Sergeant Steve Blake RLC
Sergeant Steve Blake is a professional Army Photographer with the Royal Logistic Corps. A trained soldier, Steve is currently serving a six-month tour of Afghanistan as part of the three-man Combat Camera Team (comprising a trained journalist, photographer and video cameraman).
Steve and the team are based at Camp Bastion in Helmand province but will spend most of their time out on the ground, capturing life on the front line.
Thank you
Well, it’s that time of the year again. The festive silly season is no doubt in full swing back in the UK, but here in Afghanistan, it’s a totally different story.
As the UK prepare to get obscenely drunk and eat masses of food and chocolates, the troops here in Afghanistan prepare for just another day!
Some will spend the day relaxing and playing games.
Some will spend the day patrolling through the bazaar.
Some will have the luxury of a cooked turkey dinner.
Some will be eating yet another ration pack.
Some will spend time on Skype to there families.
Some won’t even get the chance to ring home.
Some will go to bed full of Christmas cheer and food.
Some won’t sleep because they will be on duty.
Whatever happens here tomorrow, wherever they are, everyone will be thankful of one thing. The fact they are a day closer to getting home to their loved ones.
Whatever you do this Christmas, please, spare a thought for our Troops on Operations who won’t get to see their loved ones this Christmas. Be grateful for whatever ‘Santa’ brings you, but most of all, please be grateful, and raise a glass, to the people sacrificing there lives for your peaceful and terrorist-free Christmas. A lot of people won’t have the opportunity to see their loved ones ever again, and many more now have to face life-changing injuries.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and my blog over the past few months, the feedback on my imagery has been amazing. But most of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife Michelle, who has been my absolute rock since I departed the UK in September. Big hugs to my kids too, who I am missing terribly. Also not forgetting my gorgeous spaniels, Willow, Monty and Tia.
I wish my family, and everyone, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
All the best
Steve
merry Christmas to everyone in afghan
So much respect for all you Men & Women out there! Happy Christmas, you make us all proud!! Keep safe .. We are all thinking of you!! xx
You are all in my thoughts today and every day xx stay safe and I look forward to your next update and photos x
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, not forgetting a safe return x
Stay safe we are proud of you all . We just want you all home safe n sound we are so proud of you all words can’t tell you how much . Merry Christmas to all of you n your family’s x
Merry christmas to you all no matter where u are . It’s hard here so wouldn’t like to think how hard it is for you . No matter where you are you are in the hearts that all love you . We miss our loved one so much stay safe come home safe soon x
Merry Christmas to all the boys and girls in Afghanistan who are separated from their families at this special time. You are in all of our thoughts on a daily basis and we wish you all a safe return home to your loved ones. The job you do is a brave one and you deserve your Christmas dinner and presents as much as the next person, so to you all god bless and Happy Christmas and a safe 2012 xxxxxxx
happy xmas boyz hope and pray you have a good day and come home safe and well xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My prayers go out to all of you serving out in Afghanistan at this time of year. I hope you stay safe and come home soon.
merry christmas to all of yous lads over there and a safe return soon many thanks
merry christmas to you all,we are all so proud,you are all so brave and wonderfull.i wish you all the best at christmas,and to your families,you are always in our thoughts. safe journey home,
godbless you all.xx
what else can we say except from thank you.God bless you brothers your love for us will remain in our heart,your name will continue to shower from our lips and your scarifies for us all will be written on our forehead so that the world can see that you did this for us with your strength and might and you all will never be forgotten.Merry Christmas and happy new year.
Hello,
I will be thinking about all of the troops that have to be there and wishing them safey. I am from the states but I fully support both the U.S. and U.K. If you believe that you are without thought, I am just one woman cheering you on every day. Please come home safely.
Stay safe guys, always thinking of you all. Merry Xmas and all the best for the New Year.
good work to all stay safe and happy christmas
Steve, a very happy christmas and new year to you. Hope our getting some good snaps of my medics and my dogs. You take care, stay safe and I’ll see you when you come back – Tammy Dixon AMD
Keep safe all of you……….this country supports you all, believe me. “They gave their today for our tomorrow” rings true every day.
I ask everyone to read “For The Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon” tomorrow in memory of those who will never celebrate Christmas again.
have a safe Merry Christmas God Bless all. We in Canada thank you
all For our Freedom. Greg Ball-Irish Regiment of Canada.Fior Go Bas
God bless and keep each and everyone of you lads and lasses out there. A heartfelt thankyou from me and mine. SALUTE!
Merry Christmas Steve.
Not just on Christmas day but every day I think of you all x
Thank you so much!
Merry Christmas and my thoughts are with you all. So proud of every single one of you brave men and women!!! Stay safe!! Lots of Love, Jodie & Freya x
Thank you Steve for a beautifully thought out piece to put things in perspective, especially for those of us who are home with our loved ones.
God bless our Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen where ever they are and warmest wishes to their loved ones.
An old soldier.
when the wine gets passed around the table tomorow, ill be raiseing the glass for everyone out on ops good job guys always remember one day closer…stay safe
Just to say have a very, very safe Christmas and a Happy New Year – we will be thinking of you all.
Merry Christmas to you all out there xinxx
Merry Christmas Steve. We wish you a safe return to your wife, kids and dogs.
And, have a good year in 2012.
Merry Christmas to you and all the men, and women serving out there, I want to say a BIG THANKYOU for all you are doing to give us our freedom. May you all stay safe and a safe journey home when time comes. LOVE and RESPECT to you all. May 2012 see all of you going home and not having to go back to there.
Merry Christmas to all of our brave men and women working tomorrow. I will be sending you a special Christmas wish that you all have a safe return home to your loved ones x
Great job being done out there my son cpl mccullough is there with qrh on the warthogs we all will miss him this Xmas but our thoughts are with all the troops serving out there apart from their families .can’t wait til he gets home then we will have another Christmas just for him . Good luck and stay safe
Wishing you all safe Xmas and our thoughts are with you all
Thanks for blogging, stay safe, will be thinking of you all especially our son in A Coy xx
Happy Christmas Steve and love to the JMOC posse. Just pulling into Seaford station.. will be thinking of you all tomorrow (& I will ask my sister finally!!)
Happy Christmas to you all, stay safe, and i hope you are all back with your family’s soon, lots of love to each and every one of you xxxx
Steve, Merry Xmas, I have got 11 adoptasquaddie ‘sons’ & 1 Squaddette ‘daughter’ who I send parcels to. I’m alone at xmas. XX
Thank you for taking the time to write the above. What lovely words. Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas, a happy new year and most of all a safe journey home.
Heathrow co-ordinator for SOS (Support our Soldiers) charity
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wishing all our armed forces a very happy christmas and a safe new year- we areall so very proud of all you do in afghanastan -and keeping us safe at home -god bless you all. god save our Queen.
Feliz navidad para todos y en especial para aquellos que luchan y defienden la libertad y la democracia.
Por un mundo sin dictadores ni fanatismo, que las democracias triunfen, y que vuestra viligia y sacrificio sea reconocido.
“Feliz Navidad”
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Merry xmas steve mate hope your ok and enjoying xmas as much as you can ! Thankyou for your blog I’m an englishman living in south africa. And have introduced you to my wifes family and there gonna hook your blog. All the family here and at home send you best wishes for the season and hope you stay safe. There’s always a cold beer for you in south africa mate stay safe and send our very best to all our boys and girls who are hard at work with you ! Stay safe and we’ll chat soon jim .
Merry Christmas to all the bravest soldiers in the world. Thank You For all you do for our Freedom. God bless the Queen! God bless troops!
Thanks for your images They make what you boys over there are going through real for us civies keep up the great work (but keep your head down )merry xmas
Stay safe and looking forward to see more photo’s
Looking forward to see more photo’s x x x x
Lovely steve! Hope you had a good day. We did think of all of you over there. Stay well. Xx
Here’s wishing you all the most enjoyable christmas possible while away from your families and friends. May the new year bring you all home safely…..Best wishes everyone………Jan (Bolton, UK)…..xx
Dear all troopers out there.
It is already the new year in Singapore. Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Stay safe and Cheers!