Junior soldier from Rugby is simply the best!

Private Christian Baker, 17, was given the award for Best Junior Soldier in the Royal Armoured Corps at the college at Uniacke Barracks.

He joined the Army Foundation College for a unique course combining vocational education and military training.

Christian, a former student at Princethorpe College, even got to go skydiving and rock-climbing in Cyprus.

He said: “I’m proud of being chosen, but I feel shocked because I thought there would have been better people.”

Christian, who gained practical soldiering skills and passed NVQs in maths, IT and English, now hopes to join the Queens Royal Hussars.

The graduation parade at Uniacke Barracks was the finale of the course and thousands of relatives and friends watched the Junior Soldiers pass off the square.

Lieutenant Colonel William Strickland, the college’s commanding officer, said: “The graduation parade is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication both by the junior soldiers and the college staff that train them.

“The Junior Soldiers can justly be proud of their achievements at the College, and the staff and I wish them well as they go forward to the second phase of their training at different establishments throughout the country.”

Prizes were presented by Lieutenant General James Bashall CBE.

He is commander of the Army’s Personnel and Support Command.