A SAILOR from Southend will join the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prime Minister David Cameron in a commemoration of 13 years of UK military operations in Afghanistan.

Lt Ben Kirby, 32, will be officer in charge of the colour party at the parade in London today.

Lt Kirby, who worked as a police mentor with 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles in the notorious Helmand province in 2011, is among more than 100 Royal Navy and 146 Royal Marines taking part in the event.

He said: “It was a really rewarding experience to work with the Afghan National Police.

“It was outside of my usual job, so I enjoyed the chance to do something different and make a difference.

“This parade is an appropriate opportunity to remember the Afghanistan campaign and I am proud to be a part of it.”

All the personnel attending were involved in the campaign, from fighting on the ground and in the air, to providing medical and logistical support to troops.

More than 5,000 Royal Navy and Royal Marines, including reservists, served in Afghanistan, working alongside Army and RAF comrades to make it a safer and more stable country.

The last UK base was handed over to Afghan security forces last October.

A service at St Paul’s Cathedral will be attended by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Gloucester, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, service chiefs and other senior political and military figures.

After the service, which will also honour the 453 servicemen and women who lost their lives during the campaign, the Prince of Wales will take the salute from the parade of Armed Forces’ personnel.

A flypast of aircraft used in the campaign, including Chinook, Apache and Sea King helicopters, Hercules transport and Tornado fighter planes, will take place over the parade and the cathedral.