PETER McKinley has returned to Huddersfield to help recruit more youngsters to the Army.
Pte McKinley, 19, a former pupil of Royds Hall High School, Paddock, is based in Germany with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
He served in Iraq for five months last year, where he was a peace- keeper and helped set up a prisoner-of-war camp.
Pte McKinley has been mountaineering in the Alps and has gone on exercises in Germany and Poland, where he worked with tanks, helicopters and artillery.
He said: "I used to work in a supermarket and never got any satisfaction from that job.
"Being in the infantry is totally different. I am doing something different every day and am always learning new skills and gaining new experiences.
"Joining the Army has opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities.
"The highlight so far has been Operation Telic in the war against Iraq."
Pte McKinley was inspired to join the forces by a cousin who was already in the Army.
He is now looking forward to a tour of Canada in March, where his skills as a gunner will be tested.
Following that, the training starts again for a return to Iraq.
