A fellow soldier said: "He had a toddler son and twins a few years older and he wanted to spend time with them and his wife and to see them grow up but now that won't happen.

"Rich loved his wife and kids and talked about them a lot, but he missed out on a lot of quality time with them because of his dedication to the regiment. He wanted to do an operational tour to put himself to the test before hanging up his rifle."

Another former comrade said: "Rich was an intelligent, quick-witted, thoughtful and compassionate man, a dedicated family man and utterly professional soldier. His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him."