Standing Tall

Corporal Andy Reid was an ordinary soldier, serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. But his life changed forever on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, when he was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device. He had lost both legs and his right arm, while the index finger of his left hand was almost completely removed. Yet he did survive, and less than a month after being blown up, he was reunited with his patrol back in Warminster. He went on to have a pair of prosthetic legs fitted, which allowed him to go on a world cruise with his fiance Claire in 2010. In the same year he was nominated for and won the Sun's Military Award. In between he has cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, skydived, and made a number of appearances on behalf of service charities. Andy's story demonstrates how, with patience, courage, and determination, hope can triumph over despair. But he has two stories to tell. The first is the story of Corporal Reid, Burma Company, 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment: Infantry Section Commander. Then there is the story of Andy Reid, triple-amputee skydiver, cyclist, charity fundraiser, husband, and father. Andy is acutely aware that for every injured soldier like him, there are many more who have their spirits crushed with despair as they face a lifetime of pain, disability, and impairment. Even those who seem to make a full recovery may not yet exhibit the true extent of their mental injuries. He is not seeking pity or admiration, but he does want to make sure that we, the general public, know, as much as someone who has not been there or been through it themselves can ever know, what opertations in Afghanistan are like, what happens to those who get injured, and what future they might have.