Charm is all set for army tour

Man's best friend is a Staffordshire soldier's best ally as she prepares for a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

Private Lauren Cheetham is one of 42 protection dog handlers facing the tough challenge of guarding our troops - with her four-legged colleague Charm alongside her.

The 23-year-old, who hails from Cannock, is with the 104 Military Working Dog Unit, which provides protection and search capabilities as well as helping to clear routes, buildings and vehicles.

The unit, based at St George's Barracks, North Luffenham, will play a vital role in the support of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan.

Pte Cheetham could find herself guarding one of the military bases in Afghanistan such as Camp Bastion or accompanying troops on patrol.

Vehicle search dogs and armed explosives search dogs, together with their handlers, are also deploying from the unit.

With months of training under her belt, Pte Cheetham is well prepared and said: "We have been completely focused on pre-deployment training since January. Now I just want to get there and get on with the job."

Charm, a four-year old Chez Shepherd, is the biggest dog in the kennels.

"He's my number two man in my life after my boyfriend Martyn," said Pte Cheetham.

"When Charm is working he is completely focused and like us, when he has some down time he will be able to relax. It's all about trust. When we were on pre-deployment training there were a lot of bangs from the light guns and rifles, so Charm looked to me for reassurance.

"When he saw that I was not bothered, he knew it was okay as well."

When she and Charm first arrived in Afghanistan the first task will be to acclimatise to the environment.

At Camp Bastion the dogs are housed in air conditioned kennels which also have heating for the colder winter nights.

Dogs like Charm are recruited at between one and three years old, and most are unwanted pets. They are trained at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray. To find out more call 01664 418668.