Mark Wright

Mark William Wright, GC (22 April 1979 – 6 September 2006) was a soldier in the British Army and a recipient of the George Cross. He died in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, after entering a minefield in an attempt to save the lives of other injured soldiers. His actions were posthumously recognised with the award of the George Cross on 14 December 2006, and gazetted the next day. Wright had served in the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. Early life Before he joined the military, Wright lived in Edinburgh. Military career Wright joined the British Army in January 1999. After training, he joined the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in October 1999. He completed three tours in Northern Ireland within three years, and was Number One in a mortar detachment by 2003. He was deployed to Iraq with his battalion in May 2003. Back in the United Kingdom, he was promoted to corporal. He became a Mortar Fire Controller, and was deployed to Helmand Province with his battalion in May 2006. Death On 6 September 2006, Wright was on routine patrol in the region of Kajaki in Helmand Province. He entered the unmarked minefield with a small team after another soldier stepped on a landmine. While the first casualty was being tended, further landmines detonated as a landing space was cleared for a helicopter evacuation attempt, causing severe injuries to several others. Wright remained in the minefield, and ordered others out, but he was himself injured by another mine while making his way to the helicopter. He maintained the morale of the other wounded soldiers despite his serious injuries, including an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday" for a comrade also immobilised by the blasts. Wright later died of his wounds during the flight to the field dressing station, after a wait of many hours for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to scramble an appropriate rescue aircraft.