"It is impossible for me to express what my husband meant to me; daddy to our 18-week-old son, William, and my partner in crime, Stevie was my purpose, what makes me tick. A man of few but powerful words when it mattered, he lived by the motto 'If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much room'. This will be forever imprinted on our hearts. Stevie was a perfectionist - he prided himself on being the best and the best he was. His professionalism was highly regarded by all who knew him but it was his quirky, un-PC one-liners that really caused a stir. Steve loved to make people laugh and laugh with them. Stevie was a quietly proud man, proud to be a Royal, proud to be my husband and proud to be a daddy. Steve stood firmly for what he believed in; a man who lived by his convictions and fought vehemently for what he thought was right. Steve loved his family, and would be so proud of his mother and brother. We will carry your heart with us always. Engraved in my wedding ring the words 'Kirianne, my one, my love, my wife'. Stephen, sleep well my love."

"Ste was extremely proud of his northern roots. As a child his favourite place to visit along with older brother Sean was the cafe gift shop in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Another was the unheated, outdoor swimming pool in Otley which he would take great joy in jumping into; the water was always freezing cold - perhaps this was early training for the Marines!
His best friend Andrew Birmingham, who he met at the age of three and went through St Joseph's Junior and St John Fisher High School with, is currently flying back to the UK from Australia. Ste leaves so many friends in the area with whom he remained in contact after leaving home and all are deeply saddened. When Ste was in sixth form he worked at the local McDonald's so we always said it was McDonald's to the Marines for him. We were all immensely proud of him when he joined the Royal Marines and know just how much being a Marine meant to him. He always looked up to his older brother Sean and it meant so much to them both when at one period they served together in Afghanistan. Quite simply, without Stephen, Sean and I are lost."

"Corporal Stephen Curley was the very best of his generation; bright, fit, charismatic and supremely brave, he was a man who genuinely inspired others. Based with me in FOB Jackson, I saw in him a selfless, loyal, utterly dedicated and natural leader of men. He died on patrol in Sangin leading the men he loved, and alongside the men who loved him. His sharp wit knew few limits, particularly in the gymnasium where he reigned supreme, with both the RSM [Regimental Sergeant Major] and I regularly in the firing line. As a Marine he was professionally unrivalled - a Mountain Leader, a consummate tactician and a brilliant Section Commander who cared passionately for his men. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Kirianne and new-born son William, his family and his friends. He will be desperately missed by everyone in 40 Commando. Corporal Stephen Curley was, and always will be, a Royal Marine Commando."

"Corporal Steve Curley is irreplaceable as a man, a leader and a Royal Marines Corporal. He was the most consummate of all-round professionals and a man who I can proudly say that I have had the immense privilege to have commanded and worked alongside. Fiercely proud of being a Royal Marine and a Mountain Leader, he was a natural leader of Marines and had galvanised a group of young men in 7 Troop into an exceptionally strong and dynamic section who he was proud to call his own. At the heart of this single-minded professionalism was his energy and enthusiasm for everything, complemented by an utter vitality for life and the challenges that it brought. Nothing was ever too onerous for him and the more austere and challenging the task, the more he would revel in undertaking it; this infectious enthusiasm drove everything that he did, and all ranks in Charlie Company were energised by it. A man with the driest sense of humour and a wry Yorkshire wit, nobody in Charlie Company was safe from a Steve Curley one-liner no matter what rank or status you carried; the Sergeant Major and I speak from personal experience. Charlie Company Group mourns the passing of an exceptional young man who has touched us all during his tragically short life; a man who personified everything in the Charlie Company 'Spartan' ethos. I have no doubt that he would have risen to the highest echelons of the Royal Marines and I would have taken great pleasure and pride in championing this assent.
Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife Kirianne and his new-born son William; I am only saddened that this young man, unlike me, will never know just what a formidable and unique leader of men his father was.