Welsh Guards undertake final training exercise ahead of deployment to Afghanistan

The Welsh Guards have conducted a final training exercise in Caerwent, Wales this week ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan in March.

The two-week training exercise is designed to provide the Pirbright-based troops with a final opportunity to practice their infantry tactics, techniques and procedures prior to deploying say the Ministry of Defence.

The Guardsmen have spent months training for this operational tour which will see them responsible for providing force protection to Coalition troops deployed to advise the Afghan security forces. Captain Tom Evans said:

“This involves us moving advisors around the city in our Foxhound vehicles, to enable them to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces.”

The battalion will also provide a Quick Reaction Force which will be on standby to respond to any major incident within Kabul.

The exercise, say the MoD, tested the soldiers with a series of challenging and realistic scenarios over the course of two weeks. In order to succeed they had to prove that they could remain calm under pressure and rely on their infantry skills, leadership and discipline as well as their ingenuity and flexibility.

Over the previous six months the soldiers have undertaken a rigorous and progressive training package which has focused on the infantry skills that will be so important to them out in.