County TA soldier tells of his proud moment
Friday 27th November 2009, 10:49AM GMT.
Prince Charles greets Rifleman Mike Hubbard, from Shrewsbury, at Clarence House gardens.
It was a moment he will never forget. Marching with his regiment past Buckingham Palace to meet Prince Charles was, said Shropshire Territorial Army soldier Mick Hubbard, “a proud moment”.
Mr Hubbard, from Shrewsbury, a soldier with the 4th battalion The Mercian Regiment, was presented with the Op Herrick (Afghanistan) medals by the prince, the regiment’s colonel-in-chief, yesterday.
It was the 31-year-old’s second military accolade – having served in Iraq as well in 2005 for six months.
Recalling and contrasting his time on the ground in both Basra and Helmand, he said: “In Iraq we were force protection so we had comfy beds, showers and fresh food from a canteen.
“The last three months in Afghanistan we were living it rough . . . so it differed greatly.
“It was much more a war-fighting role in Afghanistan than it was in Iraq, but that is the nature of the conflict, I suppose.”
Clutching his campaign medal, he added: “It was a lot more proud a moment than I thought it would be. Marching down by the palace with the band – it was quite a big thing.
“You could feel the hairs on the back of your neck going,” he added, before he and the rest of the congregation, including other Shropshire soldiers, were whisked away for a grand reception in the lavish state apartments at St James’s Palace.
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