Spotlight on...
| 04 October 2010
Lieutenant Dan Benstead, (Rammell 1999), 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, is to be awarded the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service.
Dan, now living in Battle, led his platoon through five months of almost constant attack by the Taliban. As a junior officer charged with leading 35 men in one of Helmand's most dangerous locations, Lieutenant Benstead's leadership and strength of character were tested to the full. With his patrol base only 200 metres from a permanent Taliban frontline on one side and a hostile village on the other, his men had only their officer's example to inspire them to overcome their inevitable fear and leave the base to enter into what became their daily fire fight with the enemy.
Dan began his military career at Sandhurst in April 2007, joining the First Batalion the Royal Anglican Regiment in August 2008 and is currently based at Pirbright in Surrey.
More information from the following link:
http://www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/newsrbo/Soldiers-bravery-recognised-with-Queens.6561125.jp
