Air assault brigade gets freedom of St Edmundbury
An Army air corps that served in Afghanistan is to receive honours from a council in Suffolk.
Army helicopter pilots, ground crew and technicians from 3 Regiment Army Air Corps based at Wattisham are to be awarded the Freedom of St Edmundsbury.
After the ceremony on Thursday 22 July 110 members of the regiment will march through the town.
They will then receive medals to mark their first tour from The Prince of Wales, their Colonel in Chief.
The regiment recently returned from a year in Afghanistan where three squadrons of about 150 soldiers each provided pilots, ground crew and technicians to fly and maintain Apache helicopters in Helmand.
Lt Col Paul Tennant said: "On moving from Germany to Wattisham in 1993, the regiment seeded a relationship with the town which has flourished in the years since.
"Past and present members of the regiment have enjoyed countless engagements with Bury St Edmunds including the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies.
"They have been sustained and fortified by their steadfast support; especially in recent years when operational commitments have been extremely demanding.
"The Freedom of the Borough represents the ultimate statement of that support.
"To confer it in July, coincident with the end of our latest 12 months of continuous commitment to operations, could not be more welcome or timely."