The troops are from C Company of the 1st Battalion (Royal Scots Borderers) Royal Regiment of Scotland and over the next few weeks they will be joined by hundreds more when the rest of the battalion flies out to join comrades in Helmand province in the south of the country as part of Operation Herrick.

The soldiers will form part of the Catterick-based 4 Mechanised Brigade, which will command British forces in the province.

Once there, the soldiers will take on a variety of roles, including training and mentoring the Afghan security forces over the next six months.

The battalion's B Company – about 110 soldiers – is already in Afghanistan, and has been attached to its neighbours in Edinburgh's Redford Barracks, the 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, for the past five months.

These troops are due to start returning home over the next few weeks.
Last Tuesday, after final briefings, the soldiers packed their kit and went through final equipment checks. The group included experienced veterans of the Afghanistan campaign with three tours already under their belts, to Territorial Army reservists embarking on their first posting abroad.

One of the Borderers heading for Helmand was Territorial Army soldier and drum and bass musician, Keith Robinson, 41, from Duns.

A rave organiser and member of Desert Storm Sound System band, Keith said his first deployment to Afghanistan is his chance to "put his money where his mouth is".

And he added: "I feel excited about it. Maybe I'll be worried when I go on the first patrol out the gate. I joined so I could do this tour. I wanted a new challenge.

"I quite believe in the cause politically. I feel our way of life and society are under threat from the way the world is, that we're at a bit of a tipping point.

"I've got lots of friends that I've had to justify it to. But it's my life at the end of the day."
Prior to last week's departure, the soldiers received training from Afghan officers who spent two weeks in Edinburgh tutoring them in the basics of the Dari language and culture.

Company commander, Major Richard Forsyth, said his men had joined the army for "excitement and adventure" and are looking forward to the tour.

"They will live with the Afghan army seven days a week, 24 hours a day," he said, "which brings us a lot of help."

Meanwhile, a new website (www.support1scots.org.uk) is due to be up and running soon so that people can make donations in return for coloured wristbands which demonstrate support for the battalion while in Afghanistan.

Alternatively, people can telephone 0131 310 5238 to make a donation and order one, or shops/businesses can look to order a larger quantity. All monies generated will go towards supporting soldiers injured in the conflict.