'The patrol protects a bridge used by farmers daily'

"Soldiers of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Battle Group, in Afghanistan less than a month, have taken over the area around Nad e-Ali from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Their tour, under the newly formed 11 Light Brigade, builds firmly on the work of the previous battle group and operates in a particularly volatile area known among the soldiers as 'The Wild West', due to the amount of insurgent activity.

Already, two major achievements highlight the progress being made in this region. Firstly, the guards' battle group has installed a new patrol base north of the district centre at a key crossing point. Built by Royal Engineers attached to the battle group the patrol base houses separately, the Afghan National Army (ANA) and a British Army Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT), who guide and train the Afghan soldiers, serving alongside and supporting them.

The new patrol base ensures the positions from which Taliban insurgents can engage the town are further away from the population centre. It also protects a vital bridge used by local farmers every day.

Secondly, this new patrol base has been built as part of a long-term plan to improve the security around Nad e-Ali, and a giant step forward has been made with the re-opening of a local school, in the district centre.

Helmand Province Governor Gulab Mangal visited the school and cut the ribbon to declare it open talking to the children and teachers. Governor Mangal was also well received at a Shura with local elders to express his commitment to the Food Zone Programme in the region.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards are relatively new to Afghanistan but are already proud to be making a big difference for the local Afghans here."