Promising model puts career on hold for military tour

Dec 20 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

AN ASPIRING young Liverpool model is to put his career on hold after being called upon by the Army to serve Queen and country in a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

Mike Brazier, who has recently been invited to audition for The Clothes Show, will next February swap the glamour and glitz of the catwalk for desert camouflage gear as he heads for Kabul.

The 22-year-old is one of 31 soldiers from 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment – a Territorial Army (TA) infantry battalion – who have been mobilised to serve for six months in the Afghanistan capital.

Being mobilised, the 31 are now in training towards deploy-ment in February 2008 where the platoon will carry out force protection duties at the head-quarters of the International Security Assistance Force, mainly guarding the complex and patrolling the local area.

In June the Merseyside sold-iers took part in training in Exercise Tricolour Dragon on the Massif Central in France, where they undertook peace support exercises in preparation for imminent deployment.

As a TA platoon, the soldiers all serve the British Army on a paid, part-time basis in their spare time.

The platoon is led by a solicitor specialising in criminal law and includes a fast-food restaurant worker, a hospital porter, a build-ing site labourer, a plumber, a mechanic, a fork-lift truck driver and a baker – but all lead double lives as professional soldiers. The TA is an integral part of the British Army, representing over a quarter of its total manpower.

Mr Brazier, from Croxteth, is a Kingsman in 4 LANCS.

The former pupil of De La Salle High School serves with A Com-pany 4 LANCS, based in Norris Green, Liverpool.

The eldest son of Robbie and Christine, he joined the TA 12 months ago, combining his military venture with a job at McDonald’s restaurant at Stonedale Retail Park and a fledg-ling modelling career.

He has also recently got engaged to Catherine, 18.

Kingsman Brazier said: “My modelling details are up on two websites and then I got an email out of the blue from the Clothes Show.

“They said that if I sent more pictures I could be part of a show in London in November.

“I wanted to do it, but then this tour came up for Afghanistan and I wanted to stick with this commitment. I am really excited about it to be honest.

“It’s good that I can go and do something for my country. I have got a mate out there now with 6 SCOTS, who we will be replacing.

“He says it’s a good tour.

“Every soldier, whether regular or TA, joins the Army to go on tour.

“It is what we are trained to do and what we want to do and I know my family will be proud of me for doing this as well as pursuing a modelling career.”

Also in the platoon is Corporal Jeff Murphy, from Old Swan.

In civilian life he is a theatre porter at Liverpool’s specialist heart and chest hospital the Cardiothoracic Centre.

Cpl Murphy, 42, is the partner of Carol Edgar, son of George and Betty and the father of Paul, Daniel and Elisha.

The former pupil of Highfield Comprehensive has served in the TA for 23 years and previously served in Iraq with 1 CHESHIRE in 2004.

“I am looking forward to going to Afghanistan.

“These are a great bunch of lads,” said Cpl Murphy.

“There is a mix of young and older lads from the battalion.

“I will be a team leader, which means I look after a team of four, administering command and control.

“We are going to the Nato HQ in Kabul and we will be working alongside other nations.

“Last year, I trained with Estonian soldiers and have also trained before with Slovakians and Lithuanians.”

Another Merseyside soldier in the platoon is Kingsman Andy Roberts, 24, from Kirkby, the partner of Donna, 22, and father of two-and-a-half-year-old Ellie-Mae Maddocks.

The former Roughwood Comprehensive School pupil combines his day job as a building site labourer with serving in the TA, which he joined over three years ago.

He added: “I am going to Afghanistan as a medic.

“Now we have started the training, I am looking forward to getting out there.

“There is a lot of army background in my family and it’s something that I have wanted to do for a long time.”

carolineinnes