A TEENAGER from Swindon has followed in his grandfather's footsteps 40 years later to serve with the elite Parachute Regiment.

Private Waisea Vakacegu, 19, was re-united with his proud grandad this week after spending six weeks on a military exercise deep in the African bush.

Waisea said joining the Paras was the fulfilment of a dream he has had since hearing grandad Timoci Tupou's Army stories as a small child.

Timoci said he couldn't believe it when his then 17-year-old grandson first told him he was going on the Parachute Regiment training course. He said: "I was very proud indeed but I thought he was too young, I thought he was a bit mad going in for it because it's so tough.

"I was over the moon when he passed, I know how hard it is to be in the Paras and I'm very proud of him."

Waisea, 19, from Park South, was in Kenya with C Company of the Parachute Regiment's 1st Battalion as part of Exercise Grand Prix, designed to test the British Army's ability to send forces to fight an enemy on the other side of the world.

Waisea learned how to fight and survive in the bush and the jungles of East Africa.

The 629-strong battle group taking part was led by Waisea's battalion and included paratroopers, artillery and helicopters, as well as support staff like engineers, medics, clerks, cooks and mechanics.

Waisea has also been to Austria and Northern Ireland with the regiment and part of his training in Africa involved firing live ammunition, which he found a rewarding challenge.

He said: "Live firing is like you are doing it for real. It's quite good fun as well. It's the first time that I've done it on a large scale, but it's easy because everything has been planned really well."

Being out in the African bush meant an added bonus of the six-week operation was that the soldiers got to see plenty of wildlife. Waisea said: "I've seen giraffe, zebra, baboons, springboks and plenty of ants."

During a week of adventure training Waisea also got to try his hand at white-water rafting.

Waisea's grandfather, a Fijian, joined the Paras in the early 1960s and came to Swindon in 1963 where he met his wife Eileen. They are now following their grandson's career with pride and looking forward to him spending much of his four-week Christmas leave with them.

Eileen said: "He has done very well. Getting into the Paras can be very tough, but Waisea has managed it and has also shown himself to be a good soldier."

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