A British Army soldier and former pupil at De La Salle School in Croxteth, Liverpool has been awarded The Bronze Star by Americana for his courage under fire in Iraq.
Cpl Tommy Bond, 27, normally serves with the 2nd Regiment, The Royal Tank Regiment at Fallingbostel in Germany. However, this year he swapped his role as the operator of a Challenger 2 main battle tank for the world of the close protection team as driver and bodyguard to Brig Nigel Aliwn-Foster in Baghdad. The Brigadier was responsible for helping the Americans build and equip the new Iraqi security forces.
For Cpl Bond, who is unmarried and whose parents live in the Walton area of Liverpool, it was a dangerous mission and during his time in Baghdad his convoy was attacked six times. On one occasion one of the Range Rovers was destroyed in an explosion and on another the cars were ambushed and they had to fight their way out. Cpl Bond drove the convoy out of trouble despite having all the tyres punctured.
“Living in the American Embassy in what was originally Saddam’s Presidential Palace was hard,” said Cpl Bond. "Although the accommodation was luxurious, it came at the cost of being under attack by four or five rockets most nights. We were attacked so many times it became almost routine.”
No stranger to Iraq, Cpl Bond was one of the first into the country in 2003 in a war-fighting role, now he was there on a peaceful mission. “We aimed to try and award contracts to Iraqis to help develop the local economy,” he explained.
He underwent extensive training to become a member of the close protection team not only in honing driving skills, but as marksmen using standard SA80 British Army rifles as well as HK53 assault rifles and pistols. Thanks to his training and his cool head, Cpl Bond was successful in his mission to protect Brig Aliwn-Foster. The Brigadier has asked that Cpl Bond accompany him as a close protection team member on a tour of Bosnia starting in November.
Cpl Bond’s work in Iraq was recognised by the commanding American general, Lt Gen David Patreas who awarded him the Bronze Star. He was also sent a certificate by the Queen giving him unrestricted permission to wear it with his British uniform.
