Glenn Crangle, a TA soldier serving with the Imjin Company of the 2nd Battalion, says it will be a "proud" moment for him when he is marching alongside colleagues in such an event.

VIDEO: Royal Irish medal ceremony

The 29-year-old Bangor man was speaking after receiving an operational medal for a six-month stint on the front line in Helmand Province.

However, the retail employee expressed sadness that the issue had been politicised and that a section of the community in Northern Ireland remained opposed to the presence of soldiers on the streets.

Glenn reflects fondly on the support he and his colleagues received in Afganistan from well-wishers back home.

The RIR man also explains what conditions are really like in the volatile region, how he is coping with his 'decompression' phase and his "great honour" at being bestowed with an operational medal by Lord Brookeborough on Saturday.

A homecoming parade in Belfast on 2 November will be preceded by a similar events in Ballymena and Larne. In the latter, RIR soldiers will be granted the freedom of the borough.