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Commanding officer praises work of troops in Helmand
A SCARBOROUGH Army officer has praised the work carried out by soldiers from the town during a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan's war-torn Helmand province.
Lt Col Toby Gray, commanding officer with the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, spoke to the Evening News at the end of a two- week rest period away from the front line which he spent visiting friends and family.
The battalion will be welcomed back to Scarborough for a freedom parade during this year’s Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 26, alongside the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, to mark the end of the current Afghanistan tour.
Lt Col Gray, who celebrated his 45th birthday during his time in the UK, said his troops had made significant progress in the area around Gereshk and Lashkar Gah.
He added: “I am delighted with the way it is going and we have made significant progress in the area.
‘‘We have been doing quite a lot recently to encourage farming. We are trying to make a difference to the local farmers – they just lack the tools.”
Because of the lack of tools, Lt Col Gray said farmers have been shown how to use fairly simple implements such as seed drills.
He said: “How can we make the local population richer? This can be through improvements in lifestyle, in the quality of life and security as well as how their children are educated.”
Last year it was reported that soldiers from Scarborough had helped to create a temporary school in Spin Majid for local Afghan children.
Lt Col Gray said: “It is the first time in 20 years they’ve had a school to teach their children. It is still under canvas.
‘‘On day one there were four teachers and eight children, but by the end of the week there were 150 children.”
He added that work to build a more permanent school was progressing well and local contractors were being used. “The locals are quite supportive of us. The majority of the local population are glad with what we are doing.
“As well as the school we are also building a road – for the first time across contested battle space since the Dhofar Campaign.
‘‘By providing infrastructure for both the local population and us, we can get around the area more quickly and generate commercial activity – if there is more trade they are less likely to turn to insurgent activity.”
Soldiers from the Coldstream Guards are working alongside those from 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) as well as members of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police – the two local forces are known collectively as the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
The British troops were initially deployed in the war-torn country with the specific mission to deliver security to the population of Babaji, Malgir and Spin Majid – districts of Helmand province – so that stabilisation can follow.
The Coldstream Guards has already suffered two deaths and at least 22 soldiers have been wounded in action during the present tour of duty.
Lt Col Gray said it had been good to get back to the UK for a few days – he spent some of the time visiting casualties across the country as well families of those killed in action – but he was looking forward to getting back to Helmand.
“It’s my first tour in Afghanistan. Compared with Iraq in 2005, there are more bullets flying around,” he said.
‘‘My soldiers are there and that’s where I have to be,” he said.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
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