EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: Merlin goes operational in Afghanistan

Pictures of a Merlin helicopter flying over Helmand, after 10 days of operational flying the helicopters have reached initial operating capability a month earlier than expected.

The aircraft arrived at Camp Bastion in southern Helmand Province earlier this month and beef up air support for British troops.

Pictures: Major Paul Smyth

Military Cross honour proudest day of Navy woman Kate Nesbitt's life

By Chris Hughes, Mirror

She ran through a hail of Taliban bullets to rescue a wounded comrade who had been shot in the neck.

As the battle raged around her in Helmand Province, 21-year-old medical assistant Kate Nesbitt dressed the wound and stopped the blood flowing.

And yesterday, as she became the first Royal Navy woman to be awarded the Military Cross, Kate said: "This is the proudest day of my life."

Brave Kate, from Whitleigh, Devon, is only the second woman in the Armed Forces to receive the award. The first was Michelle Norris, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, who saved a colleague's life in Iraq in 2006.

Kate, who received her medal from Prince Charles during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, said: "It was the biggest shock. I was really overwhelmed that they trusted me to do the job and never doubted me at all, that's what was important. I just did what I'm sure everyone else would have done for me."

Lance Corporal Colin Spooner, who carried on giving orders after receiving 48 shrapnel wounds when a mortar round landed behind him in Afghanistan, was also awarded the Military Cross.

Colin, 22, of Selby, North Yorks, refused to let colleagues carry him to safety in case they were targeted.

Instead he walked to a vehicle despite his wounds. He said yesterday: "I realised that I'd been hurt and I got dragged into a building and treated.

"It would have taken four blokes to carry me out but I knew we were still engaged so I walked. That's what did most of the damage. But I'd do it again."

PICTURE of the day: Sea King sortie in Helmand

A Royal Navy Sea King on a routine sortie packed with mail for troops at one of the forward operating bases.

Front door gunner scanning the ground below for threats.

PICTURE: Helmand valley from the air

Helmand valley

Pictures: Major Paul Smyth

Afghan withdrawal would be folly - Guardian

Afghanistan's complex patchwork of success and failure is all a world away from the metropolitan commentators

By Robert Fox, for the Guardian

At the base of the 1st Battalion 5th US Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Garamsir in south Helmand they have a slogan on their T-shirts guaranteed to enrage Caroline Lucas and Simon Jenkins, two of Cif's most recent commentators on Afghanistan.

"Just do Marja" it reads. Marja is a quilt of small fertile plots just south and west of Lashkar Gah, the current provincial capital of Helmand. Like the irrigation channels that feed the fields of Marja, Lashkar Gah is largely the creation of a huge project by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that made Helmand the bread basket of Afghanistan, and a magnet for tourism even.

Marja has become one of the big poppy growing plots of the world. Today it is largely under Taliban control, who run their "parallel government" there by night – which means robbing the farmers in the name of Islamic taxation, closing schools and demanding tribute in food, warm clothing, and young recruits for their jihad. It is also a centre for assembling IED roadside bombs, which they lay with astonishing deftness and speed.

Marja will be the first target of the Marine Expeditionary Unit now expected here before Christmas as a result of President Obama's anticipated announcement that he will send an extra 30,000 US military personnel to Afghanistan for the next two years. Squeezing Taliban out of Marja, and then Nad-e-Ali to the north, will remove the threat to commerce and farming along the west bank of the Helmand river.

Lashkar Gah is thriving and buzzing, compared with two years ago, when I was last here. The bazaars are booming full of all kinds of produce, a new line in iron bedsteads, small wheat-milling machines, and hundreds of motorbikes – most made in kits in China and assembled in Iran. Farmers and merchants now travel to Gereshk to the north and to Kandahar, less than three hours away. They say the roads are pretty safe, bar the risk of the odd rogue roadblock manned by Taliban or renegade Afghan police.

Lashkar Gah is at the centre of a security bubble or "protected development area" – a key concept of the "ink spot" approach of counter-insurgency theory and practice, recently retooled by General Stanley McChrystal. You take the main centres, such as Lashkar Gah, Garmsir, Gereshk and Musa Qala in Helmand, and protect them with international and then local forces. Confidence and commerce grow, and in time the different areas link together.

For the full article click here for the Guardian Online

PICTURE of the day: Apache and Chinook at work in Helmand

Pictures: Maj Paul Smyth

The volunteers under fire on Afghan front line - BBC

By Sophie Hutchinson
BBC News

For six months they patrolled the desert around Camp Bastion, protected bomb disposal teams and assisted medics evacuating seriously injured soldiers.

Now, members of an infantry company made up entirely of Territorial Army soldiers have received Afghanistan campaign medals from their colonel-in-chief, the Prince of Wales.

Around 80 soldiers from Normandy Company of 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment were honoured for their role in Helmand province.

It was a gruelling six months but their commanding officer, Maj Chris Carter, said they had been able to draw on their "remarkable" experience.

"For half of my company they were on their second or more operational tour - those with more experience helped those with a bit less."

The soldiers, whose civilian jobs range from postmen to teachers, also helped reopen a school in the Basharan area, which had closed after the Taliban killed the principal.

The company, made up of volunteers from the Midlands and the North West, trained together for three months before being deployed to Afghanistan in April.

All of the soldiers returned home safely to their families, though not all had escaped injury.

Pte Anthony Myers, 19, joined the TA straight after leaving college. The Liverpudlian was shot in the shoulder while on patrol, but it took him less than two weeks to recover.

"We knew it was dangerous anyway - we were getting the news from people it was a bad tour. We were quite lucky because I was the only one injured.

"It did make it a little bit more real but it didn't scare me or make me not want to do the job. If anything it made me want to get back, back with the lads."

There are currently 9,000 UK troops serving in Afghanistan, the majority of them - like Normandy Company - in Helmand.

It has proved to be the most dangerous area for soldiers and 80% of British deaths have occurred in this southern province.

But despite the huge challenge faced by troops, one of the soldiers, L/Cpl John Mason, a 24-year-old trainee teacher from Stockport, has not been put off and is now hoping to join the Royal Marines.

He joked that being a soldier was easier than being in the classroom, dealing with adults rather than children.

During his time in Afghanistan he twice came under attack from the Taliban and was with Pte Myers when he was shot.

"You just have to take every day as it comes, especially when you're driving around on roads with IEDs (improvised explosive devices). You know there are dangers, but you reduce the risks and just get on with the job."

On Thursday the soldiers marched through central London, from Wellington Barracks to Clarence House, where they were honoured by Prince Charles.

After receiving their medals, they are now returning to their civilian lives, but all of them know that they could be asked to return to Afghanistan in a year's time.

CO 3 RIFLES reports from Helmand

Picture: Commander of 2 Platoon, A Company, 3 RIFLES, Lieutenant Palmer Winstanley, discusses the patrol with his Afghan National Army counterpart

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer, 3 RIFLES

We had the great honour to take over from our sister battalion, 2 RIFLES, on Monday 19 October 2009 here in Sangin. It was fantastic to arrive, to catch up with many familiar faces and trade stories.

2 RIFLES have given much and made many sacrifices but they have also made remarkable progress during their time here. They have left us many opportunities which we are eager to take forward for the people of Helmand.

We have assumed the role of Battle Group (North), with our area of responsibility in northern Helmand province stretching from Sangin up to the Kajaki Dam.

Throughout the area the Helmand River winds its way along the flood plain from the dam southwards through the mountainous desert landscape. It creates a strip of richly farmed fertile land either side of it, laced with irrigation channels and known as the Green Zone.

Patrolling is our main activity. We are bringing security and stability to the area, reassuring the local population around us and encouraging them to go about their normal routine.

As and when the need arises we will launch deliberate operations and take the fight to the enemy, clearing areas of insurgents and disrupting their activities.

We also work closely alongside our Afghan hosts in the nascent Afghan National Army and Police, exchanging ideas and tactics with them so they grow in ability and confidence in order to tackle the insurgency.

I am hugely impressed by their professionalism and dedication. We all have much to learn from them too and have much faith in their abilities.

Most have been pleasantly surprised by the living conditions in the Forward Operating Bases, not exactly home-comforts but certainly manageable, and accommodation is generally decent.

The majority of our food comes in the form of 'compo' rations, prepared by a small and dedicated detachment of chefs, who are always finding new ways to turn fairly basic ingredients into exciting meals for hungry riflemen. We top these up with fresh produce whenever the opportunity arises.

The Royal Engineers are always hard at it, trying to make our stay more comfortable by improving the showers, toilets and lodgings.

The temperature is now a very agreeable 25 degrees in the day but drops off sharply to around five degrees overnight. We expect the cold weather to hit over the next few months.

Who knows, maybe we shall see a white Christmas in the desert! We shall certainly see rain and the liquid mud it will create around us.

This is already proving to be a tour that will test and shape us all. The operation remains a difficult and a dangerous one but all the men and women under my command are totally up to the challenge.

We have all received excellent training to get us to this point and we have access to some of the best kit I have seen during my time in the Army.

PICTURE of the day: the moon from Helmand

Tonights moon as seen in Helmand

Picture: Major Paul Smyth

Plea for end to unsolicited gifts for UK troops - BBC

Helmand Blog Video:


Members of the public are being urged not to send unsolicited Christmas presents to troops in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence said mail from relatives was getting lost among gifts addressed simply to "A soldier" or to individuals not known to the sender.

It also said many presents were perishable and often went to waste.

Anne Forbes, from Operation Welly, which sends gifts to troops, said she took advice from military welfare officers on whom to send parcels to.

Capt Charlie Malcolm, who is in charge of post at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, said: "For personnel deployed overseas, personal mail from loved ones is very important.

Attack risk

"But the system can be completely overwhelmed by the public's generous donations, which results in mail from family and friends being delayed.

"The main cause of this is the huge and unmanageable number of welfare parcels, sent by well-meaning members of the public, to recipients not personally known to the sender."

The MoD said the onward delivery of parcels to troops on the front line required additional flights and convoys which placed the personnel manning them at extra risk of attack.

Many of the items sent were also either already readily available or "not suitable for the Afghan environment", it added.

A spokesman said some items were addressed simply to "A soldier in X regiment", but the armed forces nevertheless felt a moral obligation to deliver them because of the effort made.

Other parcels were addressed to individuals whose names had featured in news reports, he said, which could lead to them receiving hundreds of parcels from strangers.

Lt Col George Waters, who oversees operational welfare at the MoD, added: "There is no denying that the knowledge that complete strangers are thinking of you provides a boost to morale.

"But what the troops on the ground want above all else is to receive their personal mail and the sheer number of welfare parcels in the system causes serious delays to those all-important personal items."

The MoD is asking people who wish to support British troops to give donations to recommended service charities, some of which do send parcels but in consultation with the military.

Click here to see a list of charities: Public support for our Service personnel.

Soldier is 'Herriot of Helmand' - BBC

A soldier from Suffolk has been nicknamed the "Herriot of Helmand" by his colleagues after setting up a veterinary clinic for Afghan farmers.

Captain Miles Malone, 28, of the Royal Army Veterinary Corp, invites villagers from a remote area of Helmand Province to bring livestock for free check-ups.

He hopes de-worming and vaccinating goats, sheep, cows and donkeys will help improve communities.

His main task is to care for dogs who sniff out explosives or guard camps.

But he is also leading the new veterinary clinic project - now into its third month - for farmers from the small villages to the north-west of Camp Bastion, the main British base in Helmand.

'Benefit whole population'

Capt Malone, from Mount Bures, near Sudbury, said improving the animals' health would result in improved meat and milk production, increasing their value at market and boosting the diets of locals.

"A farmer may well be more concerned about an animal dying than he would his child or one of his wives," he said.

"It sounds harsh, but life is harsh here.

"If a farmer's herd is in poor health, his family's income will be reduced and all the family members will suffer.

"Once you start to understand the way Afghan society works and the crucial dependence on animals for existence, you can see why a project like this could really benefit the local population."

The project helps to improve relations with the local population, making them more likely to give UK troops information about the activities of the Taliban, said Capt Malone.

The British soldiers also try to educate the Afghan farmers about how to look after their animals.

Sgt Major Greg Reeve, 39, from Upavon in Wiltshire, said there was a staggering ignorance among the villagers about how to care for their livestock.

He said: "Farmers here have absolutely no idea about animal husbandry.

"There is near total ignorance about causes and spread of disease, breeding cycles and how milk is produced.

"If a goat stops milking, it is said to be Allah's will rather than the fact that it has not bred for 18 months and therefore has no anatomical reason to produce milk."

Click here for BBC online

IED threat shadows Marines' every move

A long, dusty road under a bright blue Afghan sky. To the left, a stagnant irrigation canal; to the right, drying cornfields. Marines from Charlie Company walk slowly, eyes fixed on the dirt, the drainage culverts, the weeds, the mud houses.

Suddenly, at the front of the column, a metal detector in the hands of a young lance corporal begins to buzz.

Staff Sgt. Sam McDaniel moves quickly into place, gently probing the ground for evidence of a buried bomb, by far the No. 1 killer of U.S. forces in Afghanistan -- and responsible for three of the four American deaths reported Sunday and Monday.

It is part of a cat-and-mouse game repeated countless times here in the insurgent stronghold of Helmand province and across the country. Route clearance teams, alert for constantly shifting tactics, comb the roads by day. Searches also uncover small stashes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the main bomb-making ingredient. At night, Marines using night-vision goggles and sniper rifles, and given shoot-to-kill orders, watch for insurgents burying the bombs.

For the full report click here for the LA Times

VIDEO: Herriot in Helmand - pioneering vet clinic in Taliban country

Under the watchful eye of Kalashnikov armed Afghan Army guards, perched on top of four-wheel drive Ranger vehicles as security look outs, a British Army Vetinary Officer and his moustachioed Sergeant Major survey the distant desert horizon for signs of movement. Both carry pistols at their waists. This is Helmand Province and Taliban country: unpredictable and dangerous.

Here come the first customers of the day, announces Captain Miles Malone as a herd of livestock accompanied by human figures appears, still several kilometres away on the bronzed desolate moonscape stretching ahead.

Miles, dubbed the James Herriot (after a vet in a British TV show) of Helmand by fellow soldiers, a cheery 28 year old Captain from Suffolk in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, is a member of 102 Theatre Military Working Dogs Support Unit, normally based in Sennelager, Germany. But he is currently half way through a seven month deployment to Afghanistan based at the British forces main hub of Camp Bastion.

Miles main role in Afghanistan is to provide preventative healthcare and emergency care to the working dogs used to search out IED components and suspicious objects or to guard and provide protection to camps where troops are based. But he has also become the dynamic force behind a new project set up to improve the standard of living for local Afghans and the relationship of British forces with them.

His vetinary clinic, held once a month, invites farmers from the small villages dotted to the northwest of Camp Bastion - away from the Green Zone where the majority of fighting has occurred- to bring their livestock for a free checkup and dose of preventative healthcare.

Animal livestock forms the lifeblood of these local communities. By improving the health of the herd, we can in turn have a positive impact on the health, wealth and general wellbeing of the population.

If we reduce the disease state of the animals, the knock on effect will be improved meat and milk production. This not only increases the value of the animals at market, but it increases the amount of protein in the locals diet. The meat doesnt contain worms or diseases which can be transmitted to humans, so the health of the local population also improves.

During the two day clinic over 600 hundred head of sheep, goats and a couple of donkeys were inspect, wormed and vaccinated. When all is done, Miles stretches his aching back, sips some water and cracks a broad grin. It is the satisfied smile of a job well done, by a man confident in the fact that he is making a difference.

Cheap wheat gives farmers grain of hope in fight against Taliban

Robert Fox, Defence Correspondent

Hundreds of farmers blew into this town, the capital of Helmand, over the weekend - their "tuk tuk" motorbike trucks kicking up clouds of dust - in a peculiarly Afghan gesture of defiance to the Taliban.

They lined up to sign a pledge that they would not grow poppy next season, and to get sacks of wheat and fertiliser in return.

This was all pretty peculiar as the farmers come from the notorious Marja region west of the capital.

It is known for its beauty, its fertility as the garden of Helmand, and for being an area out of government and Nato control where local Taliban roam more or less free.

This did not prevent the droves of farmers, grizzled ancient sons of the soil and almost beardless boys atop their motor carts, signing up for the government's scheme for subsidised wheat, fertilisers and insecticide.

This is the second full year of the government wheat scheme. Altogether 39,864 farmers have signed up, a big increase on the 32,000 last year.

When farmers in Marja first planted government wheat a year ago, the Taliban murdered a district councillor.

The farmers called a Shura - a traditional form of consultation - and told the Taliban they intended to go on buying the wheat seed because they needed to - to earn a living.

The Taliban backed off, but kept a wary eye. Even at the wheat distribution at the government warehouse this weekend, one of the international supervisors muttered: "You can bet the Taliban are here watching. Some of the farmers will have pretty close links to the bad guys, and some no doubt will try to grow a bit of wheat and a bit of poppy."

The farmers buy their two sacks of wheat and four of fertiliser at a knockdown price of 700 Afghanis or $18 (£11) because of the near-collapse in the opium price last season.

The price of dry opium, the poppy resin concentrated in brick form, has fallen steadily in Helmand from $225 a kilo in January 2005 to $75 in April this year.

"The market has been saturated, but the price is likely to jump up a little bit next spring," said an expert from the British Government's special counter narcotics team in Helmand.

"But the overall trend of the prices has been a steady decline in recent years." Britain is one of the main international backers of the narcotics scheme.

Local Marja elder Haj Mohamed Talib, a striking figure in a high black turban, explained: "At least Kabul is now offering something really useful.

"The government also gives us pharmacies and clinics and the Taliban don't give us anything to help the poor and the sick."

Haj Talib, known as the local Mr Fixit, bustles over to the huge figure of Ray Watson, 50, a former Zimbabwe tobacco farmer who has become a key figure in an exotic agricultural organisation called Rift Valley Agriculture.

This was formed by a band of farmers thrown off their farms by war veterans in Zimbabwe over the past 10 years.

They are now known as experts in "extreme agriculture", helping farmers in lands battered by communal violence and war.

Now subcontracted to the British development ministry, Ray and his friend Fanae Ferreira, 51, whose Zimbabwe farm was confiscated in 2000, go out on the ground in places such as Marja to show the farmers new techniques in crop husbandry.

"The opportunity for different crops is huge - potatoes, pomegranates, wheat, alfalfa, tomatoes, you name it - the problem is getting it to market" said Ray.

"We show them how they can do better, and the increase in yields has been huge."

New roads are gradually being built across Afghanistan - shortish stretches at a time, and often under heavy security by British and Afghan forces.

The traffic between Lashkar Gah and the commercial centre of Gereshkt, and on to Kandahar has gone up visibly these past few weeks.

The roads are a big challenge to the Taliban because most people want them and are prepared to travel them even at the risk of being held up at Taliban, gangster or even renegade police roadblocks.

Since many of the new surfaces are tarmac, it is very hard to bury bombs in them quickly and undetected.

Lieutenant Paddy Rice 'luckiest soldier in Afghanistan' after Taliban sniper shooting

British Army officer, Lieutenant Paddy Rice, has been described as "the luckiest soldier in Afghanistan" after surviving being shot by a Taliban sniper.

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent, Nad e'Ali, Afghanistan

Lieutenant Paddy Rice of the 1st battalion Grenadier Guards was wounded in the back and neck while on duty in central Helmand.

The bullet struck the officer just beneath his left shoulder blade, then travelled inside his back and up to his neck, where it left his body, passed his right ear before blasting a hole through his helmet.

After being injured, Lt Rice, who was serving with the battalion's Inkerman Company, was flown by a Medical Emergency Response Team Chinook helicopter from his base to Camp Bastion, where his wounds were cleaned and left open for three days before being stitched under general anaesthetic.

The 25-year-old Guard's Officer was offered the chance of recuperating from his wound in the UK but refused and is now back serving with his platoon on the front line in the Nad e'Ali area of central Helmand.

The drama unfolded on the afternoon of October 26th, while Lt Rice was on the roof of British base known as Compound 23 in the Chah-e'Anjir area of central Helmand.

The soldier was dressed in his body armour and helmet and was in a kneeling position when he was spotted by a Taliban fighter who opened fire through a "murder hole" – in a mud wall.

He said: "I climbed on to the roof of the Compound 23, where my soldiers and I were based, and was trying to move a radio into a sangar (defensive bunker). It was an exposed position so I was wearing my body armour and helmet. I then felt a thump in the back of my back, as though I had been kicked, and I knew immediately I had been shot."

The bullet passed through his body, slicing open Lt Rice's back and leaving an eight inch long gash running diagonally from his shoulder blade to an area just beneath his skull.

He continued: "I put my hand up to the back of my head and I could see blood and I think I said something to my platoon sergeant, Gert Botha, such as "I've been shot".

"I was helped down from the roof and I radioed company headquarters, gave contact report (a message informing others that there has been an enemy attack), and said "there is one casualty and it's me – I've been shot". I wasn't panicking I had considered how I might react if I was shot or injured but because everything seemed to be functioning normally I think I realised I would be OK.

"I know that I was very lucky to escape with what is actually a flesh wound, albeit a nasty one. If I had been looking up the bullet would have hit the back of my head and that would have been a different story."

For the full story click here for the Telegraph online

First female helicopter crew takes on Taliban

From left: Stephanie Cole, Michelle Goodman, Joanna Watkinson and Wendy Donald at their US training base

THE RAF is to fly its first all-woman combat helicopter crew into action in southern Afghanistan.

The four women are expected to fly a number of missions taking troops and supplies to the frontline against the Taliban in Helmand. They will also airlift casualties to the hospital at Camp Bastion.

The Merlin crew includes Flight-Lieutenant Michelle Goodman, 32, from Bristol, the first woman to win the Distinguished Flying Cross. She and her co-pilot, Flight-Lieutenant Joanna Watkinson, 28, from Reading, have been preparing in California for the difficulties of flying in Afghanistan. The hot air, dust and high altitude pose particular problems for helicopters.

Loadmasters Sergeant Stephanie Cole, 24, from Wiltshire, and Sergeant Wendy Donald, 31, from Liverpool, have also been training at the US airbase at El Centro.

Alongside their main role of ensuring that the troops and supplies are properly loaded on board, they will man its 7.62mm machineguns.

All four would have expected tours of duty in Afghanistan at some stage in their careers. It is coincidence that a full complement of female helicopter crew will, for the first time, be in Helmand simultaneously.

Goodman and Watkinson have been training in evasive flying to avoid Taliban missiles while Cole and Donald practised their gunnery skills. All four women are aware that they might be shot down or forced to ditch the aircraft in hostile territory and have prepared for the possibility.

Goodman, a veteran of four Iraq tours, said: “Obviously we always bear it in mind but when you’re in the middle of a dangerous sortie you just get on with your job.

“If we thought about the threat continually we would never be able to do our jobs. It’s only when we compare notes during the de-brief that you know the full extent of what happened on a dangerous mission.”

Goodman won her DFC in 2008 for the night rescue of a soldier wounded by mortar fire in Iraq. She said she was expecting some “banter” from the infantry about female aircrew picking them up.

Watkinson’s husband is an RAF navigator. Her grandfather was an RAF pilot and her grandmother was one of the first women to be commissioned into the army.

“When I was younger, I always just thought that it was one of those make-believe dreams that you could one day be a pilot,” she said.

“There will be people that will always turn round and say, ‘Oh, you can’t do that, you’re a girl’. I’ve had a few people tell me that in the past and I’d like to see them one day and go, ‘hah, told you’.”

Canadians begin new push to clear Taliban from towns

Canadian soldiers have opened a new phase in their operation aimed at chasing insurgents from Panjwaii district, southwest of Kandahar city.

A company has moved into the northern limits of Nakhonay, a town of around 2,000 people thought to be an insurgent stronghold.

Earlier this week Canadian Forces joined an Afghan National Army unit in seizing the village of Haji Baba, which is located a short distance to the northeast of Nakhonay.

Canadian soldiers entered Nakhonay on Thursday and have met with little resistance as they begin to secure the area.

The military says by taking control of Nakhonay they will be able to limit Taliban access to the roads into Kandahar city.

Known as Operation Hydra, the action involves 1,000 Canadian soldiers working alongside some 200 Afghan National Army fighters.

PICTURE of the day: the .50 Cal at sunrise

The basic armament - a top mounted .50 caliber machine gun on the British Jackal 2.

Picture: Major Paul Smyth

VIDEO: New target system for Apache

It's well known the most feared weapon in the British Army's arsenal in Afghanistan is the Apache attack helicopter. The Taliban accept that when it arrives overhead, the battle on the ground is already lost. But now a new upgrade to the fleet of these aircraft has given commanders in theatre a new way to track down those who threaten the lives of British soldiers in Afghanistan.

The pilots, engineers and ground crew from Wattisham have now been fully trained in the use of the new target acquisition system or M-TADS. Many of them are currently preparing for a tour of duty in the region by honing their battle skills in the deserts of Arizona.

PICTURE of the day: ANA and Brit soldiers at a Shura

Afghan soldiers or ANA at a Shura or meeting in the Nad e'Ali district of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.

Picture: Heathcliff O'Malley

VIDEO: ITV News in Afghanistan - resupply mission to remote Patrol Base

Broadcast on ITV News in November 2009 - correspondent John Ray climbs aboard a Mastiff armoured vehicle in a Queens Company, 1 Grenadier Guards convoy, on a resupply mission to remote Patrol Bases in Battlegroup (Centre South) area of operations.

By kind permission of ITN.

© ITN 2009

VIDEO: ITV News in Afghanistan

Broadcast on ITV News in November 2009 - correspondent John Ray visits the distant outposts of the war in Afghanistan and talks to Brigadier James Cowan, commander of British Forces in Helmand Province.

By kind permission of ITN.

© ITN 2009

PICTURE of the day: Sunset in Helmand picture 2

Helmand sunset

Picture: Maj Paul Smyth

PICTURE of the day: Sun set in Helmand

Sunset in Helmand

Picture: Maj Paul Smyth

Sergeant Robert Loughran-Dickson RMP killed in Afghanistan

It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Sergeant Robert David Loughran-Dickson of the Royal Military Police in Afghanistan on 18 November 2009.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained whilst taking part in a routine patrol in the vicinity of Patrol Base Wahid, in Nad-e-Ali District, Helmand Province.

Sergeant Robert David Loughran-Dickson, 4th Regiment, Royal Military Police

Sergeant Robert Loughran-Dickson, known as Robert to his family, Rob or L-D to his friends and colleagues, was 33 at the time of his death.

The youngest of three children, he was born and raised in the town of Deal in Kent. Together with his two sisters, he attended a local village primary school of fewer than 100 children, followed by the town's secondary school.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson attended further education and, following this, in 1997 he enlisted into the Army, in the Royal, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).

In 2001 Sergeant Loughran-Dickson transferred to the Royal Military Police and, over the course of his career, deployed on operations in Kosovo, Iraq, Northern Ireland and finally Afghanistan. He was initially posted to 156 Provost Company and subsequently moved on to 160 Provost Company, 4th Regiment Royal Military Police which led to his deployment on Operation Herrick 11, in Helmand Province.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson held a variety of positions during his time in the Army, including Police Post Non-Commissioned Officer, Motor Transport Non-Commissioned Officer, and Crime Reduction and Local Intelligence Officer. This last job was the one in which he got the most job satisfaction, giving crime reduction presentations, visiting schools or processing intelligence, and the job where he gained his promotion to Sergeant.

He was a keen runner, who enjoyed preparing for, and running marathon races, as well as hill-walking and swimming.

Sergeant Loughran-Dickson was the proud father of a son, also named Robert, born in September 1992.

The Dickson family paid the following tribute:

"Robert is a true hero in many ways of whom the whole family are extremely proud. He gave the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved and was devoted to.

"A beloved father, son, brother and uncle. You lit up our lives and that light will stay bright forever. You will be greatly missed but always loved by all."

Combat chef cooking on gas

Meet 23-year old LCpl Stevie Allan. He's a combat chef with an impressive array of awards to his name, including Scottish Junior Chef of the Year.

LCpl Allan has just arrived at the Forward Operating Base at Wishtan, Helmand, where he'll be working in a brand new, winterised cookhouse. The new kitchen has been named 'The Jordan Rossi Cookhouse', after Sapper Jordan Rossi who was tragically killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol nearby in May. It's a much-needed improvement, offering greater space and better appliances - essential for feeding over a hundred soldiers three times a day.

A trained soldier as well as a chef, he spent parts of his pre-deployment training as a member of an Infantry platoon, and is trained to handle the full range of Infantry weapons, from the pistol to the Grenade Machine Gun.

He said: "One minute you can be in the kitchen cooking, the next you can be in a Sangar firing at insurgents, or be sent to an isolated Patrol Base. You just never know."

When he gets home in April, LCpl Allan hopes to get a new car and take a well earned holiday, before having a crack at the notoriously difficult Commando Course in Devon. In the meantime, he's planning culinary feasts for the coming months. Tinned rations may be hard to glamorize, but he plans to put in a big effort for Christmas and, of course, Burns Night - complete with haggis!

Navy surgeon saves lives and limbs in Afghanistan

Currently on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan, Royal Navy Surgeon Commander Graham Hill believes that this is his hardest tour so far.

Cdr Hill, who is normally based at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, is currently saving lives and limbs in his post at the operating table of Camp Bastion's field hospital in Helmand province.

He deployed to Afghanistan in October 2009 for an eight-week tour as the UK Joint Forces Medical Group's Field Hospital Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.

"My main role here is to assess and operate on the traumatic limb injuries which come through the Emergency Department's doors. I also treat the usual breaks and sprains from physical exercise but I'd say about eighty per cent of my work is on trauma," siad Cdr Hill said.

The British-run medical facility at Camp Bastion cares for British, American, International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Army battlefield casualties, as well as local Afghan civilians who have been caught in cross fire or injured by the Taliban's homemade roadside bombs:

"This is my fourth deployment to Afghanistan," Cdr Hill said. "Previously the hospital was in tents so it is the first time I've worked in this purpose-built facility.

"The whole hospital is designed to treat very serious battlefield wounds and has first class specialists and state-of-the-art medical equipment to do that effectively."

Bastion's hospital is currently staffed by around four hundred Army medics from 33 Field Hospital, based in Gosport, Hampshire, 254 General Support Medical Regiment based in Preston, Lancashire, and Territorial Army personnel from 256 (City of London) Field Hospital (Volunteers), as well as Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, American, Danish and Estonian medical professionals.

PICTURE of the day: Afghan farmer

Mediaops is out on the ground in Helmand. For security reasons I can't post this story just yet, so keep your eye on the blog and we'll reveal all soon.

Picture: Maj Paul Smyth

Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas killed in Afghanistan

It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Corporal Loren Owen Christopher Marlton-Thomas from 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) was killed in Afghanistan.

Corporal Marlton-Thomas was mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Sunday 15 November 2009 whilst conducting a route search to clear devices in the vicinity of Patrol Base Sandford, in the Gereshk area of Helmand province. He died of his wounds on Monday 16 November 2009.

Corporal Loren Owen Christopher Marlton-Thomas

Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas, aged 28, and known as 'Loz' to his comrades, deployed on Operation HERRICK 11 as a Royal Engineer Search Team Commander within the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group; part of the Counter-IED Task Force responsible for minimising the threat posed to ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and the people of Afghanistan.

The cornerstone of 4 Troop, 49 Field Squadron (EOD), 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD), in Wimbish, Essex, he deployed to Afghanistan in September 2009 as an Acting Corporal. In the relatively short time that he had been in theatre he had proved himself more than worthy of the rank and responsibilities of a Section Commander.

Cpl Marlton-Thomas made the decision to serve his country by joining the Army in 1998. He had his mind set on a life full of challenge, excitement and adventure.

He initially considered a life in the Parachute Regiment; however, he quickly found that his talents were better suited to life in the Royal Engineers. In typical Sapper-style he was a man of many talents, a first rate soldier, an extremely competent combat engineer and accomplished blacksmith. Not one for barracks routine he really came to the fore and flourished in the operational environment.

Prior to embarking on his career in EOD, 'Loz' served in a number of units including 35 Engineer Regiment in Paderborn, 21 Engineer Regiment in Osnabruck and 25 Engineer Regiment in Northern Ireland.

His military experience led him to complete operational tours of Northern Ireland on Op BANNER and Iraq on Op TELIC 11. On both tours he served in the Advanced Search Troop giving him a wealth of search experience which translated into him being an exceptional Team Commander.

Corporal Marlton-Thomas epitomised the men of courage and nerve that he led; Advanced Search teams, the 'improvised explosive device hunters', are a unique breed who stalk their concealed quarry along the tracks and wadis of Helmand.

He was extremely proud of this life-saving and critical role that his team performs and demonstrated his true merit as a leader of men in this role.

Cpl Marlton-Thomas's wife, Mrs Nicola Marlton-Thomas, paid the following tribute:

"Loren was Army-barmy right back to being a Cadet. He did the job he loved and paid the ultimate price for his friends, comrades and country. We are proud to say we knew and loved him. A true hero in our eyes - you may be gone but you will never ever be forgotten."

Rifleman Andrew Ian Fentiman of 7 RIFLES killed in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Rifleman Andrew Ian Fentiman from 7th Battalion The Rifles (7 RIFLES), attached to the 3 RIFLES Battle Group.

Rifleman Andrew Fentiman was killed as a result of small arms fire whilst on a foot patrol near Sangin in central Helmand province during the morning of 15 November 2009.

Rifleman Andrew Ian Fentiman

Rifleman Andrew Ian Fentiman was born in Cambridge on 29 July 1986. He joined 7 RIFLES as a Potential Officer in 2007 following two years at East Midlands University Officer Training Corps. Having volunteered to serve with the 3 RIFLES (3rd Battalion The RIFLES) Battle Group, he completed an assault pioneer course in May before being mobilised in June 2009.

Rifleman Fentiman attended the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre in Chilwell before joining A Company, 3 RIFLES, during pre-deployment training. He quickly proved his mettle, earning high praise from OPTAG (Operational Training and Advisory Group) training staff for his reactions during a demanding exercise in Norfolk.

In civilian life he read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leicester before becoming a regional sales manager for Team Studio Ltd, a software firm based in Huntingdon. He intended to return to his civilian job after he had completed his tour of duty.

Rifleman Fentiman was killed by enemy fire during a foot patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan. The patrol was tasked with interdicting enemy activity and reassuring local nationals. He leaves his parents, Kevin and Lynda, a brother, Adam, and a sister, Elizabeth.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer, 3 RIFLES Battle Group, said:

"Rifleman Andrew Fentiman was one of the welcome volunteers from our Territorial Army [TA] brethren, in this case 7 RIFLES, who have answered the call to come out to Afghanistan with us. It was an honour and a great act of commitment that he chose to accompany us and share the burden.

"A real ambassador for the great British public that supports us so well, he was up for the challenge and gave of himself selflessly. A university graduate, he was something of a novelty to his platoon. Bright and enthusiastic, he fitted in instantly. I have infinite respect for the commitment and sacrifice of this brave Rifleman who had so many opportunities ahead of him yet chose first to serve his country and his regiment. He was liked and respected by all and will be sorely missed as he now makes his way home to his family. Our thoughts are with them and all of his loved ones at this most difficult time."

Troops' morale high on Afghan front line

Troops from 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (2 Yorks] – who are based at Weeton Barracks – have been deployed in Helmand province where they are teaching soldiers of the Afghan National Army.

As well as facing the stress of being on the front line, soldiers have to deal with being away from their creature comforts and their loved-ones.

Commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel David Colthup said: "Living conditions vary depending on location and the length of time British forces have been operating in a particular area, with the more recently established bases having a more austere feel.

"Each team is entirely self-sufficient, cooking their own food from ration packs and in many instances making improvised gym equipment to maintain levels of fitness.

"Despite the daily challenges of operating with the Afghan National Army (ANA) and adapting to a prolonged period away from normal comforts, morale among the teams is continually high."

The Battle Group consists of six Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) – four infantry, one combat support including reconnaissance, engineers, communications and artillery and one for combat service support or logistics.

The infantry element is deployed across the Helmand area in which UK forces operate; where they live, sleep, eat, patrol and fight alongside the soldiers of the ANA on a daily basis.

Lt Col Colthup said: "The role itself involves mentoring Afghan soldiers from the ANA.

"Complementing the work done by the other battle groups within Task Force Helmand, the work is critical in developing the ANA and building the capacity needed by their security forces to defeat the insurgents and protect the people of Afghanistan. Mentoring is not a new concept.

"It has been used in Afghanistan for nearly four years now.

"We work on a day-to-day basis with Afghan counterparts deploying forward where necessary to support artillery gun positions, engineer work or resupply convoys to the infantry Kandaks," Lt Col Colthup added.

The hidden beauty parlour of Helmand

Make-up and fashion have become a form of resistance for many women in Afghanistan. Katrina Manson reports from Lashkar Gah.

Pamela Anderson and Afghanistan's most dangerous, conservative province might not at first glance seem to have much in common. But step into a busy, cramped room in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, and there she is: blonde locks, wide darkly made-up eyes, and petulant pink lips smiling down from a large mirror.

The crinkly laminated poster of the Playboy model's face is not the only surprise in a room filled with hairspray, fake eyelashes and lipsticks. For this is a hidden beauty parlour in a land where women appear in public only when shrouded in full-length burkhas that obscure even their eyes. Tucked into a private home down a dusty dead-end alley, women are indulging in playing at dressing-up in the province in which the fight against the Taliban rages and where more than 90 British troops have lost their lives since the start of the Afghan war in 2001.

It's the night before Roya's wedding, a white dress hangs on the wall, and she is leaning back. Wearing light, flowing fabrics of red, blue, gold and purple dotted with sequins, three more giggling women pack into the parlour. With a rapid, practised hand, beauty therapist Malika spreads lashings of gaudy, garish bright blue eye-shadow over Roya's eyelids before painting a thick goo of glitzy red lipstick on her parted mouth. "It's a form of personal resistance," says a justice expert at the British-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), "and they're doing it with and for each other."

utside is the gritty Afghan reality familiar in the West from the coverage of the war. In the hot and dusty streets, bearded labourers pour concrete into ditches, auto-rickshaws painted with love hearts weave and swerve through a town which was planned by the Americans in the 1950s as a suburban "Little America" in Afghanistan. Amid the shopping stalls and mobile fruit-carts, men sit smoking and chatting as they drink green tea on the pavements, breaking off for the odd bit of trade.

Women are not allowed to run their own shops in the bazaar, the main shopping area, or to shake hands with men. Indeed, they rarely leave their homes. "Although we'd like to, we're not allowed to have this shop outside," explains Malika, "because it would not be safe and in any case our family would not allow it. But we like to wear colourful clothes and we love different colours – in fact, we'd like more make-up and more colours." Her tiny home-based boutique, one of three in the battle-hardened town whose name means "army barracks", makes 5,000 Afghanis (£60) profit a month.

For the full story click here for the Independent website

PICTURE of the day: Merlin arrives in Helmand

The first RAF Merlin helicopter has arrived in Afghanistan as part of a move to boost air support on the frontline.

VIDEO: Himal Observation Post, Helmand

On the 2nd of November 2009 soldiers from the Household Cavalry Battle Group provided overwatch for a vital re-supply convoy.

Filmed and edited by SSgt Stu MacKenzie

Afghanistan: British troops in Helmand kill 80 Taliban in 10 days of fighting

British troops in Helmand have killed up to 80 insurgents in 10 days of bloody fighting, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.

By Sean Rayment. Picture by Heathcliff O'Malley

The battles occurred in two separate areas of Nad e'Ali in central Helmand, where the 1st battalion the Grenadier Guards Battle Group are based.

More than 60 insurgents are thought to have been killed close to Patrol Base Waheed after the Taliban launched a series of "Kamikaze-style" attacks against British troops.

In the southern area of the district, which is also controlled by the Grenadier Guards, soldiers from the battalion's reconnaissance platoon killed an estimated 16 fighters in a carefully planned ambush last Saturday, although it is difficult for the British Army to be precise about enemy casualties.

The attacks follow the deaths of five members of the battle group who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman 12 days ago. Although the Taliban claimed that the policeman was an insurgent agent, there is a growing belief among British commanders that he was probably acting alone.

The first battle began last week when soldiers from the Grenadier Guard's No2 Company, commanded by Major Richard Green, ambushed Taliban fighters, who had been launching a series of "shoot and scoot" attacks against the British base.

For the full article click here for the Telegraph.co.uk

VIDEO: British troops take aim at the Taliban in Helmand

Caution: Strong language

Afghanistan dispatch: British troops take aim at the Taliban in Helmand

The murder of five British troops by an Afghan policeman has sparked fresh soul-searching over the future of the mission against the Taliban. Yet as Sean Rayment reports, morale remains high despite the daily dangers.

As the weak dawn sun rose over the fertile plain of Nad e'Ali, a hidden British sniper trained his sights onto a Taliban commander.

Watching carefully as the insurgent moved between two brown mud-walled buildings, the soldier prepared for the kill. Hiding on the roof of an abandoned compound some 700 metres from his target, he waited patiently and, when his target emerged, he firmly squeezed the trigger of his .338 sniper rifle.

A second later the bullet struck home, hitting the Taliban leader on the right side of his rib cage. He recoiled, stumbled and was dead before he hit the ground.

The sniper, filled with a deep sense of satisfaction, smiled, reloaded his rifle and scanned the ground for his next target. It was, he admitted to me, a "little bit of pay back" for the five British soldiers who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman on November 3rd. "I'll be honest", he continued, "It felt quite good. They are the bad guys and they were going to try and kill us, but we managed to get the drop on them."

An hour or so later as the battle continued, four unarmed Afghans came to collect the body. The sniper, who can not be named for security reasons, requested permission to engage but was told not to open fire. In Helmand, the British Army does not shoot unarmed Taliban fighters, because of the possibility - no matter how remote - that they might be innocent civilians. Commanders call this practice "courageous restraint", and it has become one of the defining characteristics of the war currently being fought by the British in Helmand. While the Afghans crave prosperity and freedom, security remains at the top of their list of "must haves" and the side which can deliver that will ultimately win the support of the wider population.

The death of every civilian, accidentally killed by either side, ultimately plays into the hands of the Taliban propaganda chiefs, as the Grenadier Guards recently discovered.

In the hours after the shooting of the five British soldiers at the Afghan Police station known as Blue 25, the Taliban launched an attack against the same base and in the ensuing battle four civilians were killed, including a child. The Taliban immediately blamed the deaths on Nato, and claimed that it was in retribution for the deaths of the soldiers. It took many hours of negotiation by British commanders before the local population accepted that the deaths - if any were caused by the British - were a tragic accident.

Nad e'Ali, the area in which The Sunday Telegraph was embedded with the Grenadier Guards Battlegroup for the past two weeks, is a key area in Helmand. Situated around eight miles to the east of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gar, it was until September last year a former Taliban stronghold and the insurgents want it back. The Guards have no intention of giving it to them.

For the rest of the report click here for the Telegraph.co.uk

Biometric tests to identify rebels in Afghanistan

By Stephen Grey

THE inhabitants of combat zones in southern Afghanistan may face biometric tests in a new initiative to prevent the Taliban from infiltrating villages.

After studying counter-insurgency methods employed from the Boer war to the conflict in Iraq, British commanders are drawing up plans for “gated communities” from which the enemy can be excluded by identity checks. The checks may involve fingerprints, retina scans or even DNA tests.

Brigadier James Cowan, the new commander of British forces in Afghanistan, revealed last week how far the campaign in Helmand is being rethought.

“In counter-insurgency you are not here to beat the enemy. You are here to win the people — because the enemy will always be able to regenerate,” he said in the first newspaper interview he has given in his new role. “What you have to be able to do is give people the security they crave.”

The shift in emphasis from killing Taliban fighters to counter-insurgency has often been misleadingly presented as simply trying to win “hearts and minds” — perhaps with crude bribes such as building wells or health clinics, or through short-term job creation.

For the full story click here for the Times Online

A shocking glimpse of the lives of women in war-torn Afghanistan

Charlotte Cross combines a career in TV journalism with volunteering for the Territorial Army in the Information Operations Team. Both these passions have taken her to Afghanistan, where she has gained an insight into the lives of local women struggling for simple freedoms.

It was the smell that did it. The moment I stepped off the plane at Kandahar Airfield, I knew I was back. It was the middle of the night, I couldn’t see much, but that musty, sandy smell just hit me. It was unmistakably Afghanistan.

With the smell came the memories: my close-knit team of soldiers, with whom I’d shared my every waking moment, the ordinary Afghan people I’d worked with, the interpreters and the women. I wondered how life had changed for them in two years, whether they were even still alive.

I remembered the fatigue I’d felt after six months of working long days, the frustration of trying to get things done in such a difficult environment, the drudgery of day-to-day living, and the constant fear of what was lurking just outside the wire.

In 2006, I’d spent six months in Helmand Province with the Provisional Reconstruction Team. I worked in Psychological Operations, more commonly known as ‘winning hearts and minds’. Part of my job was chatting to local people, asking what help they needed to rebuild their war-ravaged lives.

That meant going outside the relative safety of the camp, travelling in a vehicle or patrolling on foot through Helmand’s streets. And, of course, being inside a camp isn’t always safe. Bullets and rockets would come whizzing over the walls, on one occasion hitting a colleague of mine in the leg.

As an officer in the TA I had volunteered to go, leaving my day job as a journalist in London. I was based in Helmand’s capital, Lashkar Gah, sharing a room which more closely resembled a concrete bunker with two other female officers. At the end of a hard day in a male-dominated military environment, it was a place I could come back to and gossip with the girls.

Wearing a uniform every day, with hair scraped into a bun and without the morning ritual of putting on make-up, inevitably makes you feel less feminine. Nevertheless, some of my male colleagues would be overprotective towards us, worrying about letting us out on the more dangerous patrols. We used to joke that we had to overcome a degree of old-fashioned sexism among our own men, never mind among the Afghans.

It gave me a degree of empathy with Afghan women and the hurdles they face in their struggle for equality. But my day-to-day discomforts were nothing compared with the trials they face in winning simple freedoms such as education or the opportunity to work. Even if the Taliban aren’t around, many people continue to live as they did when they were in power, scared of the repercussions should they ever come back.

For the full article click here for the Daily Mail website

VIDEO: What soldiers want at Christmas

https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/welfarefund

As the season of good will approaches, the British public are being urged to help the forces as much as possible by refraining from sending Christmas parcels to troops in Afghanistan.

Soldiers serving in theatre are literally being overwhelmed by support from the British public who generously post unsolicited parcels, putting a massive strain on the Forces Post Office in Camp Bastion, resulting in packages from friends and family taking longer to reach the intended recipients.

We are all overwhelmed by the support and the amazing generosity and is it very much appreciated.

We are working with the forces charity SSAFA to enable generous members of the public to donate money to the charity as an alternative to sending parcels.

The Operational Welfare Fund is focused on providing support direct to the front line and enables commanders on the ground to bid for those items which they know will boost the troops' morale.

https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/welfarefund

Afghanistan dispatch: British troops take aim at the Taliban in Helmand

The murder of five British troops by an Afghan policeman has sparked fresh soul-searching over the future of the mission against the Taliban. Yet as Sean Rayment reports, morale remains high despite the daily dangers.

As the weak dawn sun rose over the fertile plain of Nad e'Ali, a hidden British sniper trained his sights onto a Taliban commander.

Watching carefully as the insurgent moved between two brown mud-walled buildings, the soldier prepared for the kill. Hiding on the roof of an abandoned compound some 700 metres from his target, he waited patiently and, when his target emerged, he firmly squeezed the trigger of his .338 sniper rifle.

A second later the bullet struck home, hitting the Taliban leader on the right side of his rib cage. He recoiled, stumbled and was dead before he hit the ground.

The sniper, filled with a deep sense of satisfaction, smiled, reloaded his rifle and scanned the ground for his next target. It was, he admitted to me, a "little bit of pay back" for the five British soldiers who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman on November 3rd. "I'll be honest", he continued, "It felt quite good. They are the bad guys and they were going to try and kill us, but we managed to get the drop on them."

An hour or so later as the battle continued, four unarmed Afghans came to collect the body. The sniper, who can not be named for security reasons, requested permission to engage but was told not to open fire. In Helmand, the British Army does not shoot unarmed Taliban fighters, because of the possibility - no matter how remote - that they might be innocent civilians. Commanders call this practice "courageous restraint", and it has become one of the defining characteristics of the war currently being fought by the British in Helmand.

While the Afghans crave prosperity and freedom, security remains at the top of their list of "must haves" and the side which can deliver that will ultimately win the support of the wider population.

For the full report click here for the Telegraph website

PICTURE of the day: Javelin and mortar

Engaging Taliban positions with with a mortar and a Javelin medium range anti-tank guided weapon.

The truth about our boys in Afghanistan

Every reporter will have experienced it and every one of us fails to actually tell the real truth when we are asked this recurring and obvious question: “Stuart, another soldier dead in terrible circumstances. Opinion polls show the public is against the war. Surely it must affect morale?”

The real answer “Does it chuff, they love it.”

They do and that is the difference between civilians and military; it is why you and I and everyone wringing their hands about the poor soldiers facing horrendous conditions and danger totally don’t get it.

It is why they can kill people without question.

It is why they joined up in the first place.

If you think about it logically do soldiers, first and foremost, really want to build schools for poor Afghan kids? No, they want to kill Taliban.

I am not saying this lightly, I am not saying they are bloodthirsty or in any way unprofessional. It is a simple fact: they are soldiers and soldiers fight wars and they are in one.

They are mightily upset when one of their mates gets killed or injured, but the way they deal with it is to clean their weapon, make sure their kit is squared away and get ready to go outside the wire and kill the bastards trying to kill them.

A couple of months ago I met up with a mentoring team of 10 British soldiers who had been held up in their base for months. Firefights every day; supplied by helicopter drops for weeks on end. They controlled no more than a few hundred yards of dusty road outside their front door.

They were attacked night after night. It was like a movie of explosions and shooting and camaraderie – trust me I have seen the pictures they filmed.

They were led by a very nice posh officer lad and a classic gruff sergeant. They were the happiest blokes I have ever met.

“It was f****** great mate. The lads f****** loved it. Thank f*** we didn’t lose anyone but we f****** twatted them – every time we went out. We knew where it would start, we knew what they would do and we just went out and tried to f*** them up. F****** brilliant.” That was the sergeant.

The officer: “Stuart, the lads did a great professional job. I think they relished the opportunity to engage with the enemy and implement the changes we and the ISAF forces have been tasked with achieving. The goals are difficult and achievements will sometimes be difficult to quantify but we feel we achieved a fair, if modest, degree of success.” I think that translates as “We f***ed them up.”

I have met many, many soldiers over the years and this example is absolutely in keeping with the general view of the military.

After spending another long night on the floor of a dusty tent, with no air conditioning in the day and freezing cold at night, eating awful MRE’s (meals ready to eat) when it was clear there could be a cook, I took it upon myself to ask the commanding officer why his men lived in such terrible conditions when it was pointless.

“Stuart I don’t ask much of my men,” the colonel told me.

“But I may ask them this: ‘Men, we will take that town tomorrow and we will prevail whatever the cost to you or your comrades.’ I am telling them to roll out of bed and kill people and risk being killed. That is why they live like animals, because I want them to behave like animals. It is war.”

He was American and as you might gather - a bit scary - but he had a point I suppose, even if we might find it totally alien.

Few of us ever wanted to be in the army and few have ever experienced what war is like. I have experienced it. It is strange and frightening and frankly exhilarating when it's over and you have survived.

But it is what soldiers have trained for and crave. The current deployed men and women see themselves as the “chosen generation”. Not for them tours of Northern Ireland to experience battle – but full-on conflicts, and they are at the centre of it.

We may debate the rights and wrongs of Afghanistan and Iraq and we may hate the dreadfulness of war and the effect that it has on civilians - something I have focused on in the many conflicts I have covered.

But please do not think that another soldier killed in an incident in Afghanistan ever affects the soldiers’ commitment – quite the opposite, it makes them more determined.

Stuart Ramsay, Sky News' Chief News Correspondent, is on assignment in Afghanistan.

Light Dragoons' CO on Afghanistan - the price is worth it

Lieutenant Colonel Gus Fair, Commanding Officer of The Light Dragoons Battle Group

This has been the second time that The Light Dragoons have deployed as a Battle Group Headquarters on operations in Afghanistan.

On the previous occasion in 2007, we were fighting for control of the southern town of Garmsir at the very edge of the Afghan Government's sphere of influence.

The district centre [DC] was derelict, destroyed by months of fighting as we battled to exert control of the ground only a few hundred metres outside our front gate.

We returned to the same ground earlier this year in April, once again with the outstanding soldiers of the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment with justifiable trepidation.

A Mercian Captain under my command had won a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross trying to recover the bodies of two soldiers less than a kilometre south of our main base.

The progress that had been made in little over 18 months was beyond all of our expectations. The area was transformed; the formally shattered and deserted DC was rebuilt and the market thriving.

The school and hospitals were rebuilt and functioning well, staffed and resourced by the Afghan state. Where poppies had been commonplace there were now fields of wheat.

The end result was that some 15,000 Afghans lived in relative safety, free to go about their daily business, within an area protected by a joint coalition and Afghan team and most importantly led by an Afghan District Governor who exercised control in a fair, representative and transparent fashion.

Having handed the area over to the United States Marine Corps in June, the Battle Group was at the centre of the clearance of the wider Babaji area as part of Operation PANTHER'S CLAW.

We defeated the enemy wherever we found him, and pushed him outside of the centres of population in Malgir and Spin Masjid.

Despite the heavy fighting, there were only three reports of civilian casualties in the clearance of Babaji and, as a result, within days of the fighting finishing, we saw the people beginning to engage with us; locals pointed out dug-in IEDs [improvised explosive devices] for us to clear and safe routes for our vehicles to use.

I am clear that true achievement in a campaign such as Afghanistan cannot be measured in weeks or months but must instead be gauged over years.

The soldiers in the Battle Group are fortunate in that they have seen what progress in Afghanistan looks like, as they have witnessed it in Garmsir.

It is mine and their firm belief that we will see similar if not more rapid progress in Babaji by the time the regiment next returns to Helmand.

As we left, the seasonal decline in fighting had begun, the maize that provided cover for insurgent ambushes was coming down and, as a result, the insurgents' ability to intimidate and attack the locals was reduced significantly.

We were winning the all important battle of perception for dominance over the area.

Probably the most significant demonstration of progress was the distribution of wheat seed to the local farmers. In the face of Taliban intimidation and brutal violence against local recipients and their attempts to disrupt the distribution through a combination of attacks onto the distribution sites and queuing locals, over 1,000 farmers received wheat with more to follow.

"In the week that we left, a local farmer said to me 'You can see by the amount of people queuing for wheat that the people are stronger than the insurgents'.

"The population are beginning to witness considerable community-level engagement and investment and meaningful direct assistance from both ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] and the Government, and at the same time see that the Taliban are not fighting for their interests.

"Though the Taliban fight on they do so within a population that is increasingly of the opinion that the Taliban is fighting them; their support is waning fast and their freedom of manoeuvre is increasingly sustained through threat and violence.

"With improving perceptions of security, communities are gaining confidence sufficient to begin to passively resist Taliban infiltration and, for the first time in thirty years of fighting, exercise some control over their own destiny.

How to give serving personnel a Merry Christmas

As the season of good will is nearly upon us, the British public are being urged to help the forces as much as possible by refraining from sending Christmas parcels to troops in Afghanistan.

Soldiers serving in theatre are literally being overwhelmed by support from the British public who generously post unsolicited parcels, putting a massive strain on the Forces Post Office in Camp Bastion, resulting in packages from friends and family taking longer to reach the intended recipients.

Many of the parcels are addressed to chaplains who have long left theatre, but whose legacy continues. The intention is that the current generation of padres will distribute the parcels to troops on the front line.

Padre Richard Downes, who is the British chaplain at Camp Bastion, said:

"The Enduring Families Free Mail Service enables families and close friends of Service personnel to send packages out to theatre. While such unsolicited parcels are without doubt popular with recipients, the all-important personal mail from soldiers' families becomes significantly delayed.

"Occasionally the perceived needs of recipients have become somewhat confused, as one chaplain discovered to his dismay when he opened a welfare parcel addressed to him personally, but which contained amongst other things a glossy pin-up calendar!"

Only a small fraction of the unsolicited parcels make it to the front line, the rest are processed by staff in Camp Bastion and the contents held in storage in welfare rest areas and churches until they can be sent on.

Some of the contents, including toiletry items, lie untouched for months at a time and one chaplain reported that he had 70 brand new toothbrushes in the back of his church in a Forward Operating Base (FOB).

In response to the growing problem, the Ministry of Defence is working with the forces charity SSAFA to enable generous members of the public to donate money to the charity as an alternative to sending parcels.

The Operational Welfare Fund is focused on providing support direct to the front line and enables commanders on the ground to bid for those items which they know will boost the troops' morale.

Padre Downes said:

"The postal service puts on a massive extra push at Christmas and put extra flights on to get the stuff here. But getting the mail out to the FOBs also takes longer, as mail must fit in around operational transport priorities.

"I thank the British public for their support but I would ask that they keep the pressure off the postal system over the Christmas period. The British military are a generous bunch and the troops will always share with those whose parcels may have been held up."

Building bridges in Afghanistan

Crossing the Nahr e Bughra canal has just been made a whole lot easier thanks to the work of the Joint Force Engineer Group in Helmand Province.

The Grenadier Guards, Royal Engineers and soldiers of 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancasters Regiment, took just a week to build a new bridge on the fringes of Nad e-Ali in Helmand. It's part of a long term plan to improve the economic prosperity of the area.

The task was completed by 10 Field Squadron, part of the Joint Force Engineer Group, 11 Light Brigade.

Commanding Officer of the Engineer Group, Lt Col Matt Bazeley, said: "The construction of this bridge is of huge significance. I hope it will give the people of Nad E Ali District greater freedom and from this there will be social and economic development. We are extremely proud and honoured to have completed this bridge construction for the people of Afghanistan."

Nad e-Ali District Governor, Habbibulah, opened the new "Freedom Bridge" at a ribbon cutting ceremony. He was joined by Commanding Officer of 1 Grenadier Guards Lt Col C R V Walker, Afghan National Police second in command Major Aziz and National Directorate of Security Commander Wali Mohammed.

The bridge was soon busy with tractors, cars and motorbikes. The construction had caused great interest in the area and the excitement at seeing it opened was palpable.

Lt Isla De La Haye, who was in charge of the project said: "The bridge offers an alternative route for people to travel freely through the area, and so avoid insurgent controlled routes where locals are taxed and intimidated. It is just one of the many reconstruction projects happening in the area that have a huge positive impact on everyday life."

Numerous other tasks are underway to enhance the civilian infrastructure and improve the quality of life for the people of Afghanistan. This bridge represents a small part of the work being done and as such demonstrates the contribution being made by the British presence in Helmand.

Dog Returns home after a year in the Afghan wilderness

An Australian Special Forces explosive detection dog has been found alive and well more than a year after she went missing in action in Afghanistan.

Black Labrador “Sabi” was recovered by a US Soldier at an isolated patrol base in Oruzgan Province, after going missing in the same September 2008 battle during which Trooper Mark Donaldson, earned his Victoria Cross.

Nine Australian soldiers, including Sabi’s handler, were wounded during the fighting.

The US soldier who recovered Sabi, who can be identified only by his first name John, was aware that Australian Special Forces were missing one of their explosive detection dogs.

He said it was immediately obvious that Sabi was no ordinary canine.

“I took the dog and gave it some commands it understood,” John said.

John said he thanked the man who was with Sabi and shook his hand.

Sabi was then flown to Tarin Kowt to be reunited with one of her Australian Special Forces trainers.

“I nudged a tennis ball to her with my foot and she took it straight away,” the trainer said.

“It’s a game we used to play over and over during her training. It’s amazing, just incredible, to have her back.”

Currently in the United Kingdom after meeting Her Majesty the Queen, Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC said Sabi’s return had closed a chapter of their shared history.

“She’s the last piece of the puzzle,” Trooper Donaldson said.

“Having Sabi back gives some closure for the handler and the rest of us that served with her in 2008. It’s a fantastic morale booster for the guys.”

At the time of her disappearance Sabi was coming to the end of her second tour of duty in Afghanistan, having previously deployed in 2007.

How a single bullet halted Taliban attack

A sniper ended a Taliban attack in an Afghan village with a single shot, it was revealed today.

The soldier, who can only be known as Corporal Danny for security reasons, shot at the feet of an unarmed man who was apparently directing gunfire at his unit, an Army spokesman said.

Armed with a .338 rifle, Cpl Danny, from 4th Battalion, The Rifles, serving with the 3 Rifles Battle Group, was watching over his patrol in the village of Sadul Kariz, which lies to the north east of Sangin, northern Helmand.

The men stopped to drink tea at a mosque when Danny saw movement in a compound which had previously been used as an insurgent firing point.

The sniper warned his patrol over the radio but as the men moved away there was a burst of gunfire, the Army spokesman said.

Cpl Danny could not see exactly where the shots were coming from but he saw a man nearby the compound pointing towards the patrol.

Uncertain that the man was indeed part of the attack, Cpl Danny took a split second decision and fired a single shot into the ground five metres in front of him.

At this point, the man ran away and the firing stopped.

He said: "I knew I had to fire to stop someone in the patrol being killed.

"He was very lucky I didn't go straight to lethal."

Patrol commander, Lieutenant Charlie Winstanley, 24, from Winchester, said: "We'll go back for the gunman another time."

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "This is a really good example of what we mean by 'courageous restraint' in the way we conduct counter-insurgency operations.

"A young soldier making a split-second decision but understanding that in counter-insurgency we kill only when we have to, not because we can."

The incident happened in late October.

PICTURE of the day: Armistice Parade at Camp Bastion, Helmand

Pictures - Maj Paul Smyth

Afghanistan: Our soldiers' sacrifice will be worth it

A British commander says the progress he has seen in Afghanistan proves that we can win the war and help create a better society.

By Lt Col Gus Fair DSO, CO Light Dragoons battle group

The Light Dragoons have just finished deploying for the second time as a battle group on operations in Afghanistan. On the previous occasion, in 2007, we were fighting for control of the southern town of Garmsir, at the very edge of the Afghan government's sphere of influence. The main administrative centre was derelict, destroyed by months of fighting as we battled to assert control of the ground only a few hundred metres outside our front gate.

In April this year, once again with the outstanding soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, we returned to the same ground, with justifiable trepidation. On our first tour, a Mercian captain under my command had won a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross trying to recover the bodies of two soldiers less than a kilometre south of our main base.

The progress that had been made in little over 18 months was beyond all of our expectations. The area was transformed; the formerly shattered and deserted administrative centre was rebuilt and the market thriving. The school and hospitals were rebuilt and functioning well, staffed and resourced by the Afghan state. Where poppies had been commonplace there were now fields of wheat.

The result was that some 15,000 Afghans lived in a relative safety, free to go about their daily business, within an area protected by a joint coalition and Afghan team and, most importantly, led by an Afghan district governor who exercised control in a fair, representative and transparent fashion.

After handing the area over to the United State Marine Corps in June, the 1,000-strong battle group was at the centre of the clearance of the wider Babaji area, as part of Operation Panther's Claw. We defeated the enemy wherever we found him, and pushed him outside the centres of population in Malgir and Spin Masjid.

Despite the heavy fighting, there were only three reports of civilian casualties in the clearance of Babaji and as a result, within days of the fighting finishing, we saw the people beginning to engage with us: locals pointed out dug-in IEDs for us to clear, and safe routes for our vehicles to use.

I am convinced that true achievement in a campaign such as Afghanistan cannot be measured in weeks or months but must instead be gauged over years. The soldiers in the battle group are fortunate in that they have seen in Garmsir what progress in Afghanistan can look like. It is my and their firm belief that we will see similar if not more rapid progress in Babaji by the time the regiment next returns to Helmand.

As we left, the seasonal decline in fighting had begun, the maize that provided cover for insurgent ambushes was coming down and, as a result, the insurgents' ability to intimidate and attack locals was reduced significantly.

Probably the most significant demonstration of progress was the distribution of wheat seed to farmers. In the face of Taliban attacks on the distribution sites and on locals queuing for seed, some 2,000 farmers received wheat, with more to follow.

In the week that we left, a farmer said to me: "You can see by the number of people queuing for wheat that the people are stronger than the insurgents".

The population are beginning to witness considerable community level engagement and investment, as well as meaningful direct assistance from both ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) and the government. At the same time, they can see that the Taliban is not fighting for their interests.

While the Taliban fights on, support for them is waning fast and their freedom of manoeuvre is increasingly sustained through threats and violence. As a sense of security improves, communities are gaining the confidence to begin to resist Taliban infiltration and, for the first time in 30 years of fighting, exercise some control over their own destiny.

This consolidation of Babaji came at a significant price. The battle group suffered nine Afghan and 12 British soldiers killed, and some 94 British wounded by the enemy during the six-month tour. And the cost of the progress we are seeing was not just borne within Babaji. We were given the resources – the numbers of men, bomb disposal teams and surveillance equipment – to do our job, resources that were not available to others. Some of the losses of the 2 Rifles, Welsh Guards, 2nd Fusiliers and Danish Battle groups outside Babaji must therefore be included in the overall cost.

Many question whether these deaths are a price worth paying, and wonder whether they will be justified in the long term or whether we will continue to shed our soldiers' blood for years for no return. Based on our experience in Garmsir and the progress achieved so far in Babaji, both I and my soldiers believe that the sacrifice will be worth it.

For the full article click here for the Telegraph website

PICTURE of the day: Range day with the ANA

An British officer from the Operational, Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) oversees Afghan National Army Warriors* zeroing their M16 weapon systems.

*The rank of Private soldier in the Afgnan National Army is called “Warrior”
Pictures: Maj Paul Smyth

VIDEO: Life on the frontline with the Afghan Army

Filmed on the 1 November 09. Moving along one of the many canals in the Nad-e-Ali Valley in Helmand Province, Corporal Phillip Hodgson from Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) Four 2 YORKS, noticed something odd about the troops surroundings.

The locals we just passed all took off, said Cpl. Phillip Hodgson. So keep a look out for any enemy activity. It usually means we are going to be under attack soon.
After being here for five weeks, Hodgson and the rest of the OMLT have started to notice the subtle clues that help keep them on their toes while on patrol.

Its like a sixth sense you pick up when you are out on the ground, said Lieutenant Tom Dawson, the team commander. After being out here for a month you start to notice everything going on.

Minutes later, the OMLT come under attack from small arms fire. As soon as the team hears the shots, they quickly jump into the nearby canal. The ditch is filled with waste deep water and mud that swallows their feet as they take cover from the incoming rounds.

After 40 minutes of back and forth firing, the shots from the enemy slow down and the enemy retreats after being ineffective. After the fire fight ends, the team decides to return to their compound to plan for their next mission. For these troops, these events are a near everyday occurrence.

We come in to contact with the enemy about 80 percent of the time we go out, said Hodgson.

When the OMLT goes on patrol, their primary mission is to mentor the Afghan National Army. The patrols are lead by the ANA with the OMLT supervising. The OMLT gives guidance and helps the ANA to be better Soldiers. The OMLT does not limit the training for patrols only.

When we find time, we try to give them medical lessons and practice finding IEDs and other tactical training, said Dawson.

Although the troops are mentoring the ANA, they have been learning from them as well.
They have taught us how to pick up on improvised explosive devices better and to pick up on the atmospherics of the area we are patrolling. Sometimes you even pick up on a bit of the language, said Dawson.

Protecting the “bullet magnet” and improving life in southern Afghanistan

Katrina Manson is a Reuters reporter based in East Africa. She recently accompanied the British government’s development agency, DFID, on a visit to Helmand province in south Afghanistan.

The new head of Helmand’s Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT), tasked with helping to develop one of Afghanistan’s most dangerous and conservative provinces, says that the 300-strong group’s greatest achievement to date is the fact that the governor has managed to visit all 13 districts.

It might sound a strangely slight claim to success for a body that will this year spend £190 million on efforts to rebuild the province and help provide basic services such as justice and education, but for PRT head Lindy Cameron, success is about somebody else doing the work. The PRTs are joint foreign military and civilian teams trying to rebuild the war-torn nation.

“My job is making the government good,” said Cameron. “The point of us being here is to get district government and services up and running and to support the government to be effective enough that people will see it as credible. We have a particularly active and energetic governor who sees it as his job to get out to the people rather than to twiddle his thumbs in an office in Lashkar Gah.”

A favourite of the British military and development officials, Helmand’s provincial governor Gulab Mangal, has been credited for championing opium poppy replacement programmes and helping to steer parts of Helmand’s population away from the Taliban.

Governor Mangal, is known by British helicopter pilots as a “bullet magnet” for just such feistiness (the helicopter he was travelling in was hit by rocket fire last year). Mangal’s successes against the insurgency and his close cooperation with British and U.S. forces in Helmand have brought him many Taliban-shaped enemies who would be happy to see the back of him.

Since taking up the post in March 2008, he has wasted no time in getting out and visiting the districts - opening schools, recruiting police officers, and attempting to convince farmers to grow wheat instead of poppy - recording a 33 percent drop in poppy cultivation this year and hoping for a further 50 percent drop next year.

Nato’s new commander General Stanley McChrystal has said of the military strategy in Afghanistan that “the objective is the will of the Afghan people”. As Nato soldiers attempt to make safe more areas in the province — in which 86 British troops have been killed this year — the PRT is trying to show life under the government is better than life under the Taliban.

For the full article click here for the Reuters Blog Page

Rifleman Samuel John Bassett killed in Afghanistan

It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Rifleman Samuel John Bassett was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 8 November 2009.

Rifleman Bassett, from 1 Platoon, A Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, died in hospital following an Improvised Explosive Device explosion in the area of Sangin, Northern Helmand.

He was serving as part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group. At the time, his Platoon were conducting routine patrolling in order to provide reassurance and security to the local population.

Rifleman Samuel John Bassett

Rifleman Samuel Bassett was born in Plymouth, Devon, on 27 September 1989. He completed military training at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick before joining 4th Battalion The Rifles in Bulford in May this year.

He deployed as a Rifleman with A Company, 4 RIFLES, as part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group, in October to the area around Northern Sangin.

Rifleman Bassett was a capable, bright and fun loving individual who was regarded as a real character by those with whom he worked. Young, fit and motivated, he undoubtedly had a bright future ahead of him and much to offer his Company and his Regiment.

Rifleman Bassett leaves his mother Coline, father Simon (who lives in Canada) and 18-year-old brother Jack.

Rifleman Bassett's mother, Coline Bassett, paid the following tribute:

"Samuel was not only my son, but Samuel and his brother Jack are my best friends. Samuel was a real character, always the joker, he will be so, so missed and loved forever - our proud little soldier. XXX

"During Samuel's last conversation with the Family he said he was 'having the time of his life' and even joked when he spoke to his Granddad whilst sitting on the roof watching the sun go down in Afghanistan, that he was also 'keeping his head down from the snipers.'"

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer 3 RIFLES Battle Group, said:

"The loss of a Rifleman brimming with so much joie de vivre and potential is a painful blow to the Battle Group. Sam Bassett was indeed such a Rifleman. A man who steps up time and again to clear such dangerous ground for his friends to pass safely is truly one to be honoured.

"Those of us left here to continue in the work that he was doing will be strengthened by his example and shall revere his sacrifice and memory. The thoughts of the Battle Group are firmly with his Battalion, his friends and above all his family and loved ones."

Rifleman Philip Allen killed in Afghanistan

It is with great regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Rifleman Philip Allen from 2nd Battalion The Rifles was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, 7 November 2009.

Rifleman Allen was killed following the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Sangin in central Helmand province.

Serving with 4th Battalion The Rifles in the 3 RIFLES Battle Group, Rifleman Allen had remained behind as continuity from a 2 RIFLES tour and was working with the Fire Support Group that was operating out of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Inkerman.

His platoon was conducting a routine reassurance and ground clearance patrol providing security for local Afghans.

Rifleman Philip Allen, 2 RIFLES

Rifleman Allen, aged 20, was born in Dorset. He attended school in Dorchester and joined the Army in spring 2009. He attended his Phase One and Two training at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick and joined 2 RIFLES Battle Group in Sangin shortly after passing out from training. He has since been involved in numerous patrols in northern Sangin as a Rifleman within a Fire Support Group.

Rifleman Allen, known as Phil to family and friends, was a fit, robust and motivated young Rifleman, who had already impressed those who he worked with and for with his ability and enthusiasm. Although only at the start of his career, it was evident that he had a bright future ahead of him.

Rifleman Allen's mother, Karen Charman-Allen, said:

"I would like to thank all of the soldiers who have served with and knew Phil. He was proud to have been a soldier in 2 RIFLES and to have served on tour with them in Afghanistan."

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer 3 RIFLES, said:

"Rifleman Philip Allen had been with the Battle Group for only a few short weeks but had already made a lasting impression. His youthful exuberance made him immediately likeable to those who he worked with and his ability made him a valued member of a tight knit team. A loyal friend, a committed Rifleman and a strong and capable soldier all made him a shining prospect for the future.

"His loss will reverberate throughout the RIFLES family but our loss cannot be measured against that of the family and loved ones from whom he has been so tragically taken. Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times."

Public 'must back Afghan cause'

An Army officer has said it is not enough for the public to support UK troops in Afghanistan - they must also back the "cause" they are fighting for.

Capt Andrew Tiernan told the BBC that "the soldiers support the cause" and discussion in Britain of abandoning the mission did not help them.

He said he had chosen to speak out because he was "frustrated with the negative reporting" of the conflict.

Capt Tiernan also said Afghan policemen had saved the lives of his men.

Last week, five British soldiers were shot dead by a police recruit, but despite this Capt Tiernan said it would be "foolish" not to work closely with local forces.

"If we were just there on our own we would be far less effective," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"For instance, the Afghan national policemen who I work with have saved the lives of my men by finding improvised explosive devices in the ground.

"The Afghan desert to me looks pretty similar, but to the policemen that are from those areas a little bit of disturbed earth is telling to them."

'Ink spot approach'

The officer, from the Grenadier Guards, is about to embark on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.

He said that while "the tragic events of last week need to be reported... lots of the talk subsequently about a wholesale pullout from Afghanistan does not support the soldiers who are out there risking their lives".

"Often we hear people say, 'Yes, we support the soldiers, but we don't support the cause,'" he said.

"Well, the soldiers support the cause, so if you really want to support the soldiers then we too as a public should support the cause in Afghanistan."

A BBC poll on Sunday found that 64% of Britons believe the war is "unwinnable", up from 58% in July.

The head of the armed forces Sir Jock Stirrup also told the BBC that public was not convinced that victory was "doable".

But Capt Tiernan said British troops were making progress, and in his case, his company was creating a "gated community" in one part of Helmand province to protect local people from insurgents.

"A classic counter-insurgency campaign will talk about the 'ink spot approach'. That means that you secure an area.. and because you then demonstrate to the population how life is better... that attracts people into that area and the ink spot can spread.

"So in my area we opened up a school two weeks ago which is a huge thing for local people."

Capt Tiernan said his company was implementing the strategy of "embedded partnering" with Afghan forces as proposed in a directive by US commander Gen Stanley McChrystal.

As a result, British soldiers were "completely working hand-in-hand" with local troops and police, "living with them, planning with them, operating with them".

"His directive is one of those rare documents that is so strikingly correct that everyone who reads it from the lowest ground commander to the most senior military commander understands it worth," Capt Tiernan added.

Soldiers will not pull back to avoid casualties, head of British forces in Afghanistan says

Troops will not pull back from outlying bases in Helmand to avoid casualties, the head of British forces in Afghanistan has said.

Brigadier James Cowan denied reports that forces would withdraw from remote posts such as Musa Qala because they were overstretched.

Military officials also denied there were plans to scale back operations in advance of a British election to prevent deaths further swinging public opinion against the war.

Brig Cowan, commander of 11 Light Brigade, said: "We are here to protect Helmand, we are in those areas, we have no plans whatsoever to withdraw.

"We are here in those areas and there are no plans to withdraw from those locations."

Gen Stanley McChrystal, senior commander of Nato-led forces in Afghanistan, has said the 110,000-strong coalition should concentrate on securing cities and population centres to defeat the Taliban.

However British commanders have said they will continue to hold the densely populated Helmand river valley and outlying outposts.

Brig Cowan said "What I would like to see is the centre of Helmand, where we currently are putting our main effort, our hold of it deepened and the assurance that we give to the local population strengthened.

"Because this is about the confidence of the people of Afghanistan and of Helmand so my aim is to improve that confidence in the government of Afghanistan."

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, head of the Armed Forces, admitted that progress in Afghanistan was "painful, slow and halting".

He said: "What we see is the downside and it is a very, very painful downside, tragic losses bereaved families back home that are having to cope with that loss, people who are injured and having to deal with a complete change in their life.

"But, out there on the ground, talk to the people who are doing it on the ground and they will tell you that they are making real progress.

We have got to do much better at describing their progress.

"It is painful, it is slow, it is halting, but it is in the right direction."

PICTURE of the day: 2 YORKS training the Afghan Army

Afghan National Army soldiers put their medical training into action with a simulated causality exercise.


Counter IED training.



Watch and learn on the counter IED lane.



2 YORKS soldiers role is to mentor, liaise with and partner ANA Troops on operations throughout the entire Helmand Province.

Pictures: Maj Paul Smyth

A hope in Helmand

Local governance is re-established, schools rebuilt: Garmsir's success shows the way forward

Theo Farrell

The news from Afghanistan has been grim. The collapse of the second round of the national elections; Hamid Karzai's government tainted by corruption; and, last week, five British soldiers killed by a rogue Afghan policeman in Nad-e'Ali. All the while, Washington continues to dither over its strategy. Small wonder that the British public have lost faith in this war: 57% now think it unwinnable.

However, on the ground in Afghanistan things look a little more optimistic. I have just spent two weeks in Helmand, talking to dozens of civilian stabilisation advisers and military officers. Predictably, everybody complains about the shortage of helicopters (with good reason). But local governance has been reestablished this past year in the key district centres of Garmsir, Gereshk and Nad-e'Ali. And though the formal justice system has been slow to take root because of the difficulties of putting judges and prosecutors in district centres, in its place an informal justice system has developed supported by international advisers.

In all districts, schools and health clinics are being built or refurbished. And even in the area of counter-narcotics, there are some encouraging signs. Poppy cultivation is down 37% this year in Helmand. A significant increase in poppy cultivation in neighbouring Kandahar suggests that this reduction is not simply due to market forces. In Helmand, a wheat seed distribution programme (which encourages farmers to grow wheat instead of poppy)is covering more farmers. Often the best solutions in Afghanistan are local ones.

Notwithstanding the tragic events in Nad-e'Ali, the Afghan security forces are getting better, as is the partnership between Afghans and the International Security Assistance Force. I saw this most visibly in Garmsir, where I spent some time with the US marines. Garmsir district centre has tarmac roads, solar streetlights and a thriving bazaar. US-run Radio Garmsir pumps out popular programming courtsey of its two local DJs; it also receives over 1,000 letters a month from listeners. Most striking of all, the marines trust Afghan police and soldiers to secure the district centre. Garmsir feels very much like a society that is shaking off the shackles of war.

For the rest of the report click here for the Guardian website

British Army commander speaks of 'monstrous' killing of five soldiers

British Army commander Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker has spoken of the "monstrous" and "treacherous" act carried out by a rogue Afghan policemen who killed five of his men.

Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent in Nad-e'Ali, Helmand

The commanding officer of the 1st battalion Grenadier Guards, said that the dead soldiers would never be forgotten.

But the colonel said that it was vital that the deaths did not "drive a wedge" between the Afghan police and his men who would continue to take the fight to the Taliban.

Sgt Maj Darren Chat, 39, Sgt Matthew Telford, 39, Guardsman James Major, 18, together with Royal Military Police Corporals Steven Boote, 22, and Nicholas Webster, 24, all died last Tuesday after being shot dead inside an Afghan Police Compound known as Blue 25. A further six were injured in the attack.

Col Walker said the killing of his regimental sergeant major had left the unit bereft of its finest soldier but added that morale within his unit remained high.

"Sergeant Major Darren 'Daz' Chant was the living embodiment of the professional soldier," Col. Walker said.

"He died with his boots on. If he could have chosen the way he had to die on operations – that would have been it, on the ground, working with soldiers, doing the job he loved."

He added: "We will remember them all and we will mourn them properly when we return to the UK but right now we have to continue with the mission – the Sgt Maj would not have wanted it any other way."

Click here for the full story on the Telegraph online

UK soldiers remember the fallen

Troops on parade at Camp Bastion, Helmand

A Remembrance Sunday service has been held at Camp Bastion in the Afghan province of Helmand on the day another British soldier has been killed.

Later the Queen is to lead the Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall.

Representatives from the Commonwealth will join Prime Minister Gordon Brown, military leaders and religious heads for a service and military march-past.

The latest soldier to die was killed in a blast in Helmand, the MoD said.

He was the 94th British fatality in Afghanistan this year.

A two-minute silence will be held at 1100 GMT across the country to remember the UK's war dead.

A 105mm Light Gun of from 1 Royal Horse Artillery signals the 2 minute silence at Camp Bastion

Earlier 2,000 British servicemen and women gathered on a dusty, windblown patch of open ground at the camp in Afghanistan to join in prayer, lay wreaths and remember fellow soldiers killed serving their country.

One padre spoke of the dangers of glamorising war and another urged leaders of nations to shape a better world through "wisdom, humility and a common love for peace".

Speaking from the service, Major Paul Smyth, of The Rifles, said: "This year is probably the most poignant of many as sadly the last three remaining veterans from the Great War passed away.

"But whilst that generational link may be broken, it's parades like this which mean we can make sure they are not forgotten."

The conflict in Afghanistan is likely to be the focus of events later in the day, along with tributes to the dead of two world wars.

Meanwhile, the senior chaplain in Helmand province said British soldiers in Afghanistan should be prepared to die in a "fight against the evil of fundamentalism".

Speaking ahead of Remembrance Sunday, Padre Mark Christian said killing "to defeat evil" was "morally permissible".

'Fallen world'

Mr Christian, senior padre of Task Force Helmand, 11 Light Brigade, will lead the Remembrance Sunday service in Lashkar Gah when hundreds of soldiers will gather to remember the fallen.

He said: "In a perfect world, the world that God intended for us, we would all live at peace with each other.

"But we don't live in that world, we live in a fallen world where evil exists and it is the obligation of all good people to confront evil and to defeat it where they can."

PICTURE of the day: We will remember them

Photo: CPL STEVE BAIN

VIDEO: Side by side, Afghan and British soldiers in Shin Kalay, Helmand

Filmed on the 29 October 2009 in Shin Kalay

British soldiers at Patrol Base Zoo (PB Zoo) near Shin Kalay, form part of the 2 YORKS Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT).

Their primary mission is to mentor the Afghan National Army by conducting joint patrols with them and teaching them basic soldiering skills.

The patrol base, nicknamed PB Zoo by the soldiers who call it home, is in Shin Kalay where five British soldiers were killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack at a police checkpoint in the Nad e-Ali district of Helmand province.

Serjeant Phillip Scott killed in Afghanistan

It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Serjeant Phillip Scott of 3rd Battalion The Rifles was killed in Afghanistan yesterday, Thursday 5 November 2009.

Serjeant* Phillip Scott died following an improvised explosive device explosion in northern Helmand province.

His platoon was attached to B Company during a deliberate clearance operation in the town of Sangin aimed at increasing security for local Afghans and preparing the ground for further operations.

Serjeant Phillip Scott

Serjeant Phillip Scott, aged 30, was born in Malton, North Yorkshire, on 9 May 1979. He joined the Army in 2001, completing initial training at the Army Training Regiment, Winchester, and the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick before passing out to join C Company, 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry in January 2002.

Just over a year later he was promoted to Lance Corporal and deployed to Iraq as Second in Command of a Rifle Section. In 2004 Serjeant Scott passed the Section Commanders' Battle Course in Brecon at the same time as his brother Robin.

Promoted to Corporal shortly afterwards he was posted to the Battalion's prestigious Recce Platoon. He deployed on further operational tours in Northern Ireland and Iraq, as well as passing the Recce Commanders' Cadre before being sent back to ITC Catterick as an instructor to train recruits.

He returned to 3rd Battalion The Rifles (3 RIFLES) in Edinburgh earlier this year, returning to C Company as a Section Commander. He was promoted to Serjeant in July and moved back to Recce Platoon as a Section Commander. It was in this role that he deployed in September on Operation HERRICK 11 alongside his brother, a Platoon Serjeant in A Company.

Serjeant Scott, known as 'Scotty' amongst his colleagues, was a natural soldier: fit, robust and with an in-built feel for the countryside. Having grown up as a game-keeper's son in Yorkshire, he was perfect for the role of reconnaissance.

A career soldier, he aspired to pass Special Forces selection after the tour. Having excelled at everything in his career this would have been entirely within his abilities. Well liked and respected amongst those he worked with and for, he showed almost infinite potential and was certainly on a path of rapid promotion and excellence.

Serjeant Scott leaves behind his wife, Ellen, and two children; Ellie, aged three, and Michael, aged one. They lived together as a family in Edinburgh.

Sjt Scott's wife Ellen paid the following tribute:

"My husband was a very brave man, loved by all his family and a very dear husband and father."

PICTURE of the day: Apache attack helo by moonlight

British Army Air Corps Apache helicopter at Camp Bastion, Helmand

Initial thoughts after the first week in Helmand

Picture: Brigadier James Cowan, commander Task Force Helmand and Brigadier General Mohaiuddin Ghori, commander of 203 Brigade, Afghan National Army.

Brigadier James Cowan, 11 Light Brigade: initial thoughts after the first week in Helmand.

Letter Home on 17 October 09

On the 10th October Brigadier Tim Radford and 19 Light Brigade completed their tour in a short, simple military parade here in Laskhar Gar. After 2 years of preparation and training it’s finally good to get going.

The key theme of the tour will be one of consolidation. This does not mean inactivity, far from it. It means understanding that our 6 months is but the next phase in a campaign; recognising we will not defeat this insurgency in our time here, but that we will move the campaign forward.

We will sustain this counter-insurgency campaign’s continuity, driving on hard to meet General McChrystal’s imperative for change and passing to our successors, as 19 Brigade have done to us, a situation even further along than we found it.

Back home, I sense there is some lack of awareness of the words we use and what they really mean in Helmand. To take two examples;

The first is “counter-insurgency”.. A counter-insurgency conflict is fundamentally different from normal war because in an insurgency it is the people, in this case the Afghans, who will decide who succeeds.

We will not prevail by simply killing insurgents. Instead it is the will and support of the Afghans which is the prize for both sides. Protecting them from the insurgent is our mission and every action we take must be to gain and maintain the support of the people.

That does not mean we will not seek out, confront and capture or kill those who are irreconcilable. We will kill only when we must. Part of our task is to demonstrate to the Afghan people that we use such force in support of them and their security. The Taliban cannot defeat us militarily but we can defeat ourselves if we alienate the people.

The second example is what I mean when I talk of “we” and “us”. I am not talking only of the men and women of 11 Light Brigade. The British Military is most definitely not the only force in Helmand fighting this counter-insurgency. Broadly there are three other groupings.

First, the Afghans, the men of the Afghan National Army and the men and women of the Afghan National Police in particular, the people to whom this land belongs.

Secondly, our allies. There are 11,000 United States Marines of Task Force Leatherneck operating alongside us in Helmand, responsible for the bulk of the province’s landmass and about 30% of the population.

Within Task Force Helmand, under my command, are soldiers of one of our staunchest European allies of recent years, the Danes. From the Balkans to Iraq and now here in Helmand they have soldiered with us. They are here with us today. With an Armoured Battle Group, they hold one of the absolutely key areas in Helmand around the town of Gereshk, just to the north of Lashkar Gar, the provincial capital from where I write.

There are also Estonians with an Armoured Infantry company embedded in the Grenadier Guards Battle Group. We even have a troop of Australian gunners on exchange with 1 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery.

But it is the third group who don’t get deserved recognition: the men and women of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, the civil-military mission staff. There are 91 civilian, 94 military and 27 police mentor multi-national staff acting as the single PRT for all of Helmand, including the Task Force Leatherneck area, and based in Lashkar Gar and 7 districts of Helmand’s 13.

Their work is utterly fundamental to success in this counter-insurgency: without the security brought by ISAF and Afghan security forces the PRT cannot move forward with its governance, reconstruction and redevelopment, “Rule of Law”, socio-economic, agricultural and counter-narcotics programmes, channelling international aid into progress. Yet equally, without the vigorous pursuit of such PRT programmes in the security “space” achieved by ISAF and Afghan security forces, such security would have little hope of enduring.

PICTURE of the day: Night helicopter operations

A full moon casts its light over a Chinook on the flight line of the Camp Bastion based Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) during another busy night of activity.

PICTURE of the day: 2 RIFLES medal parade

Five hundred soldiers of 2 Rifles have been presented with Operational Medals at their home base at Abercorn Barracks, Ballykinler, County Down in Northern Ireland.

2 Rifles lost 13 soldiers during their six month deployment to Afghanistan as part of 19 Light Brigade.

Families of eight of the deceased soldiers received Elizebeth Crosses in a private ceremony in the Officers Mess. The presentations were by Viscount Brookeborough of Colebrook, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Main guests at the ceremonies on today included Field Marshal The Lord Edwin Bramell who was inspecting officer and Lieutenant General Sir Nick Parker, Colonel Commandant of 2 Rifles and Deputy Commander of ISAF.

"Faces for the Forces" - UK's Biggest Ever Show of Support for Troops

A nationwide campaign backed by the Royal British Legion aims to create the biggest ever show of support for UK troops serving abroad.

"Faces for the Forces," is a campaign to collect 1 million messages by Wednesday 11th November.

Almost 200,000 people have already taken part and among the celebrities who have sent their messages are Bruce Forsyth, Joe Swash, Gary Lineker and Martin Keown.

'Faces for the Forces' will create a unique on-line 'wall' of video messages of support to the Armed Forces. It's the brain child of video communication experts Winkball.com

This is the first time that people in the UK have been given an opportunity to send video messages to troops abroad that are on active duty.

WinkBall's team of fifty street reporters has already recorded over two thousand messages from the public from towns across the UK including Guildford, Aldershot, Cambridge and Colchester.

Dr. James Ohene-Djan commented: "With Remembrance Day fast approaching we are encouraging as many people as possible to get online, come to the site and record their goodwill messages to show our continued support and respect for the important job our brave and selfless young men and women do, no matter how far away they are. WinkBall.com is giving the UK a video voice which is changing the way we view news and share our opinions and feelings,"

Stuart Gendall, Director of Corporate Communications at The Royal British Legion said: "The Royal British Legion is delighted to back Faces to the Forces. At this important time of year, when the public joins us to help fund our welfare work and to mark their sacrifice by wearing a poppy, we think it's a fantastic way for individuals to pass on personal messages of thanks and encouragement to our Armed Forces."

To add your message to the forces, visit WinkBall here: http://www.winkball.com/walls/faces

PICTURE of the day: Merlin prepares for Afghan duty

A Female Merlin Pilot prepares to land in the desert of southern California during Exercise Merlin Vortex 09.

The exercise is pre deployment environmental training for the Merlin Force.

It is a 4 month rolling detachment to El Centro, California, designed to give helicopter crews, engineers and support staff experience of working in a "hot and high" envirnoment prior to their deployment to Afghanistan in the Support Helicopter role in late 2009.

WO1 Darren Chant, Sgt Matthew Telford, Guardsman James Major, Cpl Steven Boote and Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith killed in Afghanistan

Tributes to the five soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday have been made by their families and colleagues.

Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major, all of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, as well as Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, both of the Royal Military Police, were killed on Tuesday 3 November 2009.

The soldiers were all killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack at a police checkpoint in the Nad e-Ali district of Helmand province.

Click here to read the full eulogies and tributes to Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major.

Click here to read the full eulogies and tributes to Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith.

Paying tribute to the five men, Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth, said:

"I was so very sorry to hear of the deaths of these five brave soldiers, killed in the course of their duties in Afghanistan. That they were killed by one of those they were working alongside is a particular tragedy.

"The memory of WO1 Darren Chant, Sgt Matthew Telford, Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith, Cpl Steven Boote and Guardsman James Major will live on. They were men of courage who died building security in Afghanistan and protecting people in the UK from terrorism.

"My deepest sympathies and condolences lie with their grieving families, friends, and all those who served alongside them who will feel the pain of loss most intensely. They are in all our thoughts."

RAF Trains for Afghanistan At Top Gun Base - Sky

Greg Milam, US correspondent
RAF pilots are training for the harsh conditions they will face in Afghanistan - at the American base where the movie Top Gun was filmed.



The Merlin helicopters and crews will deploy to the war zone next month after completing training at the El Centro naval air facility in California.

The extreme heat in the mountain and desert terrain along the US border with Mexico is almost identical to conditions in Afghanistan.

With the Government under fire over the number of helicopters in Afghanistan, the Merlins will provide much needed assistance to ground forces.

El Centro, where Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis shot scenes for the 1986 classic, sits below sea level but is surrounded by 5000ft mountains.

It replicates the "hot and high" flying conditions the Merlin crews will face.

Helicopters are a lifeline for ground forces in the battle with al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents as roadside bomb attacks have increased.

Lieutenant-Cdr Neil 'Charlie' Parrock, who is in charge of the training in California, told Sky News: "There are obvious issues we hope just won't happen.

"Regarding the harshness of the environment, we know it is extremely stressful on the aircraft and on the individual, both physiological and psychological."

He says the training offered at El Centro is the ideal preparation for Afghanistan.

In particular, crews learn how to cope with 'dust landings', flying into blinding clouds of sand created by the helicopter's down-draft.

"It is like flying through sandpaper," said one pilot.

Crews also now have the latest night vision equipment.

Pilot Flight Lieutenant Jo Watkinson said: "This is a massive improvement on how it was a couple of years ago when people would go out to Iraq and have to get their environmental qualification in a much more threatening area."

Afghanistan has proved a dangerous battleground for helicopters with a series of fatal crashes. Last week 14 Americans were killed in two separate helicopter incidents.

Instructor Flight Lieutenant Max Bond said: "You can never say you are a 100% there because we haven't been in the country before so it is bound to present new challenges to ourselves."

Improvised bombs pose biggest threat - Wales Online

A WELSH officer yesterday (Tuesday 4th) revealed how British soldiers are undergoing specialist training in the fight against their main threat – not suicide bombers or gunfire but improvised explosive devices.

There were 71 UK deaths in Afghanistan between January 1 and November 2 this year as a result of IEDs. Over the summer more than 1,800 of the makeshift bombs were uncovered in Helmand province where the British are fighting.

The latest victim was bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, of the Royal Logistic Corps, who was killed on Saturday by an IED near Sangin as he and his team tried to make the device safe. During his five months in Afghanistan the 30-year-old disarmed a total of 64 IEDs.

Every soldier who arrives to serve in Afghanistan must undergo training to deal with the threat from hidden bombs. During the one-day refresher course they simulate situations where they may have to search for bombs, such as when patrols need to cross vulnerable areas. The sSoldiers use a vallon or metal detector to search for buried devices buried beneath the surface, lying face down on the dust using their eyes and fingertips to confirm a threat.

Captain Gareth Bateman is second in command of the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (JFEOD) Group, which is part of the Counter IED Task Force. The Task Force was introduced in October to help better co-ordinate the battle against IEDs. Capt Bateman, 28, from Radyr in Cardiff, said the training was “absolutely vital”.

“That is why every soldier that comes into theatre goes through this package. It’s a basic skill but when it’s used properly it’s absolutely life saving,” he said.

As dozens of newly-arrived soldiers practised using the metal detectors across lanes of desert sand, he added: “The equipment we use can only give a certain level of assurance and after that you need to use your eyes and your brain.”

Once a device has been discovered the soldiers will mark out the danger area. Across the training ground Lieutenant Paul Lewsey, 25, a Royal Engineers Search Adviser from Surrey, was leading a search team as they approached a compound.

The search teams work hand in hand with IED disposal operators who are often called in to deal with a threat which has already been discovered.

Lt Lewsey, a Royal Engineers Search Adviser, said his role could also include advising his superiors on how to ensure an area was clear, for example if a meeting was to be held.

Asked about the importance of the anti-IED training He said: “Eighty per cent of our casualties are coming from IEDs.

“You carry a rifle as a secondary means of defence but out here your main means of defence is searching every step you take.”

It comes as Colonel Peter Gilbert, the colonel in charge of the main field hospital in Helmand, said British medics there are seeing more major trauma cases every day than all the UK hospitals put together.

Soldier Aaron Deans shot by Taliban but refuses to fly home

A SOLDIER who was shot in the back during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan refused to fly home, because he wanted to end his tour of duty with his friends this coming weekend.

At his base in Helmand province, Trooper Aaron Deans, 19, said being shot was like “getting hit with a sledge hammer”.

But he still managed to drive his colleagues to safety before blacking out.

The trooper, who is from Washington in Wearside, was on patrol east of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province when his squadron was attacked on October 13.

His open-topped Jackal vehicle was targeted with gunfire and rocket propelled grenades from different directions.

Trooper Deans, of A Squadron, Light Dragoons, said: “The rounds started coming in and I ducked behind the steering wheel.

“One round just missed my head and went in to the headrest behind me.

“As I was pulling away I was shot, the bullet entered just by my spine and came out by my side.

“It felt like getting hit with a sledge hammer, a really hard thump to the back, but with the adrenaline I didn’t feel it too much to start with.

“I drove us about 500 metres, out of the killing zone, and then I started to black out, it came to a point where it was hurting too much.”

At this point his vehicle commander took over, driving the rest of the way to the evacuation point. Trooper Deans was then taken in a US Black Hawk helicopter to the field hospital in Camp Bastion, the main British base in Afghanistan.

The other vehicles in his patrol, which took up defensive positions while the two Black Hawks flew in, were, he said, “covered in bullet holes”.

For the rest of the story click here

IEDs main threat to troops in Afghanistan

The main threat to British soldiers in Afghanistan comes not from suicide bombers or gunfire but from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

A rifle might be the soldier’s constant companion but a keen pair of eyes is just as likely to keep him safe.

Over the summer more than 1,800 of the makeshift bombs were uncovered in Helmand province where the British are fighting.

And most of the 224 British fatalities suffered since the start of operations in 2001 have been the result of such bombs.

On Saturday bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, of the Royal Logistic Corps, was killed by an IED near Sangin as he and his team tried to make the device safe.

During his five months in Afghanistan the 30-year-old disarmed a total of 64 IEDs.

As the commander of a bomb disposal team he was at the forefront of the fight against the Taliban.

But every soldier who arrives to serve in Afghanistan must undergo training to deal with the threat from hidden bombs.

During the one-day refresher course they simulate situations where they may have to search for bombs, such as when patrols need to cross vulnerable areas.

The soldiers use a vallon or metal detector to search for devices buried beneath the surface, lying face down on the dust using their eyes and fingertips to confirm a threat.

Captain Gareth Bateman is second in command of the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (JFEOD) Group, which is part of the Counter IED Task Force.

The Task Force was introduced in October to help better co-ordinate the battle against IEDs.

Capt Bateman, 28, from Radyr in Cardiff, said the training was “absolutely vital”.

“That is why every soldier that comes into theatre goes through this package.

“It’s a basic skill but when it’s used properly it’s absolutely life saving.”

As dozens of newly-arrived soldiers practised using the metal detectors across lanes of desert sand, he added: “The equipment we use can only give a certain level of assurance and after that you need to use your eyes and your brain.”

Once a device has been discovered the soldiers will mark out the danger area.

Across the training ground Lieutenant Paul Lewsey, 25, from Ashtead in Surrey, was leading a search team as they approached a compound.

The search teams work hand in hand with IED disposal operators who are often called in to deal with a threat which has already been discovered.

Lt Lewsey, a Royal Engineers Search Adviser, said his role could also include advising his superiors on how to ensure an area was clear, for example if a meeting was to be held.

Asked about the importance of the anti-IED training he said: “Eighty per cent of our casualties are coming from IEDs.

“You carry a rifle as a secondary means of defence but out here your main means of defence is searching every step you take.”

Brave hero pulled bullet from his own arm and carried on fighting

A SQUADDIE picked out by a Taliban sniper in a gun battle pulled out the bullet and carried on fighting.

Heroic Lewis Coulbert did not even realise he had been hit in the intense midnight fire fight.

It was only when he glanced down and saw his arm covered in blood that he realised he could be in trouble.

But he did not want to let his comrades down as they tried to fend off enemy fighters in the lawless area of Nad e-Ali, Helmand.

Courageous

So the courageous soldier plucked out the AK47 round with his FINGERS, picked up his gun and continued shooting at insurgents.

The modest Guardsman, 22, said: "It felt like being jabbed in the arm really hard.

"But it was not until the end of the contact that I noticed my arm was covered in blood.

"I pulled out the bullet, treated it and carried on."

Lewis, just a month into his first tour of the Afghan badlands, was on a patrol near the Taliban stronghold town when he was shot.

He and his 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards comrades were protecting Royal Engineers building up a vital patrol base.

Crouching in a compound the enemy sniper got a lucky shot as the bullet ricocheted off the walls before entering his upper arm.

The soldier, from Derby, added: "The idea was to move in and create a buffer around where the engineers were working so that anything would have to come through us before it got to them.

"When we got to this compound it was quite exposed.

"Within two minutes of getting into the compound and taking over the roof we started getting incoming and returned fire.

"We were getting automatic and single shot that was pretty accurate, bouncing around the walls and the roof."

The young guardsman added: "Our sniper identified their firing position and we started rattling at it.

"I got down and a round came through the wall and ricocheted into my arm."

Mum Julie Coulbert, 48, and his Royal Marine brother Chay, 21, and two sisters Esme, 25, and Maisie, 14, were proud to hear about his bravery.

Mrs Coulbert said: "I am really proud of both of my boys in the Army.

"But as a mother you also worry that every day they put their lives in danger."

Brit heroes win Afghan race - The Sun

A PAIR of hero Brits proved Our Boys are the world's toughest — after hammering all other nation's soldiers at the forces first Afghan marathon.

More than 300 super-fit servicemen from the US, Denmark and Estonia turned out for the race around fortified US and UK bases, in Helmand.

Hardy US Marines organised the endurance challenge to prove their superior mettle — but it was Lynx chopper pilot Captain Alex Lockett and Lance Corporal Jon Rogers who triumphed.

Capt Lockett, 30, from 652 Squadron, 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, said: "Everyone was out to beat the Americans and we all love to take the mick of them in their matching sports gear.

"There were plenty of 'Run Forest , Run!' comments, but they took it in good spirit."

L/Cpl Rogers, 22, from 7 Signals Regiment, said: "The US Marines organised the marathon so beating the Yanks at their own race felt pretty sweet.

"Everyone knows the Marines are double hard but I can assure you it wasn't a case of me running scared. I just happened to run faster after calling them a bunch of school girls!"

The race was organised so the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) could blow off steam between battling to bring safety to war-torn Afghanistan.

More than 400 spectators turned out to cheer the Brits to victory. Capt Lockett clinched first with L/Cpl Rogers taking second — winning his age category.

The gruelling 26 mile race started at 7am when the normally soaring temperature was a mild 30 degrees.

But in the build-up runners had to train from 2am to 4am in the morning in pitch black conditions wearing head torches as the burning sun made it impossible to train in the day.

Astonishingly both men's regular army fitness regime is so advanced neither put in much extra effort ahead of the race.

Capt Lockett — who had never attempted a marathon before — only started training a month before the big day and L/Cpl Rogers didn't do more than his usual fitness regime.

Capt Lockett, said: "I had no idea what the competition would be like and certainly didn't expect to win.

Read more on the Sun website here:

Stabilising Afghanistan

A high-ranking Army chief has heaped praise on the professionalism of a tri-Service operational group dedicated to helping the stabilisation process in Afghanistan.

Major General Bruce Brealey, General Officer Commanding Theatre Troops, commended the work of the Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) as the team's flag was raised at Gibraltar Barracks in Camberley, Surrey.

The MSSG, formally known as the Joint Civil-Military Co-operation Group, has been expanded to encompass the work of the military assistance to civil effect and stabilisation teams.

The group was set up with Afghanistan in mind and its aim is to help bring stability to the war-torn area by assisting with education, water supplies, businesses and health clinics:

"What we have got now is an organisation with a unified identity, something to be extremely proud of - it gives us focus," said Maj Gen Brealey.

"We are already seeing people having a much better idea of what we are trying to achieve and who with.

"Today marks an important step and recognises that this is a very important group within the Army."

The MSSG's remit covers everything from war-fighting to peace support and disaster relief operations. It will also assist in mitigating the impact of military operations on the civil environment and vice-versa.

The tri-Service body also works alongside civilian organisations in a mock forward operating base in Camberley to allow HERRICK-bound users to become familiarised with the Afghan environment and the way of life of the country's population.

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Brasher, Commander of the MSSG, explained that his group ensures personnel are fully trained in different scenarios and are aware of their very important role:

"If MSSG was not there it would be an ad hoc process. Now we are bringing people together who have gone through formal training, to understand this way of operating," he said.

"With this we have much more in-depth training to achieve the task.

"I'm not saying that it hasn't been done before but now it's much better resourced and training has been much improved."

Maj Gen Brealey concluded:

"In the past we were enthusiastic amateurs. Now we are selecting people who have an aptitude and who are being trained for it."

This article is taken from the November 2009 edition of SOLDIER - Magazine of the British Army.

AUDIO: Rifleman Walton reflects on a hard summer tour of Helmand

Rifleman Robert Walton from Douglas in the Isle of Man is 19 years old and serving with 4 Rifles.

He has been deployed as part of 19 Light Brigade and has spent five months here in Helmand during some of the most intense fighting since the British arrived here.

The Rifles is the largest infantry regiment in the British Army and trace their values and heritage back to the Peninsular War and the time portrayed in the TV series Sharpe. Then, as today, independence of thought and action were prized amongst the specialist soldiers equipped with rifles who were known as Riflemen.

PICTURE of the day: 'Open fire'

Live firing on one of the ranges in Helmand

Reception, Staging and Onward Integration (RSOI) is the final stage in the intensive training that every soldier completes before taking on their tasks in Helmand.

Back in the UK and on exercises around the world, soldiers undergo months of training to prepare them for the rigors of Helmand.

RSOI is the final phase and brings everyone up to speed with the very latest developments.

Simulating a causality extraction

Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid killed in Afghanistan

It is with great regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid, of the Royal Logistic Corps, in Afghanistan on the afternoon of Saturday 31 October 2009.

SSgt Schmid died instantly following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in the Sangin region of Helmand Province.

At the time he was commanding an Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) team who were dealing with a confirmed IED.

Working in concert with an Advanced Search team he was conducting a manual route search to clear devices in the vicinity of the Forward Operating Base and was defusing the device when it initiated.

Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid

SSgt Schmid was born in Truro, Cornwall on 11 June 1979. He was married to Christina (Chrissy) and had a step-son Laird, aged five. They lived together as a family in Winchester.

An Ammunition Technician (AT) by trade, SSgt Schmid served much of his career at the Commando Logistic Regt and thrived in 3 Commando Brigade, the ethos there suiting his thirst for soldiering.

He sailed through the ranks and was selected for promotion to SSgt in April 2008. SSgt Schmid was posted to 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps as an AT Senior Non-Commissioned Officer at Alpha Troop providing close IEDD support to Special Forces and Police Tactical Firearms teams; an area in which he continued to thrive.

He had a natural aptitude for IEDD and made steady progress through the numerous courses that an AT has to go through to become a High Threat Operator. He successfully passed the High Threat IEDD Course earlier this year which qualified him to operate in Afghanistan which is considered very much the pinnacle of any AT's operational career.

SSgt Schmid arrived in theatre on Op HERRICK 10 in June 2009, thrown in the deep-end participating in Op PANCHAI PALANG during the summer. During the course of his tour, he attended 41 tasks, rendered safe 64 IEDs and attended 11 finds of bomb making equipment.

Christina Schmid, wife of Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid said:

"Oz was a phenomenal husband and loving father who was cruelly murdered on his last day of a relentless five month tour.

"He was my best friend and soul mate. The pain of losing him is overwhelming. I take comfort knowing he saved countless lives with his hard work. I am so proud of him."

Lieutenant Col Robert Thomson, Commanding Officer 2 RIFLES Battle Group said:

"SSgt Oz Schmid was simply the bravest and most courageous man I have ever met. Under relentless IED and small arms attacks he stood taller than the tallest. He opened the Pharmacy Road and 24 hrs later, found 31 IEDs in one go on route SPARTA. Every single Company in 2 RIFLES adored working with him.

"I adored working with him. No matter how difficult or lethal the task which lay in front of us, he was the man who only saw solutions.

"He saved lives in 2 RIFLES time after time and for that he will retain a very special place in every heart of every Rifleman in our extraordinary Battle Group. Superlatives do not do the man justice. Better than the best. Better than the best of the best. Our thoughts and prayers are with his beloved family."

"It has been an honour to lead these men," says Lt-Col Cartwright.

Interview: Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Cartwright, Black Watch commander

AS Black Watch troops prepare to return home from Afghanistan, their commander speaks to Stephen McGinty about the regiment's experiences
IN A corner of Kandahar airfield, amid the whop-whop-whop of Chinook helicopter rotors and the roar of the engines of Hercules transport planes, sits the headquarters of the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. It is a wooden hut and when temperatures at the base, Camp Roberts, reach their highs of about 55C, the building is lost amid the shimmer of a heat haze.

For the past seven months this has been home to the battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Cartwright, from where he has planned mission after mission in the districts of Babaji, Zhari and Nahr-E-Saraj, exotic place names now as familiar to his soldiers, from Perth, Dundee and Inverness, as the names of their own towns.

But today the maps, once pinned to the walls of the planning room next door, are gone, the computers have been removed and the battalion is preparing to return home this week after a long, hot summer in which it participated in the bloodiest fighting for a generation. The troops have fought by the bodies of comrades killed in action and heard IEDs explode in the distance then listened to the radio crackle as medics try in vain to save a fellow soldier. They have hung to canvas straps inside Chinooks and flown through the Afghan night as part of the largest aviation assault in recent British history, and fixed bayonets in readiness for close-quarters combat. Along the way, a Black Watch sniper applied "the lead sleeping tablet" to a Taleban insurgent from a distance of 1.2 miles, and so claimed a macabre record.

"It has been an honour to lead these men," says Lt-Col Cartwright. "I am incredibly proud of their achievements."

For the full article click here for the Scotsman

Goldstars squadron takes to the Afghan skies

31 Squadron have now been at the helm of the Tornado detachment at Kandahar Airfield Base or KAF as it is known, Southern Afghanistan for 3 weeks. It is the culmination of 3 months of exercises, briefings, jabs, fitness tests and simulated rocket attacks preparing to take over from the Lossiemouth Tornado Wing who finish their own 4 month deployment after taking over from the Harrier Force in June.

Whilst 31 Squadron will escape the blistering heat of summer, they will be missing their families and loved ones over the Christmas and New Year season making the Christmas parcels and blueys all the more important. Fortunately, the welfare facilities at Kandahar are top notch and there are ample telephones and internet facilities to get in touch with the folks back home.The professionalism of the aircrew and engineers has led to a seamless handover between the Lossiemouth Wing and 31 Sqn. The true test of this came when within 3 minutes of calling “on-state” the Ground Alert was scrambled. Aircraft were airborne and providing armed overwatch of a developing situation on the ground less than 27 minutes later – 31 Squadron had started their tour.

Day to day life here became routine vey quickly, the engineers turn spanners 24 hours a day on 12 on/12 off shifts, whilst the aircrew plan, brief and fly sorties 7 days a week. 31 Sqn is also supported admirably by operational and admin support staff and a small home team are on call to provide welfare support for families at home.

The one thing that cannot be escaped here is the dust and the evening scent that drifts across the accommodation from the on-base sewage treatment works, affectionately known as ‘poo pond’.

Flt Lt Jim Harkin, 31 Squadron

Abdullah pulls out of Afghan vote

President Hamid Karzai's rival in the second round of the Afghan presidential election has announced in Kabul that he is withdrawing from the poll.

"I will not participate in the election," Dr Abdullah told supporters, saying his demands for ensuring a fraud-free election had not been met.

But he stopped short of calling for a boycott of next Saturday's vote.

Mr Karzai had rejected his demand that election officials who presided over the first round should be dismissed.

President Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omar said the withdrawal was "very unfortunate", but the election should go ahead as planned.

"The process has to complete itself, the people of Afghanistan have to be given the right to vote.

Earlier, the US said a pull-out would not invalidate the vote's legitimacy.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in the United Arab Emirates: "We see that happen in our own country where, for whatever combination of reasons, one of the candidates decides not to go forward."

But the BBC's Andrew North, in Kabul, says Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal means this is uncharted territory, and it is unclear what will happen next.

For the full story click here for the BBC web site