Sergeant Loughran-Dickson died on duty in Afghanistan after being shot on a routine patrol near Patrol Base Wahid, in Nad-e-Ali District, Helmand Province on November 18, 2009.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson, known as Robert to his family, Rob or L-D to his friends and colleagues, was 33.

He was the proud father of a son, also named Robert, born in September 1992.

The Dickson family paid the following tribute: "Robert is a true hero in many ways of whom the whole family are extremely proud. He gave the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved and was devoted to. A beloved father, son, brother and uncle. You lit up our lives and that light will stay bright forever. You will be greatly missed but always loved by all."

The youngest of three children, he was born and raised in the town of Deal in Kent. Together with his two sisters, he attended a local village primary school of fewer than 100 children, followed by the town's secondary school.

He enlisted into the Army in 1997, in the Royal, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

In 2001 he transferred to the Royal Military Police and has deployed on operations in Kosovo, Iraq, Northern Ireland and finally Afghanistan.

He was initially posted to 156 Provost Company and subsequently moved on to 160 Provost Company, 4th Regiment Royal Military Police which led to his deployment on Operation Herrick 11, in Helmand Province.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson held a variety of positions during his time in the Army, including Police Post Non-Commissioned Officer, Motor Transport Non-Commissioned Officer, and Crime Reduction and Local Intelligence Officer. This last job was the one in which he got the most job satisfaction, giving crime reduction presentations, visiting schools or processing intelligence, and the job where he gained his promotion to Sergeant.

He was a keen runner, who enjoyed marathon races, as well as hill-walking and swimming.

His Commanding Offocer, Lieutenant Colonel Debbie Poneskis, said: "Sergeant Loughran-Dickson was an exceptional soldier and was completely committed to the Royal Military Police; he will be sorely missed by the Regiment and by the military community in Aldershot.

"Prior to his deployment to Afghanistan, Sergeant Loughran-Dickson was the Local Intelligence Officer and a Community Policeman; he excelled in this role, where his calm personable nature, dedication and commitment plus his consistent enthusiasm for the job, made him stand out.

"He was totally professional, easy company and was the first to volunteer for anything – whether it was helping his colleagues, attending community events out of hours or taking on additional tasks. I had absolute faith in Sergeant Loughran-Dickson: he was utterly reliable, wise beyond his years and he simply got on with the job, quietly and without fuss."