Inside Afghanistan: Lance Corporal Sophie Wright’s frontline home

In the last of an intimate set of portraits, Lance Corporal Sophie Wright tells how she she recreates home comforts on the frontline and about the small pleasures she misses while serving in the Helmand Province.

To visit the Telegraph TV Website direct and watch the video click HERE

On Monday The Telegraph joined Captain Abi Bradley on patrol with the men of the Gurkha Rifles and on Tuesday talked to Sergeant Carly Lambert about how she copes being away from her daughter in the UK.

On Wednesday Lance Corporal Ashton Mulligan, who joined up at 16, explained why she now has ambivalent feelings towards ‘home’.

Yesterday Lance Corporal Laura Roberts described what life is like for a single girl surrounded by hundreds of young men.

Each one of these remarkable women casts a different perspective on a long Afghan war.

PICTURE of the Day: 40 Commando Heli Ops, Sangin

A series of images taken halfway into 40 Commando Royal Marines' tour of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. They capture the beauty of Sangin and the Green Zone at sunset as well as depicting the RAF's daily battle to keep the Marines resupplied with supplies.


A Chinook helicopter bringing forward an underslung load of equipment from Camp Bastion to FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson, Sangin.



An RAF air crewman on a Chinook helicopter, checking his under slung load during flight from Camp Bastion to FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson. The load is carrying vital supplies and equipment to members of 40 Commando, Royal Marines.



An underslung on a Chinook helicopter carrying vital supplies and equipment for FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson, Sangin.



A Chinook helicopter leaving FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson, Sangin and heading for Camp Bastion, whilst releasing flares on leaving the HLS.



Marine Mutch a member of 40 Commando, Royal Marines being transported from Camp Bastion to FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson on a Chinook helicopter.



A Royal Marine of Delta Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Zeebrugee, Kajaki, looking over the Green Zone as the sun sets.



L/CPL Hanlon a Royal Marine Medic of Delta Company, 40 Commando at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Zeebrugee, Kajaki, looking over the Green Zone as the sun sets.



A Royal Marine of Delta Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Zeebrugge, Kajaki, looking over the Green Zone as the sun sets.


Pictures: LA(PHOT) Si Ethell

New Afghan National Police Training Centre opens in Sangin

Training of the Afghan National Police in Sangin has been given a boost with the opening of a new police training centre inside one of the British army Forward Operating Bases.



FOB Jackson in Sangin is home to the men of 40 Commando, Royal Marines at the moment and they are directly involved in training and mentoring the Afghan police officers.

They have built a new training area inside the walls, and about a dozen policemen will rotate through the foundation and advanced training courses each week. They also go out on the ground with them, patrolling in Sangin bazaar and helping to man the checkpoints in the Sangin district.

"We need more checkpoints," says Captain Dom Rogers of 40 Commando, Royal Marines. "But we can't open new checkpoints until we have more men. So we have to be patient. But in the meantime we are making sure that the officers we have are as highly trained as possible."


New police officers are arriving in Sangin every week now, fresh out of training college, at a rate of about a dozen a time. They are essential to ensuring security in Sangin.

"The more police we can get, the more that frees up the ANA [Afghan National Army] to move into the Green Zone while the ANP secures the towns and villages," said MOD police trainer, Sergeant Andy Gaunt.

All of the police checkpoints in Sangin are partnered - meaning that British and Afghans work side by side to protect the population. One new checkpoint has just been erected on the edge of the bazaar, monitoring traffic going in and out. And they are setting up a recruitment bureau in the centre of Sangin to encourage locals to become policemen.


One of the checkpoint commanders, Mohammed Khan, said: "We have a good connection with the locals and the local community, especially the people who are in the peaceful area where we have our checkpoints. We are happy with all those people and they are also happy with us. We are trying to encourage all those people who are in the enemy's area to talk to us and keep up a connection with them. But security is getting better every year."

The Chief of Police in Sangin, Lieutenant Colonel Ghulie Khan, said the improving relations between the ANP and the Afghan people was a direct result of the ISAF training and the hard work of 40 Commando, who took over the task in April from 3 Rifles Regiment.


"Now they are well trained, they can get the confidence of the locals. All the locals in Sangin are tired of the Taliban and the Taliban activities. They don't want any more damage in Sangin," said Lieutenant Colonel Khan.

The new training centre will teach the police officers drills for countering improvised explosive devices, first aid, searching techniques, patrolling drills and checkpoint drills, but also more advanced subjects such as forensics.

40 Commando Royal Marines take over authority of Sangin from 3rd Battalion The Rifles

Lt Col Nick Kitson, 3 Rifles (left) wishes Lt Col Paul James well for the next 6 months during the short ceremony.

At 14:00 local time yesterday afternoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles officially transferred responsibility and command of the Sangin area of operations to 40 Commando Royal Marines.

Over the last few weeks, Royal Marine Commandos and attached Ranks have been arriving in Forward Operating Base (FOB) Jackson, in the Sangin region of Helmand province. They have been receiving comprehensive handovers from their counterparts in the 3 RIFLES.

The Area of Operations was formally handed by the 3 RIFLES Commanding Officer, Lt Col Nick Kitson, to Lt Col Paul James, Commanding Officer of 40 Commando Royal Marines.

Lt Col James said: “It’s great to be here. It’s an honor to take up the reins and having the opportunity to help the Afghans improve the lives of their people in Sangin and Kajaki.”

The 3 RIFLES flag is lowered during the handover to 40Cdo RM

The Commandos will be based here and in the other associated FOBs and Patrol Bases (PBs) for the next 6 months where they will continue to provide security to the region, mentor the Afghan National Police, partner the Afghan National Army and enable the continuation of reconstruction projects in the area.

Just prior to 3 RIFLES departing to leave Sangin they, together with their Afghanistan partners, they jointly hosted a ‘thank you and farewell’ Shura. The Shura involved key members of the local community and was also used to welcome members from 40 Commando Royal Marines to Sangin. The Shura incorporated a meal and much reciting of achievements and praise for the progress that 3 Rifles have made during their six month tour in the north eastern corner of Helmand Province.

The Commandos have already made a number of minor cultural changes around the FOBs and PBs to put their Royal Marine stamp on them. Army phrases have been replaced with Royal Navy terms - toilets have been renamed ‘heads’; the ‘cookhouse’ has become the ‘galley’; ‘brews’ have become ‘wets’ and ‘Scoff’ (meals) has become ‘Scran’.

This has all caused much amusement with the Afghan Partners from the Police and Army, together with locally employed nationals and interpreters who all live within the Bases and work with the Commandos every day.

For around a third of the Commandos, this is their second, third or even fourth deployment to the Sangin area and these Marines all commented on the significant changes that had taken place since they were last in the area.

The vibrant bazaar, which is a matter of a few hundred metres from the ISAF Operating Base, is one of the most significant signs of progress achieved by the 3 RIFLES Battle Group throughout their tour. The locals and children are becoming increasingly friendly and comfortable with the present of ISAF troops and their Afghan partners. The children are even starting to talk and play with the troops. This is seen by many as real and tangible improvements to the quality of the local Afghan’s way of life.

After a hard six month tour 3 RIFLES hand over the Sangin region to the Royal Marine Battle Group in a better state then when they took over control in September 2009. 40 Commando now have an excellent foundation on which to build and will continue to provide security to the region, and will show the local people that the Government is the best choice for them, and that the insurgency has nothing to offer them but fear and oppression.

3 RIFLES improve security along Helmand road

Riflemen from B Company, 3rd Battalion the Rifles (3 RIFLES), have been undertaking an operation to maintain security on Route 611 through Helmand province, thereby improving freedom of movement in the area.

Based at Forward Operating Base Jackson, Sangin, since October 2009, B Company has been working closely with Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to secure the area to allow locals to go about their normal lives.

Thanks partly to the ability of ISAF and ANSF to maintain security on Route 611, the primary route which connects the town to the outlying communities, the Sangin bazaar has grown considerably recently.

Operation GHARTSE GHADMAHE 5 was the latest move by Combined Force Sangin to improve freedom of movement on Route 611, with the soldiers creating new checkpoints and improved culverts that are harder for the insurgents to lay IEDs in.

Captain Warren Marginson, Second-in-Command of B Company, explained:

"Route 611 is vital to the local economy of Sangin, and securing it is one of our primary responsibilities."

While Sappers from the Royal Engineers set about construction and culvert work, B Company Riflemen from 4 Platoon and Recce Platoon secured the area to the south to allow the work to go ahead unhindered.

Serjeant Lee Slater, Recce Platoon, commented:

"We attracted quite a lot of attention from the insurgents when we moved into our positions.

"The fact that they were concentrating their attacks on us and not the engineers means that the plan was working - even if it was a bit hectic at times."

For over 72 hours B Company remained in position and repulsed numerous insurgent attacks. After the initial onslaught, attacks petered out as the insurgents accepted defeat.

With the construction work completed, Route 611 is now more secure.

Captain Marginson said:

"The stream of local nationals heading along Route 611 is the best indicator of the progress we are making in Sangin."