A FAMILY-OF-FIVE have created military history as the first to have triplets serving at the same time.

The three 16-year-olds all decided to follow in the footsteps of their Colchester soldier father and join.

Regimental Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Class One Mark Duffy, 39, is an Army medic.

He serves with 16 Medical Regiment based at Colchester Garrison.

WO1 Duffy married Traci, 40, from the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps before she gave birth to the triplets Connor, Lauren and Mirran.

The children, who grew up in Colchester but who currently live in Hampshire, have been training at Farnborough Military Preparation College.

Mum Traci said: “We are very proud of the triplets.

“We are over the moon they have chosen something that they all want to do.

“I suppose with us both coming from a military background it’s been imbedded in them, they have made their own decisions and we have just supported them in their choices.”

The triplets were recognised at an awards ceremony earlier this month/ Mirran is aiming to become a combat medic in the Royal Army Medical Corp and could one day be based with 16 Med Reg in Colchester like her father.

Connor is aiming for the Army Air Corp while Lauren wants to start as a air despatcher in the Royal Logistic Corps and go into dog training at a later stage.

The Military Preparation College is a free college funded by the Government and the European Social Fund, which helps 16-to-19 year olds prepare for careers in the armed forces.

Mrs Duffy now works at a defence firm.

There have been triplets in the Army previously but never three serving at the same time, according to an Army spokesman.

As well as time in Colchester the triplets spent their childhood moving around, from Middlesbrough to Catterick to Germany.

Despite all joining together they will soon be separated for the first time with two beginning training in Yorkshire imminently and the third following in September.