Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Corporal Sarah Bryant, of the Intelligence Corps, with her husband Carl, a soldier in the same regiment

The Guardian:

The husband of the first British servicewoman to be killed in Afghanistan today paid tribute to his “funny, kind and the most amazing” wife who died doing what she loved.

Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, a military intelligence soldier, was killed with three SAS reservists by a roadside bomb east of Lashkar Gah on Tuesday.

The three soldiers killed alongside Bryant in Afghanistan were named today as Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, of the Royal Signals, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31.

Carl Bryant, who is also a corporal in the Intelligence Corps, said: “Although I am devastated beyond words at the death of my beautiful wife Sarah, I am so incredibly proud of her.

“She was an awesome soldier who died doing the job that she loved. My wife knew the risks, she was there because she wanted to be, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Bryant, a Pashtu speaker whose work included monitoring Taliban communications, had been due to end a five-month tour of duty and return home next month.

Bryant’s father, Des Feely, said: “There are so many people both in the military and locally where she grew up that are not only going to be touched by this but also devastated at the loss of such a beautiful girl.

“Nothing much seems to have changed since the days of [Winston] Churchill’s famous speech. Never have so many owed so much to so few.

“We truly have lost the angel of the north. God bless to Sarah.”

Her body is expected to be flown back to the UK within the next few days. She will be buried at the church in Wetheral, Cumbria, where she was married two years ago, her father said.

Bryant’s mother, Maureen, told Sky News she was proud of her daughter’s achievements.

“Being a woman in a male-dominated environment, she gave it her all. She gave it everything and she paid the ultimate price for that, but I’m so, so proud of what she’s done and what she achieved.”

She added that due to their differing deployments, her daughter and son-in-law had only spent around six months together since their marriage.

The three soldiers were on a joint British-Afghan counter-insurgency mission and had been supervising a checkpoint manned by Afghan police, a British spokesman in Lashkar Gah said.

Reeve’s family described him as “a dearly loved son, brother, godparent, uncle, grandson and friend, who was loving, loyal, honourable, selfless and gentle, a pillar of strength that all could turn to”.

“Sean’s professionalism and determination for all that he did was an inspiration to all that were fortunate to have known him,” they said.

Larkin’s family described him as a “beloved husband, father, son and brother whose tragic and untimely death will be deeply mourned by his family, friends and colleagues”.

Stout’s family said: “Paul was a loving father and devoted husband. He was a wonderful son and brother and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. Our lives will be changed forever by this loss.”

The defence secretary, Des Browne, said all four were “immensely dedicated and professional”.

“They have made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their life alongside those of their comrades in pursuit of the aim of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.”

Bryant was born in Liverpool and joined the army in 2002 as a member of the Intelligence Corps. She was deployed to Afghanistan in March and had completed two tours of duty in Iraq.

Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Suggit, said: “Sarah had the brightest future ahead of her, both in her career - where she had been pre-selected for promotion - and her personal life. She had courage, passion and flair for the role she was undertaking, engaging with the people of Helmand province and trying to give them hope and confidence that they might eventually enjoy peace, progress and prosperity.”

Nine British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in as many days, most of them victims of roadside bombs and suicide attacks, as the Taliban change tactics to avoid open confrontation with Nato troops. Tuesday’s deaths take the number of British service personnel who have died in Afghanistan since the start of the US-led assault in late 2001 to 106.