Marines to bolster UK troops in war zone.
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Elite Plymouth-based Royal Marines are to play a central role in a beefed-up British force to bring the Taliban and drug lords to heel in southern Afghanistan, writes Parliamentary Correspondent Nick Lester. Defence Secretary Des Browne has told the Herald while the deployment of Stonehouse-based 3 Commando Brigade to the lawless Helmand province will be ‘challenging’, they have the training and experience to meet it ‘head-on’. And the crack city commandos would play their part in giving the Afghan people the secure future they deserved, he added. Mr Browne was speaking in the wake of his announcement that nearly 900 additional troops were to be sent to southern Afghanistan, including a company of around 150 Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade, increasing the size of the British force by more than a quarter to 4,400. The marines will arrive in Afghanistan in September to provide force protection for 320 Royal Engineers who will aid reconstruction efforts. The fresh deployment, totalling 870 personnel, comes as it was revealed that Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade, including members of Bickleigh-based 42 Commando, equipped with Viking armoured vehicles, would take over the Helmand mission in October from the Paras of 16 Air Assault Brigade in a planned transfer of operational responsibility. However, MoD officials could not say how many more Marines this would involve. This leading role will put the commandos at the forefront of the battle which has already claimed the lives of six British personnel in a series of firefights with Taliban forces and tribal militiamen. Plymouth Royal Marines already have experience of the hazardous region, having spearheaded the initial deployment of British troops earlier this year. Mr Browne told the Herald: “3 Commando Brigade’s deployment to Afghanistan will be challenging but I know that their training and recent operational experience means that they will meet this head-on. “They will play their part in giving the Afghan people the secure, stable future that they deserve.” A spokesman for 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines said the deployment was multi-pronged, targeting terrorists and drug cultivation and providing security. Lieutenant Colonel Matt Holmes, commanding officer of 42 Commando Royal Marines, said: “We expect this to be a challenging operational deployment, and we have trained hard accordingly. |