AROUND 600 soldiers based at a Kent barracks are being deployed to Southern Afghanistan to join coalition forces in the troubled Helmand Province.

For many in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland – with an average age of 21 – it will be their first taste of action.

For others from Howe Barracks in Canterbury this will be the latest in a number of tours to assist coalition forces, both in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Five companies will be in Helmand Province for six months as part of Operation Herrick 8, under the leadership of Commanding Officer Lt Col David Richmond.

Lt Col Richmond, 41, believes the purpose is clear. “We can’t have countries providing safe havens for international terrorists and our main operation is all about protecting the Afghan people,” he said.

Away from the front line, he admits it can be a tough time for the families left at home. “Time away weighs heavily on them,” he said. “They know the risks, they see them for themselves every night on TV."