22-year old Private Jamie Lee Rushfirth joined the Army when he left school. He's currently on his second tour of Afghanistan, with 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS).

Pte Rushfirth is part of an Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT), a small team of 10 British soldiers embedded within a Company of the Afghan National Army (ANA), in a remote patrol base in northern Sangin, Helmand Province.

Pte Rushfirth lives, trains and fights side by side with his Afghan counterparts, and it's a job he thoroughly enjoys.

His team patrols with the Afghan soldiers on daily basis, to gain an understanding of the local population and to build relationships with the key leaders. And back at the patrol base, lessons take place to improve the skills and soldiering ability of the Afghan soldiers.

Pte Rushfirth is trained as the heavy weapon specialist within the team. He maintains and operates the grenade machine gun, which is essential to the team's firepower.

He says: "I'm enjopying the tour because it gives me an opportunity to put my skills to the test. We spend vast amounts of time training for operations, and it's good to have the chance to put everything into practice."

He's also enjoying working with soldiers of another nationality: "As a mentor I have chance to immerse myself in the Afghan culture. I enjoy learning about a different way of life and understanding things from a different perspective", he says.

Pte Rushfirth has been involved in a number of interesting operations. He has conducted route security, cordon ops, search operations and reassurance patrols with his Afghan counterparts: He says: "The ANA is developing its capability on a daily basis. We operate in a more discreet role than before, acting as their advisors. There's been a huge improvement since my last tour here."

The local Afghans have a strong relationship with their surrounding villages and as a result the OMLT are accepted as friends rather than foreigners. Pte Rushfirth says: "I enjoy working closely with the locals and seeing the difference that we make to their lives. What we regard as small inexpensive items can make a huge impact on someone here. For example, we're currently helping to install a water tank at a mosque, which will provide them with a washing facility for prayer".