Blood, sweat and fears in Afghanistan
Sgt Chris Homewood
Three Nato troops have been the latest casualties of the conflict in Afghanistan, where 73 British servicemen have already died.
I COULDN'T help thinking they were all mad. There we were, stuck in the desert, 7,000 miles from home, with the temperature hittingnearly 50C (125F).
These men are fighting in a war that many people back home do not even understand. Some of them earn less than the national minimum wage. Day after day, they put their lives on the line in a conflict in which 73 British soldiers have been killed.
And yet, the 100 members of the Light Dragoons still managed to laugh and joke as they sweated in the afternoon sun, repairing their Scimitar tanks, ready for their next battle.
As I chatted with these men - some just teenagers - I could not help but admire them - mad or otherwise.
There is a common misconception that squaddies are not that bright. My experience has taught me that nothing could be further from the truth. They all knew the reasons why British troops were fighting in Afghanistan, and they all knew the history of this far-flung land.
Some thought they should be in Afghanistan. Some did not. But they all agreed on one point: they had a job to do and they would do it.
They also all had dramatic stories from the 40 "contacts" the unit has been involved in with the Taliban in five months. Like most of his pals, Trooper Chris Hatton knows he has killed Taliban fighters.
Chris, 22, from Guisborough, said: "It's either them or us at the end of the day. Morale is always very high in our troop. But the view among the young lads is that we shouldn't be here.
"I think we should pull out. I think people are dying unnecessarily for a cause that nobody understands. I think our country needs sorting out before this one. There's been too much sacrifice."
Another soldier who has been in the thick of the action is Corporal Chris Williams, who is the commander of a Scimitar tank. The 27-year-old, from Hull, said: "We have contacts day and night.
"You can go through a village one day and it's full of women and children. You can go back a few days later and it's changed. You can feel the difference. The women and kids have moved out and you know something is going to happen.
"You have rounds whizzing past, and mortars landing nearby, but you don't think about it, you just react.
"A few weeks ago, we were hit from three sides and all I saw was dust flying and muzzle flash. I didn't see any of the people who were firing at me. But I would guess there must have been 20 to 30 of them.
"They know the ground like the back of their hand. They are in caves and ditches. They have tunnels underground. In all the contacts we've had, I've seen just two Taliban.
"Truthfully, I don't think we should be here. As fast as you kill them, they get replaced."
Chris's brother, Lee, is also serving with the Light Dragoons in Afghanistan. He is a sergeant based 20 miles away in Lashkar Gah.
"I've seen him just twice since we've been out here," says Chris. "He works in intelligence, so he knows when my troop has been hit. My mum and dad are nervous about us being out here, but they are used to it because my brother's done seven tours and I've done five.
"I tell my parents I'm in a tank with 10 tonnes of armour. I don't tell them about the mines that can rip through the vehicle."
Chris recalls one particularly close call, when their vehicle's engine stalled during fighting - and left them an easy target for the Taliban.
Trooper Ben Holmes, 20, from Leeds, was the driver, and he was under pressure to get the engine re-started.
Chris said: "I told him to reverse. He put his foot on the accelerator and it just stalled. I was panicking and screaming
and kicking the back of Ben's chair. Ben didn't panic. He's unflappable.
"It took a few minutes but eventually he managed to get it started again. We were just sat there as a big target for everyone. It was a miracle that we didn't get hit."
Ben laughs as he boasts: "I wasn't frightened. Chris is right. I am pretty unflappable."
Sergeant David Gray is the commander of a Scimitar tank which alone has fired 81,500 rounds.
The 36-year-old, from Doncaster, said: "Some of the big ones have lasted four to five hours. In one of the contacts, the gunner fired 2,000 rounds. This has definitely been the hardest and busiest tour I've been on in my life.
"You have to give the Taliban some respect. They know the ground extremely well. It's their country. They know every inch of the ground. They've got an underground system of tunnels, rat-runs and bunkers.
"We've been lucky we've had no serious injuries yet. It's the infantry who've been hit hard. I wouldn't like to do their job."
David and his colleagues all have tales of close encounters with death.
"We were parked up on a bank," says David. "I heard a great big explosion to my right-hand side, and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) had landed about one foot from the vehicle.
"I heard the Apache helicopter above us radio back to say we had actually been hit. It was that close. I wouldn't say I was frightened. It was more shock. The other vehicle took the guy out. He was hard to see in the long grass but we got no more firing from him."
Sergeant Chris Homewood, 28, from Kendray, Barnsley, has also had a close shave.
He said: "We were on patrol and stopped in a position looking into a village that we knew the Taliban had been operating from. The place looked deserted. There didn't seem to be any civilians in the area. Then, suddenly, they attacked us.
"They fired mortars and RPGs at the same time. Four mortar shells landed around 20 metres away from me. I had my head out of the turret, and I was looking through my binoculars.
"They fired an RPG and it hit the back corner of the vehicle. The whole vehicle shook. I went deaf and my binoculars shattered. The vehicle filled with smoke. There was a heat-wave which burned the hairs off my gunner's arms and neck.
"I told the driver to fire some smoke. I ducked down into the vehicle to check everyone was all right but I had to go back up because I needed to see what was happening. I decided the best thing was to pull out.
"As we drove down the hill, I spotted the dust trail from the back-blast of the rocket. I told my driver to turn right and to come around the side of the hill to outflank them.
"We opened fire and we killed the three teams of men who'd fired the RPGs - I reckon eight to nine guys.
"My feelings went from shock to anger. I thought they've tried to kill me and my crew. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about myself. I'm in command, and it's my job to keep them safe. My driver had just got married before we came on tour. I wasn't pleased that they had to die, but I had to do it."
Chris, who has been in the Army for 12 years, is full of admiration for teenagers in his unit who, in many cases, have seen as much action as him.
"I've got lads who were literally boys just 12 months ago but are men now. They can stand up on their own two feet. They've got the lives of other crew members in their hands.
"They make the right decisions, and it shows the character of the lads coming through."
David said: "We never fire if there are women and kids in the area - even if there are Taliban around. Nobody wants to kill kids."
David, who has been in the regiment 18 years is twice-divorced - a fact he partly blames on Army life. "I can understand why the young lads don't like being away, but I joined the Army to get away and do some travelling."
Chris Homewood added: "At such a young age, it's always hard. I have young lads under my command who constantly look to me for help.
"It's a different culture from when I joined but I personally think that the ones that are joining now are better than ever. They know they're going to see action."
These men are fighting in a war that many people back home do not even understand. Some of them earn less than the national minimum wage. Day after day, they put their lives on the line in a conflict in which 73 British soldiers have been killed.
And yet, the 100 members of the Light Dragoons still managed to laugh and joke as they sweated in the afternoon sun, repairing their Scimitar tanks, ready for their next battle.
As I chatted with these men - some just teenagers - I could not help but admire them - mad or otherwise.
There is a common misconception that squaddies are not that bright. My experience has taught me that nothing could be further from the truth. They all knew the reasons why British troops were fighting in Afghanistan, and they all knew the history of this far-flung land.
Some thought they should be in Afghanistan. Some did not. But they all agreed on one point: they had a job to do and they would do it.
They also all had dramatic stories from the 40 "contacts" the unit has been involved in with the Taliban in five months. Like most of his pals, Trooper Chris Hatton knows he has killed Taliban fighters.
Chris, 22, from Guisborough, said: "It's either them or us at the end of the day. Morale is always very high in our troop. But the view among the young lads is that we shouldn't be here.
"I think we should pull out. I think people are dying unnecessarily for a cause that nobody understands. I think our country needs sorting out before this one. There's been too much sacrifice."
Another soldier who has been in the thick of the action is Corporal Chris Williams, who is the commander of a Scimitar tank. The 27-year-old, from Hull, said: "We have contacts day and night.
"You can go through a village one day and it's full of women and children. You can go back a few days later and it's changed. You can feel the difference. The women and kids have moved out and you know something is going to happen.
"You have rounds whizzing past, and mortars landing nearby, but you don't think about it, you just react.
"A few weeks ago, we were hit from three sides and all I saw was dust flying and muzzle flash. I didn't see any of the people who were firing at me. But I would guess there must have been 20 to 30 of them.
"They know the ground like the back of their hand. They are in caves and ditches. They have tunnels underground. In all the contacts we've had, I've seen just two Taliban.
"Truthfully, I don't think we should be here. As fast as you kill them, they get replaced."
Chris's brother, Lee, is also serving with the Light Dragoons in Afghanistan. He is a sergeant based 20 miles away in Lashkar Gah.
"I've seen him just twice since we've been out here," says Chris. "He works in intelligence, so he knows when my troop has been hit. My mum and dad are nervous about us being out here, but they are used to it because my brother's done seven tours and I've done five.
"I tell my parents I'm in a tank with 10 tonnes of armour. I don't tell them about the mines that can rip through the vehicle."
Chris recalls one particularly close call, when their vehicle's engine stalled during fighting - and left them an easy target for the Taliban.
Trooper Ben Holmes, 20, from Leeds, was the driver, and he was under pressure to get the engine re-started.
Chris said: "I told him to reverse. He put his foot on the accelerator and it just stalled. I was panicking and screaming
and kicking the back of Ben's chair. Ben didn't panic. He's unflappable.
"It took a few minutes but eventually he managed to get it started again. We were just sat there as a big target for everyone. It was a miracle that we didn't get hit."
Ben laughs as he boasts: "I wasn't frightened. Chris is right. I am pretty unflappable."
Sergeant David Gray is the commander of a Scimitar tank which alone has fired 81,500 rounds.
The 36-year-old, from Doncaster, said: "Some of the big ones have lasted four to five hours. In one of the contacts, the gunner fired 2,000 rounds. This has definitely been the hardest and busiest tour I've been on in my life.
"You have to give the Taliban some respect. They know the ground extremely well. It's their country. They know every inch of the ground. They've got an underground system of tunnels, rat-runs and bunkers.
"We've been lucky we've had no serious injuries yet. It's the infantry who've been hit hard. I wouldn't like to do their job."
David and his colleagues all have tales of close encounters with death.
"We were parked up on a bank," says David. "I heard a great big explosion to my right-hand side, and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) had landed about one foot from the vehicle.
"I heard the Apache helicopter above us radio back to say we had actually been hit. It was that close. I wouldn't say I was frightened. It was more shock. The other vehicle took the guy out. He was hard to see in the long grass but we got no more firing from him."
Sergeant Chris Homewood, 28, from Kendray, Barnsley, has also had a close shave.
He said: "We were on patrol and stopped in a position looking into a village that we knew the Taliban had been operating from. The place looked deserted. There didn't seem to be any civilians in the area. Then, suddenly, they attacked us.
"They fired mortars and RPGs at the same time. Four mortar shells landed around 20 metres away from me. I had my head out of the turret, and I was looking through my binoculars.
"They fired an RPG and it hit the back corner of the vehicle. The whole vehicle shook. I went deaf and my binoculars shattered. The vehicle filled with smoke. There was a heat-wave which burned the hairs off my gunner's arms and neck.
"I told the driver to fire some smoke. I ducked down into the vehicle to check everyone was all right but I had to go back up because I needed to see what was happening. I decided the best thing was to pull out.
"As we drove down the hill, I spotted the dust trail from the back-blast of the rocket. I told my driver to turn right and to come around the side of the hill to outflank them.
"We opened fire and we killed the three teams of men who'd fired the RPGs - I reckon eight to nine guys.
"My feelings went from shock to anger. I thought they've tried to kill me and my crew. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about myself. I'm in command, and it's my job to keep them safe. My driver had just got married before we came on tour. I wasn't pleased that they had to die, but I had to do it."
Chris, who has been in the Army for 12 years, is full of admiration for teenagers in his unit who, in many cases, have seen as much action as him.
"I've got lads who were
"They make the right decisions, and it shows the character of the lads coming through."
David said: "We never fire if there are women and kids in the area - even if there are Taliban around. Nobody wants to kill kids."
David, who has been in the regiment 18 years is twice-divorced - a fact he partly blames on Army life. "I can understand why the young lads don't like being away, but I joined the Army to get away and do some travelling."
Chris Homewood added: "At such a young age, it's always hard. I have young lads under my command who constantly look to me for help.
"It's a different culture from when I joined but I personally think that the ones that are joining now are better than ever. They know they're going to see action."
