After only a year in uniform, 19-year old Private Callum Brotherston is the lead man in his platoon.

As a member of B Company The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), he is based in Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wishtan in Sangin, Afghanistan.

He's regularly out on patrol in the dense maze of compounds that characterise the area, and it's up to him to check the patrol routes for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

"Of course it's scary, but it's my job and I get on with it", he says. "At the end of the day, I've got my pals in the platoon to think about."

It's not only British troops that Pte Brotherston's work protects. Every IED he detects is potentially saving the lives of innocent Afghans who are being killed and maimed every day by these deadly bombs.

Callum is only too aware of the dangers. He says: "The other week we were doing a routine security patrol near a village in Sangin. All of a sudden we were contacted with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms. It was a real surprise, and we all hit the ground."

"At the same time it was quite exciting and, initially, there was so much smoke from the RPG, that all I could hear were the rounds coming in. But, after a while, instincts just kick in. I picked myself up and cleared a safe route to a nearby compound."

This action allowed the rest of the platoon, who were stuck in open ground, to dash into cover and quell the insurgent fire.

Callum, says he always wanted to be in the Army, and is enjoying the experiences of his first tour so far.