack. | He was leading an elite reconnaissance unit which came under attack. |
A citation praised his enduring courage and leadership during a challenging, dangerous and demanding tour. | A citation praised his enduring courage and leadership during a challenging, dangerous and demanding tour. |
Maj Stenhouse, of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, led his men on around 70 missions as the squadron leader of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) in 2011/12. | Maj Stenhouse, of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, led his men on around 70 missions as the squadron leader of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) in 2011/12. |
In one attack he ran forward into the line of fire to put the Taliban fighters on the back foot. | In one attack he ran forward into the line of fire to put the Taliban fighters on the back foot. |
'Just did job' | 'Just did job' |
In another airborne raid, the Taliban put his unit under intense fire, but the officer led an assault on their position. | In another airborne raid, the Taliban put his unit under intense fire, but the officer led an assault on their position. |
The father-of-two, whose regiment is based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, said: "I just did my job. | |
"The main threat was not from bullets but from improvised explosive devices. | "The main threat was not from bullets but from improvised explosive devices. |
"Because of their indiscriminate nature, that is what we were most worried about. | "Because of their indiscriminate nature, that is what we were most worried about. |
"When you do come under fire, you have to keep moving otherwise the bullets come closer to you and your soldiers. | "When you do come under fire, you have to keep moving otherwise the bullets come closer to you and your soldiers. |
"We saw dust being kicked up by bullets within a metre of us." | "We saw dust being kicked up by bullets within a metre of us." |
He added: "The planning and nine months of mission specific training we did prepared us so that when we were faced with the enemy, we reacted automatically. | He added: "The planning and nine months of mission specific training we did prepared us so that when we were faced with the enemy, we reacted automatically. |
"When we needed to seize the initiative it was second nature to do what I did. | "When we needed to seize the initiative it was second nature to do what I did. |
"I can't emphasise enough how much the success of the mission was down to the other 122 men in the squadron." | "I can't emphasise enough how much the success of the mission was down to the other 122 men in the squadron." |
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