A NORTH-EAST Army medic has been undergoing training to help her save lives in Afghanistan.

Second Lieutenant Millie Corrigan joined Wessex Thunder, a Salisbury Plain exercise aimed at preparing soldiers for what British troops are experiencing in Afghanistan.

More than 1,000 recruits received training in countering improvised explosive devices, casualty evacuation, emergency medical care and fight logistics.

Lte Corrigan, a medical liaison officer to 1 Yorks infantry battalion, accompanied her colleagues in heavy fog and frozen fields to provide medical care when soldiers became “wounded” in fictitious battles.

The 23-year-old, from Esh Winning, County Durham, said: “The wind and torrential downpours on Salisbury Plain are crazy, but these are the frictions needed to stay focused on the job. I have been advising the commanding officer on how best to utilise the medical assets and the levels of his combat power by keeping track of the injuries sustained.

This is exactly what I will be doing on tour – advising during mission planning and making sure the medical assets are at the right place.

“I’ve developed good working relationships with the guys who will be deployed with me and I am looking forward to the tour as it is everything we train for.”

Lte Corrigan, a former pupil of St Leonard’s RC School, in Durham City, will be deployed to Afghanistan early this year.

Her parents, Richard and Julie, felt reassured that she would not be in too much danger but were concerned about what she may see.