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Welsh Guards undertake final training exercise ahead of Afghanistan deployment

Land March 2, 2018

The Welsh Guards have conducted a final training exercise in Caerwent, Wales ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan in March.

The two-week training exercise provided the Pirbright-based troops with a final opportunity to practice their infantry tactics, techniques and procedures prior to deploying.

The Guardsmen have spent months training for this operational tour, which will see them responsible for providing force protection to Coalition troops deployed to advise the Afghan security forces.

The battalion will also provide a Quick Reaction Force, which will be on standby to respond to any major incident within Kabul.

The exercise tested the soldiers with a series of challenging and realistic scenarios over the course of two weeks. In order to succeed they had to prove that they could remain calm under pressure and rely on their infantry skills, leadership and discipline as well as their ingenuity and flexibility.

Over the previous six months the soldiers have undertaken a rigorous and progressive training package which has focussed on the infantry skills that will be important to them in Afghanistan. In addition to military training, the Welsh Guards have also undertaken cultural and language training to allow them to better communicate and interact with their Afghan partners.

Lance Sergeant Luke Lewis of Port Talbot said “The training has definitely prepared us well and I feel confident to deploy on this operational tour.”

image © Crown Copyright

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Post written by: Matt Brown