A different mission on return trip
AS the rest of Swansea paused to remember the sacrifice made in the First World War on Sunday, one city soldier has revealed what life is like serving in Afghanistan.
Colour Sergeant Leighton Wilks, aged 37, of Mayhill, is serving on his second tour of the country after signing up with the Welsh Guards two decades ago.
He served in Afghanistan in 2009 on Operation Herrick and was faced with an entirely different challenge then.
On that tour he and his comrades were in the thick of it and went headto-head in battling the Taliban in Helmand Province, but this time around his role on Operation Toral is a non-combat one.
Leighton, who is a material accountant in the Quartermaster’s Department of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, now ensures key lifesaving kit coming in from the UK gets to the troops who need it wherever they are in Afghanistan.
Leighton said: “It’s been really busy lately, with the recent uplift (increase in British troop numbers) it practically doubled our workload.
“It’s okay though, because no two days are the same, you can be dealing with generators one day and a box of pencils the next.
“Most kit is airfreighted into the country; the other day I was with my team unloading several ‘Foxhound’ armoured cars out of a giant Russian Antonov cargo plane – the largest aircraft in the world, it’s not often you get to do that in the Army.”
Operation Toral is the codename for Britain’s contribution to the Nato mission entitled Resolute Support a multi-national coalition helping Afghanistan to seize control of its own security and establish its place in the international community.
There are currently 1,000 British troops based in the country.
They are also on hand to advise Afghan ministers and officials on security issues, mentor the instructors at the Afghan National Army Officers’ Academy and to offer security for coalition personnel in and around the capital, Kabul.
Leighton has had something to celebrate during his time in Helmand Province – his birthday.
He said: “Because this is a dry tour (strictly no alcohol) the boys couldn’t buy me a drink, so they did the next best thing and bought me a birthday cake.
“Things like that really gives you a boost out here and make a difference. It is all about teamwork in order to get this job done.”
He is also looking forward to a bottle of something to celebrate with his wife Kelly.
Leighton revealed he was looking to take his wife and their children, Wesley, aged 14, Evan, 10, and Sophia, 7, away on holiday to Egypt when he makes the most of his post-operational tour leave.