After Afghanistan

October 26, 2014
5:03 pm

A story marking the end of the combat operations in Helmand from the MoD…

And the imagery that went with the story

Bridadier Rob Thomson, Deputy Commander Regional Command Southwest (RC (SW)) greets Brigadier General Zaman Hassan of the Afghan National Security Forces.

UK Armed Forces have ended combat operations in Helmand Province, paving the way for the final transfer of security to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). As they have on the battlefield, British troops stood shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to witness the Union Flag and Stars and Stripes at the Bastion-Leatherneck complex lowered for the last time. The ceremony marks the end of operations for Regional Command (Southwest), a UK and US coalition command under the umbrella of NATOs International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Other contributing nations have included Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Tonga, Jordan and Bosnia.

POIGNANT CEREMONY MARKS END OF UK COMBAT OPERATIONS IN HELMAND PROVINCE — UK Armed Forces have ended combat operations in Helmand Province

Captain (RN) Matthew Clark, Deputy Commander of Joint Force Support, folds the lowered Union Flag with Camp Bastion's final Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) John Lilley. UK Armed Forces have ended combat operations in Helmand Province, paving the way for the final transfer of security to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). — Captain (RN) Matthew Clark, Deputy Commander of Joint Force Support, folds the lowered Union Flag with Camp Bastion’s final Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) John Lilley. UK Armed Forces have ended combat operations in Helmand Province, paving the way for the final transfer of security to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

Am I the only one that finds the term ‘UK armed forces’ a bit strange, what happened to ‘British Armed Forces’

When did that change then?

In all the rush to talk about the end of the UK’s deployment in #afghanistan I think it important to recognise there are personnel still there, personnel who will be there for a while yet, and, personnel that aren’t there now who will be there in the future.

Let’s not forget them.

And, lets not forget the 453 personnel that lost their lives, the several thousand that were injured and the many more that played their part.

Whatever your opinion of the conflict, it behooves us all to give quiet thanks and with the Poppy campaign now in full swing, an extra couple of quid in the collection tin.

Anyway, as a bit of fun, how about an after Afghanistan bingo card :)