At the grand old age of forty two Corporal Joey Carragher, serving with Ranger Company 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment who is currently attached to the 2 Para Battlegroup brings a smile to all those in Sangin town deep in Helmand's notorious province. Why? You might ask. Well, it's like this. Having flown in a large RAF Chinook helicopter for up to one hour you yearn for the helicopter to land. This is the safest method of travel from the relative safety of the rear base, Camp Bastion, to the front line bases such as Sangin District Centre, Sangin DC. When you run off the aircraft, when it lands inside the base in Sangin struggling to carry all your kit and equipment, the first set of friendly eyes you will come across is Corporal Carragher or Joey to his friends. 'Follow me guys and I will get you a wee cup of tea,' is the opening line followed by, 'Have you any problems?' Of course in the army it is all too easy to scream and shout, 'Right let's go, get your kit on, follow me!', but that's not Joey's style. Having served with Joey for almost sixteen years if I had a pound for every time he gave me a cup of tea I think I would be a very wealthy man.

It has been eight weeks since Joey and Ranger Company deployed to the front line in Sangin town in Helmand Province. Mortar attacks, shooting incidents, minestrikes all seemed so abnormal but yet so normal. Joey currently is working as Ranger Company Storeman. That means he is responsible for the procuring, storing and distributing of all the water, food, ammunition and weapon systems for up to one hundred and fifty troops at any one time. Unbelievably in his down time he is the right hand man of the Company Sergeant Major when he deploys onto the battlefield to conduct resupply and casualty evacuation operations. Oh, and by the way, still manages to make everyone a cup of tea on the way!

Joey joined the army back in 1985 and since has conducted operations all over the world in countries such as Kosovo, Iraq, Northern Ireland and now Afghanistan. He is happily married with a young family who are his pride and joy. Somehow I think they manage to get a cup of tea now and again also. Only today we had two helicopters drop a load of stores including food, water and ammunition on the helipad, otherwise known as Joey's Golden Acre, inside the base in Sangin. As they lifted off a cloud of dust began to settle. There he was. Joey, masses of food boxes, countless amounts of ammunition all sitting where the heli's had dropped their loads. Puffing on a cigarette with his cup of tea in hand sitting on top of a box as proud as a lion guarding its den he looked up at me and said, 'Alright mate, do you want a drop of tea before we move all this kit?' 'Aye I said, that'll be dead on!' As if it was still sixteen years ago we puffed away, drank our brew then started to hump the heavy loads to the storage containers.

This is the way Joey is. He truly is the exact representation of devotion. If a soldier in his team has a need for anything he wants to put it right straight away. He treats all the soldiers, young and old, officer or in the ranks, as his own children. He has a saying, 'Don't let your soldiers do anything that you wouldn't let your own children do.' He has stuck to this train of thought for his whole career of twenty four years. Is Sangin DC a better place for the soldiers of Ranger Company due to the enormous efforts of Corporal Joey Carragher from Portadown? It certainly is. No matter what time of night or day they all know to go and ask Joe. He'll sort it out.

The soldiers of Ranger Company continue to make Sangin town a better place for all. They move around in search of the Taliban in order to oust them from the area. Patrolling in the hot sunshine for hours on end can be extremely difficult when laden down with heavy equipment but the soldiers must continue and take the battle to the enemy. One thing always sticks in their minds though when they withdraw back towards base. 'A wee cup of tea would be great. I hope Joey's about when we get back in.' It doesn't take a lot of words to describe a simple guy from County Armagh, a great soldier and above all a father to all those around him. No need to say anymore. I think you all got the picture. Am off for a cup of tea with, you know who!