Maidstone marks Armed Forces day

Saturday June 30 marks the fourth Armed Forces Day when the whole nation is invited to show support for our military community both serving and retired, at home and abroad.

To mark this day General Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff, is encouraging the nation to fly the Armed Forces Day Flag and Maidstone held a flag raising ceremony on Monday 25 June at 10.30 a.m. in Jubilee Square.

The short Flag raising ceremony consisted of an armed honour guard provided by 20 Field Squadron (Search), the raising of the flag by Royal Navy Cadet, Kim Stevens, and Kukri dancing by the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers.  The flag will fly for the duration of the week prior to Armed Forces Day from the Town Hall flag pole.

Attendees included: the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie, Bill Cockcroft Deputy Lieutenant, representing the Lieutenancy of Kent, Chris Garland, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, Alison Broom, Chief Executive of the council, Major Mathew Short, Second in Command 36 Engineer Regiment (Search), Inspector Mark Hutcheon of Maidstone Police, and directors and councillors of Maidstone Borough Council. 

For more information about Armed Forces Day visit: www.armedforcesday.org.uk/index.aspx, or http://www.facebook.com/armedforcesday