IAN CLARKE Dozens of Norfolk-based soldiers who are the eyes and ears of the Army are “100pc prepared and trained and confident and ready” to go to Afghanistan, according to their troop commander.

IAN CLARKE

Dozens of Norfolk-based soldiers who are the eyes and ears of the Army are “100pc prepared and trained and confident and ready” to go to Afghanistan, according to their troop commander.

Eighty eight troops from C Squadron, Light Dragoons from Swanton Morley, near Dereham, have completed their final intensive training ahead of a six-month deployment in the troubled Helmand Province.

The soldiers have been driving in scorching temperatures and surrounded by clouds of smoke and dust on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, to create the conditions they will face from October.

As an armoured reconnaissance regiment, the Light Dragoons are equipped with fast and highly manoeuvrable Scimitar vehicles which can scout ahead of the main body for information and secure routes.

The Norfolk soldiers will be part of 3 Commando Brigade and they will be among 900 extra British troops boosting the multi-national force in Afghanistan.

Training over the past three months has included the honing of individual and team skills, a range package and courses on patrols and observation posts.

One of the roles the Light Dragoons have rehearsed is escorting a logistic supply convoy of military vehicles as they came under small arms fire from a terrorist attack.

Troop commander Lt Tim Badham said: “It has been a busy few months with little time off, but we are 100pc prepared and trained for this deployment. We are confident and ready. Our main task will be escorting.

“We will be the backbone of any convoy, giving gunfire support from the front and back. Our role will be to support the UK Task Force as it continues to provide a stable environment to help rebuild the country.”

It has been a busy period for C Squadron who returned from Iraq in September where they trained and mentored the Department of Border Enforcement situated along the Iraq border as well as maintaining security in the area.

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram watched the Light Dragoons making their final preparations and said: “The mission that they have set out to do is to bring about that peace and stability that the Afghan people want. They've had enough of war and conflict over the last so many decades. They want a different future and the Light Dragoons and the Royal Marines will help them achieve that.”

The Norfolk men will be based at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

For trooper Michael Kay, 18, from Inverness, it will be his first operational tour having joined the Army a year and a half ago.

“I'm looking forward to it. I'm a little apprehensive as it will be my first tour. It will certainly be a learning curve. I joined the Army to do this.

Speaking about the troops' families, Mr Ingham said: “I know there's a lot of uncertainty and worries in the minds of the families. But they can take huge pride in what their loved ones are doing. They are really making a big difference to a very troubled part of the world. And we in this country can take pride in what they're doing as well.”