Highlanders’ courage tested every day on the front line
In an exclusive article for The Inverness Courier, Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Aitken, commanding officer of The Highlanders, details his soldiers’ experiences on the front line in Afghanistan as they reach the half way point in their deployment.
THIS has been quite an intense two months for the Battalion as the heat really begins to take its toll; patrols are conducted throughout the day when temperatures are regularly in the region of 45 degrees. Each man is carrying between 70-120lbs and is required to move through ditches, wade waist deep in water, climb walls and all the while remaining alert — it is a tough regime.
We are working cheek by jowl with our partners in the Afghan National Police — who received a bad press before we arrived — living together, patrolling together and learning to trust each other in austere conditions. They have been the real revelation. Brave, increasingly professional and extremely loyal, these local men of Helmand are making genuine steps forward and the people are gradually looking to them to provide security.
In many areas of our area of Lashkar Gar District the police run all aspects of security and we merely stand off ready to give them any help they require. Only the other day, an operation of over 700 police, army, and border police swept and controlled an area east of the city with minimal British help or assistance. They genuinely are the future of Afghanistan and we are increasingly optimistic about the future of this region.
We have been pleasantly surprised to find that contrary to some reporting, the Afghan people genuinely appreciate the security that we bring with our Afghan partners; they are tired of the fighting and want to be left alone to live their lives.
This does not mean that there is not more fighting to do. On the fringes of the more secure areas where the people back the government, the population is intimidated by the insurgents and here we still face a capable and determined enemy, increasingly aggressive as the majority of the population begins to reject them.
In these areas the Jocks face the daily threats of improvised explosive devices and shots from hidden positions with fortitude and an unending sense of humour.
The threat was highlighted with the sad death of our comrade Corporal Mike Pike, from Huntly, who was killed giving covering fire for his patrol. The Battalion has remained focused on the job in hand, but our thoughts are with his wife Ida and children Joshua and Evelynn.
I would like to thank readers for the huge amount of support that we receive in the form of messages, letters and parcels; it is genuinely a comfort to all of us.
Despite the dangers and the discomfort, in many ways we have the easier side of the bargain compared to our families both at our base in Germany and back in Scotland. We have the luxury of the single focus of the operation and the clear knowledge of what we are doing and how well prepared and equipped we are for the job. Our families have the burden of waiting for the next news announcement or waiting for the dreaded knock on the door, whilst still coping alone with all of the everyday stresses and strains of normal life.
I would ask readers not just to think about the soldiers — we are all volunteers — think of our wives, parents and children who did not volunteer, who get no medal and no homecoming parade and are deserving of recognition for their support and resilience.
We still have a long way to go in the tour, but you can rest assured that the spirit, humour and courage of the Highland soldier continues to be as strong as it always has been.
