Tributes to female bomb expert

Tributes have been paid to the first female bomb disposal expert to be killed whilst serving in Afghanistan

Captain Lisa Jade Head of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the Royal Logistics Corps, was killed in Helmand Province on Monday having disabled one homemade bomb when another exploded.

The 29-year-old from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, deployed to Afghanistan on 27th March but was flown home after the incident to be treated in Birmingham, where she died on Tuesday.

Her regiment’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Adam McRae says: ‘Capt Lisa Head will be remembered by the officers and soldiers as a passionate, robust and forthright individual who enjoyed life to the full.

‘She was totally committed to her profession and rightly proud of being an ammunition technical officer,’ he says. ‘She took particular pride in achieving the coveted ‘High Threat’ status, which set her at the pinnacle of her trade.’

Capt Head’s family issued a statement saying they were extremely proud of Lisa, who said she had the best job in the world and that she loved every second of it. ‘Lisa had two families – us and the Army,’ they said. ‘No one was more loved.’

The IED, Lisa’s improvised explosive device disposal team, applauded her strong character and leadership qualities, saying: ‘It was a pleasure to work with you for the short time we had together. You certainly are a northern girl with your strong will and ability to put us lads in our place.’

Capt Lisa Head is the second British female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan. In June 2008, Sarah Bryant, 26, died alongside three SAS men in a roadside bomb attack in Lashkar Gah.

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