THREE reservists from Teignbridge are acclimatising themselves to the demanding environment of Helmund province at the start of a six-month tour of duty. They were among 80 members of the Rifle Volunteers, the region's Territorial Army infantry battalion, to leave for the Afghanistan at the weekend. For Pte Jonathan Murphy, of Buckfastleigh, it will be his first taste of soldiering on foreign soil. Also from the area are Officer Commanding Maj Rupert Hooper, from Bovey Tracey, and Lance-Cpl Ben Steele, from Newton Abbot. Both left in an advance group of 15. Pte Murphy, 27, originally from Belfast, admitted he was a 'bit nervous'. 'It's a weird sort of feeling when you get your brown envelope which says you have been mobilised,' he said. He leaves behind partner Kerry Nolan and their two-year old daughter Rowan. One of the hardest things, he said, would be missing seeing his daughter growing up. Peninsula Company will come under the command of 3 Commando Brigade's Battlegroup. They will be responsible for the security of Camp Bastion, the biggest British base in Helmund province with more than 2,000 troops. The volunteers have just completed three months of intense training, including live firing on ranges designed to mimic the conditions of Afghanistan. Battalion commander, Lt Col James Hall, did not underestimate the difficulties the men would face but stressed that they were up to the job. 'I am 100 per cent confident that they are ready to do the job for which they have been trained. By the time they left Lydd (specialist operational training centre in Kent) they were achieving professional standards. Nevertheless, it's going to be a very difficult and tough time. It could get frightening, more likely it could get boring,' he said. Despite aggressive fighting in Helmund, Camp Bastion, sited in open flat desert, has not so far come under attack. The territorials will be relieving a company of Ghurkas. Lt Col hinted that as they gained in confidence, their role could be expanded. 'By the end of the week they will be in charge – I suspect as the operation develops they will be capable of doing some of the more demanding tasks.' This is the Rifle Volunteers' second tour in Afghanistan. Two platoons went out in 2004, when one of their number was killed. Lt Col Hall denied that they were being mobilised because regular troops were too thinly stretched. 'We have got a Territorial Army that is funded at considerable public expense. If you can't use it, what is the point of having it?' he said. In a morale-lifting speech to the men, about to board their coaches for RAF Brize Norton, Lt Col Hall said that they could feel proud of what they had achieved so far. 'Remember your responsibilities to this battalion and look after one another. Provided you make allowances for one another and take responsibility for yourselves and others, you will succeed,' he said.
