PM praises our Christmas gifts for brave troops in Afghanistan

Christmas came early for the troops today (21/12) when The Sun delivered a gift of 200 Google Nexus 7 tablets to Afghanistan.

The state-of-the-art devices were handed out to our brave boys and girls in Camp Bastion, Helmand Province. Each Google Nexus 7, worth up to £199, contains an edition of the UK’s best-selling newspaper, specially created for
the military.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who was in Helmand at the same time, praised The Sun’s initiative. He said: "We owe so much to the brave men and women serving in Afghanistan - I'm delighted The Sun is giving them this treat."

Corporal Mike Hubbard, 34, from Shrewsbury, was among the first to get their hands on one. He said: "This is a great gesture and really appreciated.

"It's a nice Christmas present from The Sun. They're much easier to use than laptops, because they can be transported around and used in different situations."

The Sun’s Facebook page and website will also be hosting messages of support for the Armed Forces. Actors, sports stars, musicians and MPs from across the political spectrum have already sent their good wishes. The celebrity messages will be displayed on The Sun website – go to http://tinyurl.com/c8r3sps

Chelsea and England star Frank Lampard said: “I just want to wish all our service men and women a very happy Christmas and a great New Year. Thank you all so much for all you do for us throughout the year, but especially at this special time of year when so many of you are away from your families and loved ones. All the best.”

Sir David Jason said: “Just to let you know we are all thinking of you at this time of year and thank you for all that you do for us. Keep your head down – you know it makes sense. “

Jessica Ennis said: “Just want to say a very big hello to everyone out there in Camp Bastion - I wish you a very safe and happy Christmas and want you to know we are all very proud of you.”

Readers can post their own messages of support by going to The Sun’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/thesun and/or tweet using #supportingtroops.

The new initiatives come hot on the heels of A Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards, which took place earlier this month. Also known as The Millies, the awards recognise the excellence and sacrifice made by Britain’s Armed Forces.

Dominic Mohan, Editor of The Sun, said: “The Sun has a long and proud history of supporting our boys and girls, and these Google Nexus tablets will be a fantastic Christmas gift for the troops. But most of all I'm sure they will
appreciate all the expressions of good will shown to them. Please get involved and provide your own messages of support on The Sun Facebook page and via Twitter.”

The Google Nexus 7 was awarded Gadget of the Year at technology website T3’s Gadget Awards 2012.

Further information
Dan McMIllan
Communications Manager
020 7782 6190
Dan.McMillan@newsint.co.uk

Notes to editors

IT company Jigsaw24 provided preparatory and operational support for the delivery of the Google Nexus 7 tablets to Afghanistan - www.jigsaw24.com

T3 is a gadgets website with the latest technology news, best gadget reviews and ratings, technology video and future technology trends for the latest UK consumer technology http://awards.t3.com/categories/gadget-of-the-year.