From dole queue to MBE for Bolton soldier Ollie Kingsbury (From The Bolton News)

From dole queue to MBE for Bolton soldier Ollie Kingsbury

8:16am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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A BOLTON soldier has been made an MBE for his role in Afghanistan, where he co-ordinated thousands of troops in the warzone.

Major Ollie Kingsbury was chief of staff of 19 Light Brigade during its period as Task Force Helmand from April to August last year.

Maj Kingsbury, aged 37, from Bromley Cross, said: “I am chuffed to bits. My mum said ‘wow’, but my wife asked why the wives don’t ever get anything — which is a fair point.”

The period saw the arrival of the first US Marines, the large-scale Operation Panther’s Claw and presidential elections in the country.

Maj Kingsbury’s role was to act as principle staff officer to the Task Force commander, effectively running the Task Force headquarters and providing detailed direction to the thousands of fighting troops on the ground.

He said: “It was a lifechanging experience in terms of the level of complexity and responsibility.”

Despite this responsibility, his citation reads: “No member of the staff has been under such pressure and no-one has worn the pressure as lightly. He has provided calm intellectual rigour, mental fortitude and focused determination under the most extraordinary of circumstances.”