Thousands line streets to mark return of brigade that lost 64 in Helmand

In biggest parade since start of Afghan conflict, Winchester pays tribute to 11 Light Brigade after costly six-month tour

By Caroline Davies, guardian.co.uk

Soldiers of 11 Light Brigade march through Winchester after returning from a six-month tour of Helmand province, Afghanistan. Photograph: Reuters

They fought with "immense courage", lost 64 of their comrades and witnessed yet more seriously injured.

Now they were home. And the city of Winchester turned out in its thousands to pay tribute to the men and women of 11 Light Brigade at a homecoming parade today, the biggest of its kind since the start of the Afghan conflict.

Amid flag-waving, cheers and some tears, 650 troops from the brigade's 12 regiments marched six abreast through the city's streets to mark the end of a six-month tour of Helmand which exacted a heavy toll.

This was no celebration, despite the applause. As the marching bands played, and two RAF Tornado jets performed a flypast, the thoughts of the watching crowd were with those who were not there.

"Each soldier that passed, I thought about those who had been killed and were unable to be here," said Rita Herbert, 78, a retired clerical officer who travelled from Southampton to pay her respects.

In a tribute to all of the 5,100 troops from the Aldershot-based brigade who saw action in central Helmand, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, told those assembled before Winchester's Guildhall they were heroes.

"Through all the adversity you have fought on with immense courage, displaying the highest level of dedication, loyalty and professionalism as you have gone about bringing stability and security to this troubled region," she said.

"You are all heroes and I salute you all for a job very well done."

She added: "Although we are all here to celebrate your return the price has been extremely high. And I join you in mourning those 64 soldiers who are not here and who made the ultimate sacrifice during these past months.

"My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to their families as they continue to come to terms with their agonising loss."

There had been "a devastating number of serious casualties," as well, she said. Six of those on parade bore testament to that, with two of them in wheelchairs and the others on crutches having lost limbs.

She was humbled and proud to be standing in front of them all.

"You are an immense credit to your regiments, the brigade and to this country and you have proved once again that the British army is the best in the world".

As they stood in the blazing sun, the occasion proved too much for three of the soldiers as they collapsed in the heat.

The brigade was set up for a single tour of duty in Helmand from October to April and today's parade was its final act before disbanding.

It was, according to the mayor of Winchester, Richard Izard, "an important and unique event, especially as the 300th soldier to die comes from just up the road in Petersfield".

Among those the duchess met, during a private reception, were the families of two soldiers who died, and whose families were presented with the Elizabeth Cross, given to the bereaved.

But the abiding sense was not one of loss, rather one of success, for a job well done.

The brigade saw heavy fighting and took part in Operation Moshtarak, a major offensive against the Taliban. "Helmand is the most violent part of Afghanistan," said Brigadier James Cowan, Commander of 11 Light Brigade.

"Three of the four most violent districts in all of Afghanistan are in British Helmand. So it is a challenging area but one that I think we brought a measure of peace to."

Lance Sergeant Darren Shaw, whose daughter was two weeks old when he left for Afghanistan, said the parade would bring closure to the Afghan tour "then we can get ready and move on to what our next tasks are".

Those gathered six deep to watch them were there out of pride and respect. For Luke Ottley, 25, a car valet from Winchester, the youth of many of those on parade was most poignant. "I came here out of respect, because I don't think they get enough respect," he said. "So many of them are younger than me, and to think what they have been through.

"I think they should have had all the schools here. They're showing the football in some of the schools, I've heard. But this is much more important. Young people don't even know what Poppy Day is all about."

The soldiers themselves were overwhelmed by the support.

"I was a bit concerned that some people would not turn out because of the football, but Winchester is doing us proud," said Sergeant Craig Newton, 33, of the Coldstream Guards. "The football comes around every four years, but a day like today is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

A private service of thanksgiving and remembrance in Winchester Cathedral took place after the parade.

VIDEO: Soldiers Parade After Deadly Afghan Tour

Hundreds of troops parade through Winchester as part of a remembrance service for the 11 Light Brigade, which recently returned from duty in Afghanistan after losing 64 soldiers during its six-month tour. See the march with views from the Sky Copter.

Gunners return home from Afghanistan

Lance Bombardier Ben Fulton holds his four month old baby daughter, Ceris-Lilley as he is reunited with her and his wife, Christie after returning from operations in Afghanistan.

Soldiers from the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan, where they were heavily involved in Operation MOSHTARAK, to Wiltshire.

Over 200 soldiers from the regiment were welcomed home by friends and families at their UK base of Assaye Barracks, Tidworth Camp.

The soldiers had an intense deployment to Afghanistan.

Their task was to provide offensive artillery support with 105mm Light Guns for 11 Light Brigade.

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jez Bennett, the regiment played a key role in the recent Operation MOSHTARAK as the lead unit for the Joint Fires and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Group throughout Helmand province.

Fire Support Teams from the regiment deployed on the ground in every Task Force and Battle Group-level operation that occurred during the tour.

The Gun Groups were based in forward operating bases and in some of the most austere patrol bases and checkpoints, with the regimental headquarters based in Lashkar Gah.

The soldiers also continued to train and mentor the Afghan National Army's gunners and enabled them to fire for the first time in support of the International Security Assistance Force.

Members of B Battery were also involved in setting up the interim Helmand Police Training Centre in Lashkar Gah and two months later watched the first batch of troops at their graduation ceremony.

VIDEO: 1 Royal Anglian Patrol Base - Khushal Kalay

Vaughan Smith for Channel 4 News

As preparations are underway for Operation Moshtarak in the Nad e Ali region of Central Helmand - C Coy 1 Royal Anglian are based in the heartland of Taliban held territory

Lead UK brigade in Helmand changes

British forces in southern Afghanistan will be led by 4th Mechanized Brigade from April 2010, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has announced.

The routine rotation will install 4th Mechanized Brigade as the UK's lead formation in Helmand province.

They will replace 11 Light Brigade and be in command of the majority of units serving in the country.

There are currently more than 10,000 UK troops deployed in Afghanistan, including about 500 special forces.

Mr Ainsworth announced the deployments in a written statement to the House of Commons.

The deployment - which does not change overall force levels in Afghanistan - will include 40 Commando Royal Marines, the Royal Dragoon Guards, the Queen's Royal Lancers, 1st Battalion the Scots Guards and the Royal Scots Borderers.

It will also include 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment and 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said although deployments had been announced, the objective of bringing UK forces home remained.

Speaking on a visit to a housing estate in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, he said: "Our aim is that the Afghan army itself is strong enough, and the police is stronger, so that they can take over control of the country and we can gradually bring our troops home."

The 11 Light Brigade, which was formed specifically for Helmand, replaced 19 Light Brigade in October 2009.

The latter lost 70 men during six months of fighting.

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: We will remember them

Photo: CPL STEVE BAIN

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.

Crowds out to welcome home troops

Tracey Jennison poses for a photo with some of the soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Rifles (2 RIFLES) during a parade following their return from Afghanistan in Liverpool today.

Soldiers returning from the Afghan war zone have been given a rapturous welcome home as thousands of supporters cheered and applauded them through the streets of Liverpool.

Well-wishers looked on for an hour as soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Rifles stood at ease meeting civic and Army officials outside Liverpool's historic St George's Hall.

The setting was the focal point for the Rifles' homecoming parade which moved from the hall on Lime Street before the soldiers, wearing deserts combats, paraded through the city.

Before they set off they marched into formation and proud onlookers clapped and sang You'll Never Walk Alone.

A wreath was laid at the nearby war memorial in memory of the 24 soldiers from the Rifles' extended Battle Group who were killed in action during the six month operational tour in Helmand province - none were from Merseyside.

The parade, which culminated outside the city's town hall, was watched by thousands of supporters, many waving Union Jack flags and shouting messages of support.

Tony Kearns, 62, had travelled from nearby St Helens to watch the parade and support the troops.

He said: "I feel absolutely fabulous about them and wish they were betted looked after, I don't think they have the best equipment.

"We read stories about them not having equipment that's up to scratch - but it's a good job they're up to scratch.

"I think it's very important to come and support our boys and girls."

11 Light Brigade's strategy aligned with General Stanley McChrystal

Colonel David Wakefield is the new spokesman for Taskforce Helmand. It's too early for 11 Brigade to talk in detail about the Troop Uplift announced today, but when we spoke to him from Lashkar Gah, he told us the Brigade's strategy will be firmly aligned with the recent report from ISAF Commander, General Stanley McChrystal.

Brigadier’s Afghanistan peace goal

By Calum Ross

A Black Watch commander has vowed to help the people of Afghanistan find a lasting solution after taking charge of 9,000 UK and coalition troops in Helmand province.

Brigadier James Cowan, from Edinburgh, took over the command of British forces in Helmand during a handover ceremony at the British Army’s regional headquarters in Lashkar Gah.

It marked the transfer of authority to Brig Cowan’s 11 Light Brigade and brought to an end 19 Light Brigade’s six-month tour of the country, during which it suffered 70 deaths.

Brig Cowan, of the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, said the theme of the tour would be consolidation in the centre of Helmand and close co-operation with Afghan allies. “We have been preparing for this operation for two years and are looking forward to the challenge,” he added.

“We aim to emulate the success of 19 Brigade, which has done a magnificent job.

"It is in all our interests that we succeed. Only the people of Afghanistan can provide the lasting solution. We will do everything we can to help achieve this goal.

“To this end, we will consolidate our close relationship with our friends in the US Marine Corps and our civilian counterparts in the provincial reconstruction team, in order to bring prosperity to the people of Helmand.”

The 11 Light Brigade’s tour ends in April 2010.

Once a guard of Adolf Hitler's imprisoned Nazi party deputy Rudolf Hess, Brig Cowan took command of the Black Watch in July 2003.

He was deployed to Iraq, fighting in Basra and Al Amarah in 2004 during the Shi’ite uprising, and was made an OBE in 2005.

Now in his mid-40s, Brig Cowan takes over from the commander of 19 Light Brigade, Brigadier Tim Radford, who said: “The efforts of every soldier in 19 Brigade this summer have helped to deliver security and governance in Helmand.

“I want them to be remembered for the courage, fortitude and resolve they have shown in the harshest operational environment.

“They have been tested to the extreme and they have delivered.

"We have suffered 70 fatalities plus many more personnel with life-changing injuries.

“Every loss cuts deeply and we will never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will continue to support those individuals and all the families.”

The weekend’s handover ceremony coincided with the transfer of the UK civilian head of the mission in Helmand.

Hugh Powell, who is in charge of the provincial reconstruction team, handed over to his successor Lindy Cameron.

New Task Force Helmand Spokesman talks to the BBC

Picture - Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, OBE

Today the Transfer of Authority ceremony marking the handover from 19 Light Brigade to 11 Light Brigade at Lashkar Gar, Helmand Province took place.

The new Task Force Helmand Spokesman talked to BBC presenter Maxine Mawhinney live from the ceremony.

Maxine Mawhinney, presenter: Now, we were telling you that a new brigade and commander has taken over control of British operations in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. Nineteen Light Brigade is returning home after losing 70 of its men in the last six months. Now, they’re going to be replaced by the specially formed 11th Light Brigade. It’s let by Brigadier James Cowan. Well, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield is the British Forces spokesman for Task Force Helmand, and he joins me now from Lashkar Gah. Thank you very much indeed for joining us, Lieutenant Colonel. Just tell us a bit about this new brigade, first of all.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand:
Yes, we’re 11 Light Brigade. We’re led by Brigadier James Cowan, my commander, who’s also taken over Task Force Helmand command.

It’s important to understand, that sometimes people in the UK can forget that Task Force Helmand consists of the Americans alongside us. The Estonians – they have an army infantry company here with us. The Danes, and of course the civilian provincial reconstruction team alongside whom we work. So it’s more than just 11 Light Brigade. But he is the military commander now here in Helmand.

MM: And 11 Brigade has been formed specially for this task for Helmand. Is that unusual, to bring in sources from different units?

DW: Well, we’ve been formed specifically for this tour and it goes back of course to when we were formed in November 2007 and we were trying to sustain a brigade in Iraq and a brigade here in Afghanistan. We were created specifically for this purpose. We’ve trained specifically for it, we have been trained to do counter-insurgency, and that’s what we’ve been working up through in all of our training, and that’s why we’re here now.

MM: Well, Panther’s Claw was an extremely difficult operation with… there’s been a lot of loss of life – 70 men have been lost. Is the mandate now changed? Will 11 Brigade be doing anything differently?

DW: Well, I think it’s the right moment in time to say from our side we’re in awe of 19 Brigade. They have faced the toughest, the harshest operational environment imaginable; they’ve been tested, and they’ve more than delivered. And it’s down to their courage, their fortitude and their resolve, not only of the soldiers, the men and women out here, but the families and friends back at home who supported them. It’s been a long hard summer, but they really have delivered. And it’s now up to us to take what they’ve done, to build on it and take it forward over the next six months of our tour here.

MM: But has the mandate changed? Will you be doing anything differently?

DW: Well, the important thing that people need to understand is that we won’t be doing things significantly differently, but to articulate the way we’re doing it. This is counter-insurgency. The people are the prize. And it’s more than just delivering security, which is what the military are doing, so we will be really focusing on training, and working with the Afghan national police and Afghan national army, the people who ultimately will be delivering security, by Afghans, for Afghans here. But there’s also all the work with economic reconstruction, redevelopment, because those things are important too.
We’ve got to make the Afghans want us more than the Taliban, and so that they can then go on and deliver their own security and their own environment.

MM: And what sort of a situation are your men facing? Has it improved or is it still just as tough?

DW: Well, it would be wrong to paint a flat picture across the whole of the province. In certain areas there’s been real progress, either militarily against IED threats or in terms of reconstruction and redevelopment. I’m here in the province Lashkar Gah, and I spent a lot of time a couple of days ago talking with local journalists, and they were really keen to tell me just how good things are in Lashkar Gah now, and they’ve given me a very positive feedback. In other parts of the province it’s still hard work, so it’s not a blanket picture that I can present here, any more than it would be right to compare the rest of Afghanistan with Helmand Province. Where things are going well elsewhere in the rest of the country, Helmand Province is particularly challenging.

MM: What about morale among our troops there? What is it like?

DW: I think the thing with 11 Brigade is we’ve been working up to this for two years. We’ve gone right through the training from the very lowest individual training, focusing on cultural awareness, the principles of counter-insurgency, the medical training, through to units training in the right environment; so for example, up in Thetford in Norfolk we’ve a purpose-built Afghan village, real Afghans there to play against; also a replication of the green zone. People tend to think of Afghanistan very much as a flat, barren desert-type environment, but of course there is the green zon. It’s easy to think of it really as semi-jungle – it’s wet, it’s difficult to manoeuvre. So we’ve trained for all those environments. We’ve trained in the principles of counter-insurgency. So, you know, we’re here; we’re ready to go. That’s what morale’s like.

MM: And I know that a part of your unit is a specialised counter-IED task force, the improvised explosive devices.

DW: That’s right.

DW: Do they still remain one of the biggest threats?

DW: They are. They are a very big threat. But it would be wrong for people to go away thinking we’re not making progress against it. The counter-IED task force brings together a whole range of capabilities – from the obvious things that people might think about, of disposal of IEDs, of bomb disposal, but also there’s all that intelligence and the other things that go to identifying the networks, the people that are behind it – and attacking the whole thing, not just the device on the ground. It’s a complex business. It’s drawn together under Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Bex who’s an expert in the field, and that’s really beginning to show signs of moving forward. It’s going to be hard work, but that’s what they’re focused on.

MM: What about the local people? Do you get any sense of where they feel that things are at the moment?

DW: Well, again, it varies across the province. I mean, local people want us. For example, in relation, say, to poppy growin, people want to grow wheat; they’re being compelled to grow poppy.
They want the security we’re offering. But equally, they’re very realistic about the threats posed by the Taliban.They’ve got to believe that we’re going to stay, and that’s what we want them to know, because we are going to stay, that life is going to be better if they choose us. So as I said at the start, counter-insurgency is about the people. The people are the prize. And that’s what we’re focused on.

MM: OK, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, thank you very much indeed for joining us from Lashkar Gah. Thank you.

PICTURE: 11 Light Brigade take over command

Transfer of Authority ceremony marking the handover from 19 Light Brigade to 11 Light Brigade at Lashkar Gar Main Operating Base, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Saturday 10th October, 2009

New brigade takes over in Helmand - BBC

A new brigade and commander are taking over UK military operations in Helmand, after the bloodiest tour since the mission began eight years ago.

The 19 Light Brigade is returning home, having lost 70 men during six months of fighting the Taliban.

They are being replaced by 11 Light Brigade, which has been formed specifically for Helmand.

The new brigade is smaller than the one it replaces, meaning some troops have had to extend their tour in Helmand.

The new brigade includes units from across the UK, and will be made up of the Household Cavalry, the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, the 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh, 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, the 3rd Battalion the Rifles, and the 1 Royal Horse Artillery.

It will also include a specialist counter-IED taskforce to help guard against improvised explosive devices.

Reconstruction aims

The new commander of Task Force Helmand, Brigadier James Cowan, is taking over from Brigadier Tim Radford in a simple ceremony at the British headquarters in Lashkar Gah on Saturday.

Several of Brigadier Radford's soldiers died during Operation Panther's Claw ahead of the Afghan elections in August.

Two soldiers from the new brigade have already been killed during the past week.

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says that Brigadier Cowan led his old regiment, the Black Watch, in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq four years ago, and his forces here will try to move the emphasis away from fighting, towards more reconstruction and winning the support of Afghan civilians.

The UK civilian head of the mission in Helmand - diplomat Hugh Powell, who is in charge of the provincial reconstruction team - will also hand over to his successor.

PICTURE: Pick of the day - the journey here

The journey to Helmand - the last leg into Camp Bastion on an RAF C17 for some of the 11 Light Brigade troops who are taking over from 19 Light Brigade.

Scottish soldiers set off on tour of duty in Helmand, Afghanistan

Scottish soldiers set off on tour of duty in Helmand, Afghanistan

The first soldiers from the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS) are setting off on a tour of duty in Helmand Province.

The battalion's B company left Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh yesterday evening, 30 September 2009, heading to RAF Brize Norton for a flight to Afghanistan, where they will be deployed as part of 3 RIFLES Battlegroup.

About 100 soldiers will make up the deployment and it is the first time they have been posted to the area.

Commanding officer Lt Col Charlie Herbert said the troops were both apprehensive and excited at the move. "I think on the whole there is a real air of excitement in B Company about the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead for them," he said.

"This is largely what they joined for. It's what they have trained for over the past six to nine months. Ultimately it is what they are good at."

However, he admitted there was also a slight air of apprehension. "This is a new operational theatre for soldiers from 1 SCOTS," he said.

"It is a new experience, going to Afghanistan , although they have got a lot of operational experience from Iraq.

"One must not forget they are leaving behind their families for a six-month period so there is always a slight air of unhappiness, tinged, as I said, with that element of excitement."

Grenadiers Guards return to Afghanistan

Pic: Grenadier Guards training for Op HERRICK 11.

Report by Lt Col Roly Walker
Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

11 LIGHT BRIGADE promises to be one of the best trained and supported British Brigades to take to the field: in 2006 the UK Government spent around £750 million on military operations in Afghanistan. In 2009 it will be around £3.5 billion.

We will be based in a relatively new area of operations so conditions will be pretty rough and rudimentary. Most of the soldiers will be living in patrol bases, which are basically local Afghan compounds improved with some barriers and sentry positions, in the heart of the local community.

Food will be mainly rations, self cooked. Water comes from local boreholes or is shipped in on supply convoys. We will wash using wash bowls and shower bags, and sleep on camp beds - some in tents, others in buildings of opportunity.

The routine will be busy, noisy, and dusty.

The majority of the time will be spent out and about on patrol reassuring the local population, or on deliberate offensive operations to disrupt the insurgents. The weights we will carry will come as a shock - over 70 lbs just to conduct a patrol - essential equipment, body armour, weapons, ammunition, batteries, water, and food.

The rest of the time will be spent in the patrol bases, either resting or guarding the base. Comforts will be hard to come by. There will be satellite phones, but access to the internet will be limited. Mail will be delivered whenever the supply convoys come through the area.

Once we get there, we have to succeed. Every man and woman will need to stay focussed on the job, stay alert, and maintain high standards of discipline.

Afghanistan is full of contrasts. Ancient traditions dance with modern, the terrain varies from the mountains of the Hindu Kush rising into the Himalaya, to the sand seas flowing into Baluchistan, and from farmlands to the rocky barren deserts. Our task promises to be no different.

Op HERRICK is a demanding and dangerous operation and I have been in the Army long enough to know it will change people's lives. But I have been overwhelmed by the determination and courage of the young men and women I have trained with over the last few months. They are proving to be a very tough generation, and their families and local communities should be very proud of them.

Quick Questions - Lt Col Roly Walker, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker
Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

Where are you deploying to?
We will be going to Helmand, which is one of the southern Provinces, sharing it with US and Afghan security forces. Helmand is an important province for the Taliban and narcotic barons, and so is fiercely contested by them.

What is your mission in Afghanistan?
It is clear to me that Afghanistan must not be ruled by extremists who themselves harbour extremists bent on international terrorism. The government in Afghanistan faces an insurgency which threatens the wish of the international community to rebuild the country. Alongside 40 other UN and NATO states we need to protect Afghanistan from those extremists by working with the Afghans to rebuild their state institutions to govern their people. That means defeating the insurgency they face. And that means protecting the population centres, building up Afghan security forces, and attacking the insurgents.

How have you prepared for this?
Countering an insurgency is exactly what we have been preparing ourselves for over the last few months. We started training in January, went to Kenya for six weeks in the spring, and then spent time training with some of the new operational equipment. The training became ever more sophisticated, and importantly became more integrated with the other civilian and military teams who will be with us. We trained alongside allies from the Afghan Army, the US Marine Corps, and an Estonian contingent, all of whom we will work with.

What conditions will the guards be living and working in?
Conditions will be pretty rough and rudimentary. The routine will be busy, noisy, and dusty. Food will be mainly rations, self cooked. Water comes from local boreholes or is shipped in on supply convoys. We will wash using wash bowls and shower bags, and sleep on camp beds - some in tents, others in buildings of opportunity. Every man and woman will need to stay focussed on the job, to stay alert, and to maintain the high standards of discipline the Guards are famous for.

Op HERRICK is a demanding and dangerous operation and I have been in the Army long enough to know it will change people's lives. But I have been overwhelmed by the determination and courage of the young men and women I have trained with over the last few months. They are proving to be a very tough generation, and their families and local communities should be very proud of them.

VIDEO: Tackling Taliban's deadliest weapon - BBC

By Caroline Wyatt
Defence correspondent, BBC News

Click here to see the BBC Video report

Improvised explosive devices - IEDs - are the deadliest threat facing British forces in Afghanistan, and more resources than ever are being deployed to limit the threat of the Taliban's tactic of choice.

The bleak and windswept land with its thin tufts of grass is criss-crossed with wires and oblong packages half-hidden in holes in the ground. We are warned not to get too close - the ground beneath our feet is riddled with explosives.

This is not Helmand, but Shoeburyness, Essex, where British army bomb disposal experts are doing their final training before they deploy to Afghanistan later this month with 11 Brigade.

Training to counter this threat has increased markedly over the past months, not only for bomb disposal experts but also for ordinary soldiers now acquiring more specialised counter-IED knowledge as part of basic training.

2 YORKS begin deployment to Afghanistan

Around 400 soldiers from 2 YORKS are starting their deployment to Afghanistan. The troops were waved off by loved at left Weeton Barracks in Lancashire and will soon be working side by side Afghan national Soldiers as they train them to take on their own security.

"Working hand-in-glove with the Afghan National Army provided a great opportunity to both develop and learn from the Afghan soldiers,” said Major Robert Palfrey, Officer Commanding A Company.

“They are highly motivated, capable and experienced fighters. This task is widely recognised as some of the most important and rewarding work being done in theatre at the moment."

For 2 YORKS this is the second tour of duty in Helmand and many of them will be veterans of Op Herrick 7 which started in October 2007.

Once in Afghanistan the troops will form part of 11 Light Brigade, which replaces 19 Light Brigade this October.

They will take on the role of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team. The purpose of the team is to develop the capabilities and maximise the effectiveness of the Afghan National Army.

The long term aim of this important mission is to enable the Afghan National Army to become self-sufficient, independently capable of training its soldiers and mounting operations.

The nature of the role in theatre will see the battalion operate in small teams, utilising a wide range of military and instructional skills to further develop their Afghan colleagues' capabilities.

"After a thorough period of intensive training, during which everyone concerned worked extremely hard, the battalion is well prepared for this demanding role,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Colthup, Commanding Officer 2 YORKS.

“Over the past month the battalion has had the opportunity to take some hard-earned leave to relax with their families. They are now fully focused on the task to hand and are highly motivated and very much looking forward to the tour."