Trooper Ben Rakestrow is speaking out about his time in the British Army and his service in Afghanistan, where he came out to his fellow soldiers:
"Yesterday he completed a gruelling six-month operational tour in the war zone with Egypt squadron, the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, and said the decision to come out was not easy.
He said: 'It was difficult to start with. I didn't know how they'd react.'
Trooper Rakestrow decided to reveal his sexuality during the middle of a military exercise on Salisbury Plain last year.
He said: 'I had been out at a nightclub and the next morning the lads all asked if I'd had any luck. I just said "His name was Ryan".
'Some of their faces dropped, and they asked if I was serious. They couldn't believe it.'
But Trooper Rakestrow, from Exeter, said it was the best decision of his life, adding that he was accepted and treated as an equal.
He said: 'I get banter from them all the time, but it's good banter. They all want to know about my life, they ask a lot of questions. I don't find it hard to talk about it.'"
You've gotta be really comfortable to be out and proud in the barracks with a Zac Efron quilt! Congrats to Trooper Rakestrow.
