Shropshire soldiers from Tern Hill going to Afghanistan

Shropshire troops are preparing for deployment to Afghanistan for their third tour in four years.

More than 120 soldiers from A Company, part of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, will be leaving their base at Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, tomorrow in support of Operation Herrick 13.

All the soldiers from the regiment have spent the last few months taking part in training exercises designed to prepare them for the challenges they will face during the months ahead.

Lieutenant Colonel Colin Weir, Commanding Officer of the regiment, said: "This battalion has already distinguished itself on two previous tours of Afghanistan. On this third tour we are bigger, better trained and superbly equipped.

"We are ready to face the challenges ahead alongside our Afghan partners to make central Helmand a better place for those who live there."

For some of those deploying this will be their third tour of Afghanistan and for others it will be their first.

Soldiers will say an emotional goodbye to friends and family before they head off from the barracks at 9.30pm. A Company is part of the main body of the 900 soldiers who make up the Royal Irish Battle Group.

Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002.