Farnborough, Hampshire, England, UK
Army, Rifleman, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
12/15/2009, Sangin, Afghanistan
Rifleman James Stephen Brown was born in Farnborough Hospital, Orpington, Kent, on 9 January 1991. He joined the Army in 2009, completing initial training at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick before passing out to join 3rd Battalion The Rifles in October 2009.
He attended the individual reinforcement course for Operation HERRICK and deployed as a battle casualty replacement in late November 2009 where he joined B Company Group.
Rifleman Brown sadly died on his way to hospital in Camp Bastion from injuries sustained from a suicide improvised explosive device blast on Tuesday 15 December 2009.
The Brown family said:
“James Stephen Brown, a son, brother, uncle, boyfriend, and a friend. You were a true hero and will be dearly missed. We all love you so much. You died a hero living your dream and you will always be in our thoughts. Your actions will always speak louder than words ever could.”
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer 3 RIFLES Battle Group, said:
“Rifleman Brown was a young man only just embarking on his chosen career with the Army and The Rifles. He had been with the battalion for a desperately short time but was showing the promising signs of a soldier with a bright future. He had already made a lasting impression on his fellow Riflemen with his immense courage, infectious confidence and talent for making people laugh.
“Amid this tragedy, we take some small comfort but immense pride in the fact that he and the soldiers who died with him, both Afghan and British, averted a much larger tragedy. Their sacrifice prevented two suicide bombers from reaching their intended target, the bustling and ever more prosperous Sangin bazaar, packed with local Afghans going about their daily business. What he lacked in experience he made up for in enthusiasm, young yet keen to please and with a voracious appetite for work and fun in equal measure. It is all the more difficult to come to terms with the loss of one so young and we are all deprived of the joy of watching his promise unfold. Few will ever rival his commitment and sacrifice. We remain fiercely proud of his all too brief but lasting contribution to our current challenge. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”
Rifleman Atkinson said:
“I only knew Rifleman Brown for a few months but he made a lasting impression on me and all others who met him. He looked to help everyone when he could and was very much a ‘team player’ whether in the field or even on the football pitch. He was a very outgoing person and it did not take him long to make good friends. He made everyone around him laugh and always saw the positive side of life. Rifleman Brown was someone who always spoke about his family, especially his dad, mum and girlfriend who he missed very much. His loss is felt massively within the platoon. He was and always will be a true Rifleman. Rest in peace, mate.”
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