The Ministry of Defence announced on the 6^th February that around 1,300 Scottish troops would be deployed to Afghanistan. The deployment will include representatives of four out of the five infantry units serving within the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Scottish Troops to be Deployed for Six Months

The 1,300 soldiers will leave these shores in May and, once arrived in the province of Helmand, will remain deployed there for six months. They will assume responsibility for Helmand during their stay – a role currently undertaken by the 52 Infantry Brigade

The majority of the deployed force – approximately 1,000 soldiers - will be drawn from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Royal Highland Fusiliers. The Highlanders and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, meanwhile, are each contributing 120 troops.

According to the MoD, the soldiers set to be deployed have spent several months preparing.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders’ Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel David Richmond, detailed the situation further:

"The Battalion has been focussed on deploying for some time”, he said.

"We have prepared well, trained hard and been issued some excellent equipment.

"The deployment will test us all. The environment we will operate in is austere and demanding and we are ready for it.

"The battalion will thrive on the challenges and look forward to supporting the Afghan Government in its efforts to rid the country of the Taliban and improve the quality of life of its people."

The Highlanders’ Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Campbell, added: "I am delighted to have one of my sub-units tasked with such an important and demanding role.

"I am very proud of every one of our soldiers and I know that they will do an outstanding job with whatever task is faced with them."

Source – Armed Forces International’s Political Correspondent

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