SARAH BRYANTCorporal Sarah Bryant of the Intelligence Corps was the first British servicewoman killed in Afghanistan since operations began there in 2001.
She was killed along with three other soldiers - Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin and Paul Stout - when their vehicle, a Snatch Landrover, was caught by an explosion while on operations near Lashkar Gah, the capital of the Helmand province, on 17 June, 2008. A fifth soldier was wounded by the blast.
The deaths brought the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since operations began there in 2001 to 106.
Cpl Bryant, who was 26, was a member of the 15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operations Group which is based in Chicksands, Bedfordshire. She had been attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan since March, working as a Target Audience Analyst.
Her skills included speaking the local Pashtu language and among her tasks was monitoring Taliban telephone and walkie-talkie communications.
Sarah Bryant, who was born in Liverpool on 17 December, 1981, began her army career in 2002 when she joined the Intelligence Corps. Her first posting after training was in Germany and she later served on two six-month tours to Iraq, leading to her recent promotion to corporal.
She was married to Corporal Carl Bryant, a fellow soldier in the Intelligence Corps.
"Although I am devastated beyond words at the death of my beautiful wife Sarah," he said, "I am so incredibly proud of her. She was an awesome soldier who died doing the job that she loved. My wife knew the risks, she was there because she wanted to be, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.
"She was funny, kind and the most amazing person to be around. I will never stop being thankful for the time I spent as her husband. I love her now and always, with all my heart, as do her proud parents, friends and family. My wife was a truly special person who died a hero. Sarah, as with all our fallen, must never be forgotten."
Her father, Des Feely, said that Sarah had dreamed of being a soldier "ever since she was a schoolgirl" and that he took comfort from the fact that she died "for a cause she believed in".
Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Suggit, was among the colleagues who paid tribute to her: "Sarah had the brightest future ahead of her, both in her career and her personal life. She was utterly professional and highly regarded by all who knew her.
"She had courage, passion and flair for the role she was undertaking. I will miss her delightful charm, her sharp mind, her gentle humour, our close comradeship and seeing her take the many wonderful opportunities life would have presented. We mourn her, we salute her and we will remember the sparkle she brought to us all. She will live eternally in our thoughts and be ever named in our prayers."
Lieutenant Commander Shamus MacLean, Royal Navy, spoke of her experience operating on the ground in the "unforgiving environment" of Helmand and her "courage in the face of adversity".
"Ours is a difficult task," he said. "Today has been a hard day which has shaken us all but this too will pass. We will strive to continue the work already done to ensure that Sarah's sacrifice is not in vain."
Friend and colleague, Cpl 'OB' O'Brien said: "Sarah and I had only worked together for a short time but quickly became friends. She was the life and soul of the office always ready with a smile. She will be sorely missed by those who knew her, a special person who touched everyone she met."
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