Lance Corporal Christy-Lee Ray is the epitome of a British soldier - brave, selfless and dedicated to her job.

The 21-year-old military policewoman from the Isle of Wight is currently serving with 1 Royal Welsh in Afghanistan as a combat medic giving aid to British troops and local Afghans.

LCpl Ray said: "I've had to deal with a number of serious casualties during my time here. While it can be daunting it is what I'm trained to do. I have to be on top of my game at all times but there is no better feeling than helping someone on the road to recovery."

The pint sized soldier is the only female at the small Patrol Base in Nadi Ali, Helmand Province but the troops know that they can rely on her to be on hand to treat them no matter how small the aliment.

'Here to help the Afghan population'

LCpl Ray explained: “Being a British combat medic doesn't mean that I just help British troops. I was on patrol recently and a local Afghan woman stood on an IED about 200 metres away from our position. She had some very serious injuries including the loss of her arm.

“There was a male medic team just by her, but in spite of her injuries she would not let them treat her.

"From a medical point of view, such a reaction is crazy but we are also here to help the Afghan population and as part of this we respect their religious beliefs.

“When I reached her she was obviously distraught but because I was female she let me treat her.

“I worked quickly with another medic to apply a tourniquet above the wound, which stopped her bleeding and ultimately saved her life. Within 20 minutes she was picked up by one of our medical rescue helicopters and flown off to hospital.”

Children on the front line

Many of the victims of the IEDs are poor Afghan farmers or children, who pick up items like detonators thinking that they are toys, only to have their limbs blown off.

Such is the backlash from locals that British soldiers in many area are seeing many more ’walk-ins’ from Afghans fed up with the Taliban’s tactics and telling them where the IEDs are located.

“I am often asked what it is like being a female out on the ground. In all honesty, it’s not something I think about and neither do the lads. I have proved myself to be reliable and at the end of the day that’s what a team needs - trust that the person beside you is up to the task. I know I am up to it," says LCpl Ray.

“These guys would soon let me know if I wasn’t!

“Being a woman in this role can really help out here as there are big cultural differences. I have been able to help pregnant women and bring blankets and clean water into their rooms when they are giving birth which they wouldn’t allow a male medic to do.

"I am normally the only female in a Patrol Base so I am pretty used to it. The lads don't treat me any differently.

"I am only 5’3” so I do find carrying my kit can be tough work but it’s a case of just getting on with it. However, I do like to keep the odd female touch. I have kept my hair long - platted of course to comply with regulations."

First tour of duty

LCpl Ray’s boyfriend is also in the Army (3 YORKS) and is due to be posted to Afghanistan in 2011.

“The separation can be hard sometimes, but we are used to it.”

This is LCpl Ray's first tour of duty and, having joined the Army after Sixth Form College for a challenge, she is getting just that. She also completed a year’s extra training on top of her Royal Military Police training to be ready for the tour. She arrived in Theatre in October 2009 and is due to return to the UK in April this year.