Captain Dave Hussey has swapped Torpoint for the tough challenge of life in Afghanistan.

Every day throws up its issues in a country with hardly any roads, near impassable mountains, vast deserts and extremes of both heat and cold.

Adding to that is the ever present threat from insurgents.

Captain Dave Hussey is mentoring his Afghan National Army counterparts to help ensure they have all the skills needed to keep a modern Army on the move.

Dave, a former pupil of Torpoint Community School, is a key member of 7 Squadron, 27 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, based in Aldershot.

He is two months into a six month tour of duty attached to the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) Battle Group based at Camp Tombstone, Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Dave says: "I am currently mentoring Lieutenant Ammadudin. He is in charge of 42 warrior engineers, equivalent to our private soldiers, 12 sergeants and 83 vehicles of various types.

"I am helping him to bring him up to speed on the drills needed for successful combat logistic patrols to resupply the ANA bases by road." The OMLT Battle Group's role is to train the ANA in Helmand Province. It provides British Army mentors to set up systems and teach the skills which will one day mean the ANA can successfully function on its own.

Dave says: "'The emphasis is very much on training the trainer, so I try to educate Lt Ammadudin and suggest better ways of doing things.

"Once I have sold the idea and its benefits to him, he then goes back to his men and gets them to implement it."

As mentors, we are not here to tell the Afghans what to do - it is their Army and they must stand on their own two feet - we are here to guide and offer our expertise."

Dave previously deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and was responsible for transporting heavily armoured vehicles around the area.

Dave continues: "Progress has to be seen in measured steps. We're not looking to make big leaps but I'm already seeing improvements.

"This morning, for example, ANA soldiers are carrying out routine maintenance on vehicles recently returned from a resupply patrol. That is something which would not have happened a few months ago."

Dave says he is enjoying his deployment so far and finding it a rewarding experience: "Training and mentoring the Afghans is one of the main efforts right now and I think I'm in a privileged position to be at the forefront of that.

"Working with the Afghans is fascinating and it's good to learn about a different culture. You get a quiet satisfaction from knowing that you are doing a good job."

Dave returns to the South West in March 2010,

Logistic Support Regiment units enjoy Freedom parade

Three hundred soldiers from 3 and 4 Logistic Support Regiment, based at Dalton Barracks, have marched through the town of Abingdon to mark their return from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, 25 November 2009.

In marching through the town they exercised the ancient right of the Freedom of the Borough that has been bestowed upon the units, marching with rifles with fixed bayonets and colours.

The march ended in the Market Square, where the soldiers were presented with their operational service medals by The Mayor of Abingdon Councillor Patricia Hobby and the Director of the Royal Logistic Corps Brigadier Chris Murray CBE.

After the medal presentation the troops marched on to St Helen's Church for a thanksgiving service.

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