A Worthing soldier will receive the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales today in recogniition of his bravery in Afghanistan.

Flight Lieutenant Matt Carter, 32, of the Royal Air Force Regiment, served as a forward air controller is described as having been "critical" in destroying Taliban positions.

Flt Lt Carter's citation reads: "On 4 June 2006, Flight Lieutenant Matthew Carter of the Royal Air Force Regiment was deployed with 16 Air Assault Brigade on an operation against a suspected Taliban compound outside the town of Now Zad in Helmand Province.

"During the first of three contacts, Flight Lieutenant Carter coordinated and directed close and accurate attack helicopter fire support with devastating effect on the Taliban.

"During the last contact, he left his vehicle, fearlessly exposing himself to significant risk as he forced his way to the front of the firefight to join the forward troops.

"This enabled him to direct aerial cannon fire against a determined enemy 30 metres in front of him.

"This was essential given the ferocious weight of the incoming fire from the Taliban. His direction of these engagements proved critical, destroying the enemy location completely on one occasion.

"He remained with the lead dismounted elements of patrols platoon and took part in the immediate compound clearance.

"During this time Carter repeatedly risked his life in order to enable the patrols platoon to regain the initiative.

"On July 14, Flight Lieutenant Carter participated in a battle group operation to capture or kill a high value Taliban leader.

"During the insertion to the helicopter landing site the first wave of Chinooks was heavily engaged by Taliban machine gun and RPG fire, forcing the aircraft to lift off after only 20 seconds on the ground.

"Carter was still onboard one of the Chinooks, but he realised the vital role he would have to play in calling in air support to suppress the enemy, so he jumped some 15 feet from the tail ramp into the darkness.

"Immediately he got into the cover of a nearby ditch and called in an aircraft to counter the principal threat of an enemy machine gun.

"He controlled the aircraft's heavy attacks, which were close to his own location, and destroyed the Taliban position only a few metres away.

"As a result, the remaining aircraft were able to land the rest of the battle group, and the mission was successfully completed.

"Flight Lieutenant Carter's gallantry was again decisive, and his selfless actions have been recognised by the award of the Military Cross."

When the award was announced Flt Lt Carter told The Sentinel, our sister paper in Worthing: "I was so busy thinking about what I had to do I didn't give much thought to the consequences.

"You accept there is a risk there, you do the best you can to do your job and the training gets you through. "We were very much going over there to try to bring some security to the Afghans in Helmand, which is incredibly lawless.

"The Taliban were stopping us doing this. The only thing to do was to start to defend ourselves."

Flt Lt Carter said the threat of Taliban attack, by sniper, mortar shell or suicide bombing, was everpresent as troops conducted security patrols and other duties such as supplying villages with fresh water and medical supplies.

He believed the Army could succeed in its mission but it would take years rather than months.

Flt Lt Carter, a former Worthing High School pupil who was raised in Offington, left for Afghanistan just three months after his wife, Ali, 30, gave birth to his twin sons Jack and Harry.

He is one of two soldiers who will be presented with the medal - one of the highest awards for gallantry in combat - at today's ceremony.

Lance Corporal Nicholas Coleman, from Plymouth, of the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, will be honoured at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

L Cpl Coleman and his unit were under fire from insurgents during a raid on terrorist suspects in July 2006 when he ran back to rescue his injured team leader.

He carried him away from the firing before returning to help another colleague, 28-year-old Corporal John Cosby. When he realised he would not be able to save Cpl Cosby he returned to the battle until the unit was pulled out.

Also to be honoured today is former Press Association northern editor Peter Beal, who receives an MBE for services to journalism.

During 30 years with the agency, mostly in the North, he covered the miners' strike, the Lockerbie, Kegworth and Manchester Airport air disasters, the Heysel and Hillsborough football tragedies, the Bradford City fire and the crimes of killer GP Harold Shipman.

T4 presenter June Sarpong will receive an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity.

Sarpong is an ambassador for the Prince's Trust and a supporter of both the Samaritans and the Make Poverty History campaign.

An MBE will also be awarded to paramedic Tom Lynch, who developed his idea of responding to 999 calls on a bike into the pioneering London Ambulance Service Cycle Response Unit.