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A teenage soldier awarded the Military Cross for bravery in Afghanistan said the news is still sinking in.Private Alex Kennedy, of 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, saved his injured officer and took charge of colleagues during a firefight with the Taliban.
The 18-year-old, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, is the youngest soldier granted the award since World War II.
"It is overwhelming, every... soldier's dream is to win something like this. It still hasn't hit me," he said.
He added: "I just shrug my shoulders, it's all I can do at the moment."
Pinned down
Pte Kennedy, who had only been in the Army for six months, was lead man in a patrol which came under fire in Garmsir, Helmand province last year.
The man behind him, patrol commander Captain Andy Bell, was hit in the legs and lay bleeding heavily.
Heavy Taliban fire and difficult terrain meant the rest of the patrol further back was unable to engage the enemy and support them.
Pte Kennedy gave Capt Bell first aid, organised colleagues to start returning fire then got on a radio to direct nearby armoured vehicles to provide cover and allow the rest of the patrol to move up and help. This was despite being knocked off his feet and left temporarily stunned by a bullet that ricocheted off his helmet.
Capt Bell, aged 26, from Manchester, said doctors later told him Pte Kennedy had undoubtedly saved his life, and he thoroughly deserved the award.
"It was certainly the most intense firefight that we'd had up to that point," he said.
"He almost certainly prevented further injuries that day."This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.