Last updated 05:38, Friday, 04 July 2008

Corporal Sarah Bryant was killed on Tuesday, June 17 when the vehicle she was travelling in was struck by an explosive device.

Our angel: Sarah Bryant in her army uniform

Sarah had been serving in southern Afghanistan as part of the Helmand Task Force since March.

Sarah was born on December 17, 1981 to Des and Maureen Feely and grew up in Cotehill, near Carlisle.

She went to school at Cotehill village and later at Caldew School in Dalston.

Not a natural academic, Sarah persevered with school as a necessary intrusion to her love of outdoor pursuits, and all matters equestrian.

She was self-reliant and sometimes shy, but beneath this lay a strong-willed and determined girl.

From the age of 16 Sarah decided that she would join the army and at 20 she did just that, as a member of the Intelligence Corps.

From the outset she was recognised as a soldier with great potential and was identified as a having potential for a commission – but Sarah wanted to join the ranks and make her mark there.

Sarah underwent basic training at Winchester and Chicksands, passing in the summer of 2002.

It was here that she met Carl Bryant and they soon became engaged, although it was some time before they could be together.

Sarah was posted to 11 Military Intelligence Section in Herford, Germany, and she quickly established herself as a capable and level-headed soldier with an easygoing nature, but also as a determined professional as she completed her first tour of duty in Iraq.

In 2005 Sarah returned to the UK, based in Shrewsbury, and shortly afterwards was married to Carl in October of that year at the Holy Trinity and St Constantine’s Church in Wetheral.

Also in the intelligence Corps, Carl paid tribute to his wife, describing her as “funny, kind and the most amazing person to be around”. A devoted couple, Sarah and Carl had a great deal of respect for and doted upon each other. Carl described her as “an awesome soldier”, a common theme for all those who worked with her.

After completing her second tour in Iraq in 2007, Sarah was posted 15 Psychological Operations Group based in Cambridgeshire.

Her experience as a security, and in particular as a combat intelligence operator stood her in good stead for this post, but it was her courage and tenacity, coupled with a passion for her job that marked her out as an outstanding individual who commanded respect from her peers and superiors alike.

It is testament to this that Sarah had been pre-selected for promotion to sergeant at the first opportunity.

One of her commanders wrote, “She was an unforgettable colleague”, while her commanding officer said: “She had delightful charm, a sharp mind and gentle humour but was also utterly professional and an extremely adept psyops operator who was highly regarded by all who know her. She had the brightest of futures ahead of her.”

Life for Sarah and Carl was not all work. No more the quiet girl of her youth, Sarah was a bright and vivacious young woman who enjoyed the outdoor life and spending time with her husband. Her love of animals again came to the fore and they became proud and loving ‘parents’ to Tyson, their labrador.

Sarah was a respected soldier, a loving wife and a much-loved daughter. She touched the lives of all who met her and will be sorely missed. In the words of her husband, “Sarah was an awesome soldier who died doing the job that she loved, She was a truly special person who died a hero, She must never be forgotten.”