The biggest single contingent of Bradford men and women to be despatched to Afghanistan is announced today, which will raise mixed feelings in those closest to them.

On the one hand, we would all prefer that there was no need for our Armed Forces to be stationed in volatile, dangerous territories on the other side of the world.

Here in the Bradford district we have already felt the pain of losing soldiers and airmen in recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. On the other, there will also be feelings of immense pride in the fact that such a large body of local military personnel are doing their bit for their country.

In one sense, the announcement of their departure could have come on no better day than Positive Bradford Day: what better moment could there be to honour some of Bradford’s finest young men than on a day when we celebrated all that is great about our city and district.

The magnificent coming together of various businesses, agencies and organisations to promote all the good things about Bradford was even accompanied by an unseasonal mini-heatwave and it was heartening to see so many people gathered in the city centre with the sun shining down, their minds and efforts on putting forward the best image of the city.

It is a shame that the day didn’t, in the end, match up with the opening of the delayed City Park as originally planned. But we can have that to look forward to: Positive Bradford should not be just about one day, but about an ongoing vision for the future, a future represented – at least in part – by those young men going off to war, putting themselves literally on the front line of danger to represent this country’s interests on foreign soil.

Let us hope their tour of duty goes as smoothly as it can and that Bradford celebrates once again when the soldiers all come home safe and sound.