Soldiers tell of hopes and fears for mission
Soldiers from Staffordshire and the Midlands today spoke of their hopes and fears as they prepared to go on a six month tour of duty to Afghanistan.
Soldiers from Staffordshire and the Midlands today spoke of their hopes and fears as they prepared to go on a six month tour of duty to Afghanistan.
The 250 men and women of the 22 Signal Regiment, based in Stafford, will provide communications support with 15 members of the Territorial Army's 35 Signal Regiment. They include 22-year-old Jonny Whitmore, of Cannock, a soldier on his first operational tour. He and his comrades will be away until February 18 on Operation Herrick.
The lance corporal said: "I feel like I've been working towards this my whole life and now it it finally here.
"My parents are apprehensive about the trip but I think my fiance Catherine is the worst. I think she's going to miss me a lot. I'm not too worried about being away over Christmas and New Year as it will be very easy to get in touch with people back home.
"Every week we're given half an hour free use of the phones and the Royal Mail are very helpful, allowing letters to be sent out to us for free. My job out there is maintaining the communications from the front line out to Bastion and then back to HQ in Kandahar. I do hope we are making a difference out there and that we are improving things for the people of Afghanistan."
Ray Blanchette, 39, of Bearwood, said: "I have been with the TA for a long time, 22 years, but this is my first time in Afghanistan.
"I know it is going to be a very busy job but at the same time it is so important to keep the communications infrastructure in place – if the army doesn't communicate then it doesn't work."
Major Dave Whitaker said: "We are going out in support of NATO and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAS).
"Some of our aims while we are out there include defeating the Taliban and training and enabling the Afghan army. Soldiers will be dealing with a range of terrains from mountains which are six thousand ft above sea level to expanses of desert. At the moment it is 55 degrees C out there but it will start to get colder especially over Christmas."
