Iraq combat soldier in Miss England final
Iraq combat soldier in Miss England final
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Saturday, 12, Jul 2008 08:06
A female soldier, who won a bravery commendation for fighting off insurgents in Iraq, is set to compete in the Miss England 2008 pageant this Friday.
Lance corporal Katrina Hodge, 21, will compete against 50 other women for the title which enables the winner to represent her country in the Miss World beauty contest.
L/Cpl Hodge, who was given the nickname of Combat Barbie by her regiment, is now serving as a military clerk in the UK at Frimley Park hospital. In 2005, she was deployed to Iraq to serve with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Speaking about the day she and her fellow soldiers were held at gunpoint after an accident where their vehicle flipped over, she said: "I was in complete shock at first. The force of the accident caused our vehicle to roll over three times and threw us off guard.
"As I came round, the Iraqi suspect was standing over us with the rifles. I knew if I didn't act fast then our lives would be in danger. I punched him and the force startled him enough for me to retrieve the rifles from him," she added.
Hodge added that it was a "great honour" to compete in the national competition and hoped to highlight the role played by the armed forces in defending the country through the pageant.