Teenage sister of youngest soldier to die in Afghanistan follows him into Army ranks

Yestereday, Trevor and Jane Ford watched with a mixture of pride and trepidation as their teenage daughter courageously followed in her brother's footsteps at an army passing out parade.

It's probably only a matter of time before Emma Ford, 17, is posted to the war zones of Iraq or Afghanistan.

Passing out: Emma Ford, left, sister of Ben Ford - the youngest British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan - graduates from army college in the pouring rain

When that day comes her parents will no doubt be desperately worried about their only remaining child.

But they were putting on a brave face as the teenager successfully completed the first stage of her army career on a day of high emotion.

After a rain-soaked parade at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Emma said:'Today meant a lot to me, I wanted to make my brother proud.

'This last year has been fine physically but emotionally it has been a bit difficult.

'What I want to do now is get on with my life in the army but I will always be thinking of my brother.'

Proud: Emma said her training had been 'physically not that bad but emotionally a bit difficult'

Ben was a private serving with the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment in Helmand Province when the vehicle he was in was blown up during a routine operation on September 5 last year.

Another 23-year-old soldier also died in the explosion. Ben had joined the army at 16 and was on his first overseas posting when he died.

Emma had already decided to join the army as well and was due to start her year at the military college when news of her brother's death came through.

She delayed starting the course for several weeks and after much soul-searching continued with her chosen career.

Emma was among 600 young soldiers passing out at the college

She will now join the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and hope for the long and rewarding career which was so tragically denied to her elder brother.

Mrs Ford, 50, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said:'It's been Emma's day today and we are both so proud of what she has done. She's a star and despite the terrible weather, she looked good on parade.

'Obviously as well as being very proud of Emma, we were also thinking of Ben and he is in the back of our minds a lot.

'Looking at those young boy soldiers, standing there in the rain with their ears and noses red from the cold and not sure what the future holds for them did remind me of Ben.'

Asked about the prospect of their daughter also going to a war zone, she said:'We talked about this when Ben joined the army but they had both wanted to join up since being little.

'Ben always said he wanted to fight and he did but his death took a lot of coming to terms with.

'Now it is Emma's career and if she is posted out there then obviously we will be concerned but at the end of the day it is what she wants to do and we will support her all the way.'

Mr Ford, 55, added:'It has been a very special day for Emma, she has worked so hard after what happened to her brother and has battled through it.'

In a bid to help British troops abroad Emma and her mother are taking part in a sponsored parachute jump on the first anniversary of Ben's death.