A young Wistaston boy whose dad serves in the British Army, has been awarded a medal by military children’s charity Little Troopers.
Eight-year-old Archie Jacques has been awarded “Little Trooper of the Month” for coping with numerous challenges that come with having a parent serving in the Armed Forces.
Archie’s dad has been deployed overseas every year since Archie was born, for at least six months of the year.
He is currently on a 13-month deployment and won’t be home until next summer.
The family have moved home six times in eight years and Archie has been to seven different childcare settings.
This has means Archie has had to say goodbye to old friends and make new friends with each move.
The most recent move came just seven weeks before Archie’s dad went away again on active service.
Archie is not able to speak to his dad as communication is limited, but they have been writing free letters called “blueys” to each other.
The family’s pet dog Minnie also passed away recently just before they moved home.
Archie’s mum Jackie, who nominated him for the award, said: “Archie has shown so much strength and resilience during his life.
“There has been a lot of change and it’s been really hard having his dad away so much but he has dealt with it all amazingly well.
“He will always pick me up on days when I’m struggling and will always try to make me laugh and smile.
“I am so proud of him and all the military children out there who have to deal with so much change and heartbreak due to being military families.”
Archie will receive a medal, certificate and a £50 voucher from Little Troopers.
Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, said: “Having a parent deployed overseas and moving home frequently are two of the biggest challenges that military children can face, and Archie has had to experience both numerous times in his short life.
“We think that military children deserve to be recognised for everything they go through as part of the forces community, which is why we run our Little Trooper of the Month award scheme.
“We hope that Archie wears his medal with pride and that it helps him to realise he is a special little trooper.”
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