Staff Sergeant John Postance, currently serving with Headquarters 43 (Wessex) Brigade, in Tidworth, is now on our TV screens as a line judge for the Olympic indoor volleyball at Earls Court.
A keen volleyball player and qualified referee, John volunteered for Olympic duties well over a year ago and was selected from almost 400 applicants.
"I was very excited when I heard that I was going to be a part of the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was a strange feeling to begin with - and then it hit home," said SSgt Postance.
"I have been playing volleyball for quite a number of years and qualified as a referee and volunteered for the Olympics. We were tested at a number of national and international events over the last year and whittled down to just 26 of us."
100 per cent concentration
John will have to be extraordinarily alert; it takes just 0.25 seconds for the ball to travel from the net to the baseline. And Hawkeye technology is not deployed for this sport, so the line judges have to be accurate every time.
To keep the identity of the judges secret, matches are assigned numbers, which are then matched to judges later on - so they cannot be approached by teams beforehand.
"You have to keep fit for this," John continued. "I play volleyball at least twice a week, as well as judging. My last match was Great Britain against Albania.
"Judging at this level is phenomenal. You can't imagine how exciting it is and how your nerves kick in, but once you start it's a 100 per cent concentration. If your mind wanders at any time, you stand a chance of missing something."
John is not allowed to mix with any of the Olympic players before or during the Games. "They are all massive athletes. I was surrounded by the United States team at one game I refereed and I felt small beside them. I am six foot one and they towered over me.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am proud to have been selected."