THE Oxfordshire airman killed in a rocket attack in Iraq was a key member of a team dedicated to saving lives in his local community.

Sergeant Duane "Baz" Barwood, a 41-year-old married father of two, lived in Carterton and regularly put in five hour shifts as a First Response volunteer for emergencies in west Oxfordshire.

Yesterday, the man in charge of the team, Flight Sergeant Ian Marshall, paid tribute to the RAF Brize Norton serviceman who died when the British base at Basra airport came under fire on Friday.

Sgt Barwood was the deputy leader of the First Response team set up in February 2006 using volunteers from RAF Brize Norton.

The neighbourhood aid system depends on trained local people to go to accidents and emergencies before ambulance teams arrive on the scene.

Flt Sgt Marshall said: "Baz was a real top bloke. He did almost the top number of shifts for us, clocking on after work and on hand through till midnight. He was always focused.

"It's just a real shame. I did not know him as a friend to go out drinking with, but he gave his time freely and was always cheerful.

"Every time we go out we think we can save a life. I know that Baz has had to deal with two serious cardiac cases.

"I only spoke to him a couple of weeks ago. Like everyone else, I'm absolutely gutted about his death."

Sgt Barwood had been at Brize Norton for a number of years and yesterday Carterton mayor Phil Scott spoke of the grief in the community over his death.

Mr Scott said he would personally be delivering condolences to the family on behalf of the town.

He said: "This is close to home. You hear about deaths in Basra, Iraq and Afghanistan and the bodies flown home through Brize Norton.

"But when it happens to someone on your own doorstep, your heart really goes out to the family in your community."

Though Brize Norton, the biggest RAF base in the country, has servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been few instances of fatalities.

Mr Scott added: "In January, there was a guy killed in a helicopter accident in Afghanistan and the best man at his wedding lived just over the road from me.

"You really feel it when it happens to someone that close.

"I did not personally know Baz, but I know he will be sadly missed. Everybody is talking about it."

Sgt Barwood was the first British serviceman to die in Iraq this year, but the 175th British military casualty in Iraq since hostilities began in March 2003.

Sgt Barwood was a member of the Airfield Support Mechanical Transport section. No further details have been released about the circumstances of his death.