A Great Welcome Home for Signals 22

I was very proud of Stafford's civilian population for its tremendously warm "welcome home" message to the soldiers of 22 Signals Regiment on their return from active duty in Afghanistan.

Masses of people lined the streets leading to Market Square. So loud were there cheers as the soldiers marched past that those of us waiting in Market Square knew the soldiers were approaching long before we saw them enter the Square.

It really was warm welcome from the public. This welcome was most sincerely given and I could tell, when I spoke to soldiers later in the day at the military base, that the soldiers themselves were greatly impressed by the warmth of their welcome.

Stafford and its residents gave the 22 Signals Regiment a friendly welcome last year and turned out in the town centre in good numbers for the first exercise of the Freedom of the Borough last April. But this year was bigger and better in every sense. I think we have sealed a genuine two-way relationship between our civilian and military citizens.

I hope that this mutual trust and respect will be long-lasting to the benefit of us all and certainly I will work to keep it strong in all that I do as the town's MP.