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Leyland soldier's family backs campaign
THE family of a Leyland soldier has thrown its support behind the Guardian's 'We Salute You' campaign by wearing our new wristbands with pride.
Joanne and Mark Crompton's son Adam, 19, is currently serving in Afghanistan with the 2nd Batallion Duke of Lancaster regiment.
The Guardian was inundated with messages of support for the young soldier when we featured his story in August.
And now his family is reminding people of how important it is to back our troops, as we bring out wristbands and key-rings to show our support for our brave men and women battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Adam's step-mum, Joanne said: "This campaign is so important because it's easy for people to wave goodbye to the boys and get on with their
lives, putting it to the back of their minds.
"All the kids are wearing the wristbands. It's about showing our support.
"It just means that while we go about our daily job we're still thinking about them in Afghanistan."
Any donations received for the wristbands will be given to the charity Help for Heroes, which supports our wounded soldiers.
Joanne added: "We can't forget what they are doing out there and how big a sacrifice they are making. They are thousands of miles away from
their families and most would much rather be at home, like anyone else.
"We are so proud of Adam. We sent one of the newspapers over to Afghanistan and the boys were chuffed when they saw it."
Adam's dad Mark said: "It gave them a big boost to know people are actually thinking about them.
"Too often we just see the negative things to do with the war but we need good news."
Adam is based in Cyprus and was sent out to Afghanistan for his first
tour in August. His decision to join the Army was a tough one, but one
which he has never regretted.
His step-mum said: "He's doing as well as can be expected. It's tough out there and he walks in the heat with his backpack for 15k every day.
"But as soon as he joined the Army, he's never looked back."
Unfortunately the realities of war are never far from the news.
Two weeks ago, one of Adam's colleagues, Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman,
was killed when he was shot on foot patrol in the Babji district in central Helmand province.
Joanne said: "When you see another boy has been killed it's absolutely gut wrenching, but at the same time we're so proud of them all.
"It's a strange feeling. You suddenly find an attachment to every single
soldier.
"We think about it every day, from the first thing in the morning to the last thing at night."
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Weather for Leyland
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
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