MORE than 100 heavily-laden Royal Marines and Royal Navy medical personnel in desert combat fatigues lined up alongside tourists and businessmen at Exeter Airport this morning as they boarded Air Slovakia flight GM 7050 to Afghanistan.

The charter flight full of troops took off from the airport at 8am, destined for an undisclosed airbase.

The troops from 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines included elements of Bickleigh-based 42 Commando and the Brigade Recce Force.

They will form part of a force given the task of providing security to an area six times larger than previous tours to the war-torn country.

British troops have, up until this tour, provided security to the local Afghan people and the leaders trying to fend off the Taliban Muslim insurgents and rebuild their lives in the Southern Helmand province.

On this next seven-month deployment, however, the 600 men of Bickleigh-based 42 Commando Royal Marines, could be sent anywhere throughout southern Afghanistan, covering six provinces – depending on the strategy of the current commanding force, the Canadian military.

Among those deploying was 18-year-old Marine Paul Gray from Plympton. It will be his first time in action since completing his training for the Royal Marines and joining 42 Commando four months ago.

“I’m feeling a little bit of everything, excitement, nervousness,” he said.

“I’m generally feeling a lot of emotion, it is quite hard to explain.

“I’m hoping to get a feel for the place and do some patrolling.”

The snaking lines of Marines were seen off by their loves ones.

Len and Frances Challoner had made the journey in the darkness from St Austell in Cornwall to wave off their daughter Gayle, a 22-year-old naval medic off to Afghanistan for the first time.

A medic for four years, Miss Challoner has been to sea with the Royal Navy but has never previously been deployed on land. She is usually based at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

The troops are entering the country as part of Operation Herrick 9.

Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Stickland, commanding officer of 42 Commando Royal Marines, told The Herald yesterday the unit’s role would be slightly different on this deployment. Previously it operated in Helmand province only. This time it is going to operate across the whole south of Afghanistan.

“Last time the Afghanistan theatre was very interesting. We were one of the first units out there and how we were to operate was not then understood,” he said.

“Now the lessons of theatre are coming back to us and we are adjusting how we operate.”

Today also saw 50 soldiers from Plymouth’s Commando Gunners of 29 Commando regiment, Royal Artillery, depart for six months in Afghanistan.

To the strains of a lone piper, they were waived off from the city’s Citadel by friends and family, destined for a flight from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Lieutenant Colonel Neil Wilson, the unit’s commanding officer, was confident of their readiness in providing specialist gunner support to 3 Commando Brigade.

“We are at a high state of preparedness and buoyed up for the challenge ahead. We are at that point where we want to get out there and on with the job ....like a football team training all year for one big game. 29 Commando is primed and ready for action,” he said.

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