Captain Cornel Oosthuizen is currently working in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. She studied at the University of Westminster, commissioned as an Officer with the Education and Training Services branch of the Adjutant General's Corps in December 2006 and this is her first tour.

She says: "I'm a teacher in the Army. I teach the courses that soldiers need for promotion or to further their education, mainly maths and English. I also advise them on suitable personal and professional development courses to help them further their Army careers or, if they're leaving, to help them on civvy street."

"I'm not just behind a desk here though - I do get out and about. I visit all the areas that the soldiers are in and try to provide them with the same level of support that they get in the UK. Life can be pretty basic in some of the locations and most of the time, I will be one of only a handful of women."

"Sometimes we're faced with quite primitive conditions but the soldiers always find ingenious ways of overcoming problems - they'll complete a 40 question numeracy test or do their practice papers on a makeshift table constructed from empty ammunition boxes."

"I occasionally work as a female searcher and it's really good to get out on the ground. Getting the opportunity to get stuck in and go out on patrol and engage with local Afghans has been great. You also see what the guys go through for real and that really gives you an appreciation for the jobs they do. Searching local Afghan women is done as carefully and respectfully as possible and they are partitioned off so that male troops and local men can't see them. Understandably they can be frightened but we do our best to reassure them and build some form of rapport."

"The boys are a good bunch, they're really funny and keen as mustard - not just at soldiering jobs but also at furthering their education and careers. They are always really welcoming."