PAUL MCALEESESerjeant Paul McAleese, of 2nd Battalion the Rifles, died in Afghanistan on 20 August, 2009, as he tried to rescue a fatally-wounded colleague.Private Johnathon Young of The 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's), had been killed in an explosion, and as Sjt McAleese tried to reach him he was killed be a second blast.The two men were killed while on patrol in Sangin District, Helmand Province, on the day that Afghan voters went to the polls.Sjt McAleese was the son of John McAleese, an SAS man who led the raid that ended the siege on the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980.Sjt McAleese left a widow, Jo, and a son, Charley, who was born a week before he was deployed to Afghanistan.Sjt McAleese was born in Hereford on 18 October, 1979. He began his Army training in March 1997 and joined the 1st Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets in August. A natural soldier, he rose through the ranks quickly and found his calling in the Sniper Platoon.As a Rifleman he completed the demanding Close Observation Platoon course before going on to complete the Infantry's gruelling Section Commanders' and Platoon Sergeants' Battle Courses with distinction.A keen boxer and rugby player, he had completed tours of Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Kosovo, and relished life in Afghanistan where he had been outstanding as a Sniper Team Commander in Kajaki.He took over as a Rifle Platoon Serjeant following the injury of a colleague and had excelled on the streets of Wishtan, Sangin and been at the centre of many of the incidents in the weeks before his death.At the time of his death he was helping to secure a key thoroughfare in the Sangin area as part of providing security for the Afghanistan elections.His wife Jo said: "Mac, my husband, my best friend, my hero. You were an amazing Daddy to Charley and the best husband I could have ever asked for. We will love you and miss you for ever. We will always be so proud of what you achieved in your life and I am so, so proud to be your wife."Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson MBE, Commanding Officer 2 RIFLES Battle Group said: "Serjeant McAleese was one of the 'big men' in 2 Rifles whose military prowess was the envy of the rest of the Battalion. He had a huge rucksack full of talents - everyone looked up to him and wanted to be in his team. Militarily, there was nothing that he wasn't good at. He was fearsomely fit, a talented shot and a man who saw this campaign in its wider perspective."He had been superb in Iraq, our last encounter with the Queen's enemies, and he had stood very tall. Here in Afghanistan he has fought in Kajaki and in Sangin and died as a Platoon Serjeant, the job of all jobs, on election day, helping to give democracy a chance in Sangin."He had so much yet to give - he was on the track to greatness and was one of those men who was destined to promote first time, every time. The rest of us mortals could not keep up."His energy levels were unrivalled and he extracted the best out of my Riflemen, especially when sat behind his favourite sniper rifle. In the Serjeants' Mess, he was nothing but delightful and full of appropriately insubordinate mischief - always trying to photograph his fellow Serjeants talking to me."It was immensely satisfying to out-manoeuvre him once (I only did manage it once) and ensure he was 'snapped' with me."We will miss him dreadfully. There is a huge hole in this Battalion now that Mac has gone. And tonight, after a mad day in Sangin, it is taking time to come to terms with his loss. But, Mac, we are back in the fight. In fact we have been in the fight all day - for you as well as for the people of Sangin."Our first prayers now are for Joanne, his adored wife, and Charley, his precious boy of only 4 months, whom he talked about constantly. Be assured, little man, your father was a hero and we will never forget him. We will tell you all about him one day and you will be so proud."
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