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When Staff Sergeant Andrew McFarlane heard his eighth comrade had died in 24 hours he decided to put pen to paper.

Sunset Vigil

The news is spread far and wide
Another comrade has sadly died
A sunset vigil upon the sand
As a soldier leaves this foreign land

We stand alone, and yet as one
In the fading light of a setting sun
We've all gathered to say goodbye
To our fallen comrade who's set to fly

The eulogy's read about their life
Sometimes with words from pals or wife
We all know when the CO's done
What kind of soldier they'd become

The padre then calls us all to pray
The bugler has Last Post to play
The cannon roars and belches flame
We will recall, with pride, their name

A minute's silence stood in place
As tears roll down the hardest face
Deafening silence fills the air
With each of us in personal prayer

Reveille sounds and the parade is done
The hero remembered, forgotten by none
They leave to start the journey back
In a coffin draped in the Union Jack

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The war in Afghanistan is suddenly front-page news. The casualties over the last couple of weeks have made it the topic of the moment. That, at last, will focus people's minds, make them think about the issues, think about what it must be like to be out there.

But, the press and media will only be full of it for a few days, it won't be long before people glaze over and say, with a sigh, ' oh no, not Afghanistan again!' Then the news about the war will be replaced with pages about some Celebrity's marriage problems or the comeback of a faded, jaded pop star. The war reportage will return to the dry mention of the death of 'another soldier', almost as an afterthought amongst news of other, more commercial, stories.

For those who are related to the boys and girls who are out there in Afghanistan, the reality is not so transitory; it is constant. The families carry on with their lives, dealing with the mundane, coping with normality, while at the same time knowing that their boy or girl may be fighting. Every time they relax, have a laugh with friends, have a drink too many, they dread returning home to find a man in uniform standing on the door step, the person who will bring them the news that will change their lives forever.

The lives of the families of those who die will never be the same; the loss of a loved one will leave a gap that will never be filled. The grief will lose its sharpness in time but it will always be there, heavy in the heart.

The lives of the wounded and their relatives too will change. The minor injuries are just a set back physically but inevitably they will leave mental scars that will fester. The very seriously injured have to face the rest of their lives with their disabilities; so will their families.

Today the war is front-page news, tomorrow it is old news and we move on. For those who are affected, killed, wounded, for those who are fighting, for those who are left behind, they can not just turn the page, they will have to live with the consequences of war; for life.

We must ensure that while we remember the dead, we must continue to care for the living, both the wounded and their families, for life.  We have to reluctantly accept that we are powerless to prevent our boys and girls being hurt but we must do everything in our power to ensure that they get the very best chance of getting better and then enjoying their lives despite their injuries.

At Help for Heroes it has been humbling to meet some extraordinary people. We know blokes who are blind but are playing football, have no legs but are skiing, have burnt faces but are smiling; there are hundreds and they are inspirational; they keep us going.

We have also met some of their families, some extraordinary people who are coping, getting on with it and they too are smiling, despite the pain.

We know others, people who are not related to anyone in the Forces, people who simply want to do something to help, to show they care, to do their bit. There are hundreds of thousands of them, a Civilian Army, just ordinary decent people who are not content to sit there and grumble, these are people who take action and do. That is wonderful.

The media coverage will reduce but the war will go on and our boys and girls will continue to risk their lives on our behalf. We can’t be there with them but we can help by doing our bit, by raising a huge amount of money and ensuring that they know that we care, we think about them and we will get them the very best; God knows, they deserve that.