"Back from one war to join another fight"

Welcome back home to Ipswich Labour Councillor Alasdair Ross who has returned from a tour of duty with 2 Rifles in Afganistan. This Youtube tribute was posted on his blog in September and titled "A tribute to the 2 Rifles "The Chosen Men" High on a Hill".

He reports on his commander's view that it has been "the fight of our lives" and on "the tragic news today from Helmand today reminds us all in the Rifles of what we went through and watching the news today it made us realise the roller coaster ride our families went throughwhilst we were away (5 British soldiers apparently shot by an Afghan Police officer).

Alasdair also posts "Goodbye Sangin- it has been a complex, lethal, intense and nuanced campaign. But we leave Sangin and the Upper Helmand Valley a safer place to live for all Afghans".

Alasdair is not convinced that the Tories will win the next general election. The Labour Party members of today must fight like Bevan and Gaitskill "did in their time for the future of this country".

Rifleman, Labour Councillor and Anti-Fascist Blogger in Helmond

I recommend today's latest post from 2 Rifles Reservist and Ipswich Labour Councillor, Alasdair Ross. Alasdair is on active duty in a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Helmond province, Afghanistan.

He describes the sadness over the loss of Rifleman Sheldon as well as continued fire fights with the Taliban who are launching indiscriminate attacks on the local population as well as the security forces.

The British troops (including the Welsh Guards) are very impressed with the bravery of the Afghan National Army “The Warriors” that they are fighting alongside. I am sure that everyone is pleased to read this encouraging report since we all want the Afghans to take responsibility for their defence as soon as they can so NATO troops can return home. Alasdair also mentions the work done by the troops to improve local people’s lives such as the opening of a new clinic.

I must admit that I am surprised (but pleased) that the British Army has allowed Alastair to “blog” from the front line. I would imagine that there is some form of process he has to go through? However, the Army is now dependent on reservists and Territorials to be operational so it is only right that these citizen soldiers can express themselves in a way (he also “Twitters”) that perhaps the Regular Army personnel should not?

Alastair himself is a fantastic role model. He was born into the Labour movement in Ipswich and had a successful career as a senior non-commissioned officer then left the army and became amongst other things a Labour Councillor. Now, while once again serving his country and putting himself in harms way check out his post “Keep the BNP out of Ipswich”. Great stuff.

While some people are genuinely opposed to NATO being in Afghanistan I think that there is no alternative to military intervention. There are legitimate questions to be asked about certain tactics used but if we allow Afghanistan to return to the hands of the Taliban and to once again be a national training camp for terrorists then this will be a disaster for all – especially for the Afghans themselves.

However there is a terrible price that is being paid and I am sure that everyone’s thoughts will be with the comrades and family of Rifleman Sheldon and the other NATO and Afghan personnel killed or injured.

"in all my time in the army I have never been issued with so much equipment and of such good quality"

There has been criticism of the Ministry of Defence and the Government for providing inadequate equipment and support to British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of it I have no doubt was justified much of it was not.

It is therefore interesting to see this report below from Ipswich Labour Councillor and blogger Alasdair Ross as he prepares for his deployment with 2 Rifles to Afghanistan later this year.

Alasdair left the regular Army as a Sergeant Major in 2002 after 24 years service with the Royal Green Jackets. He has been granted leave of absence from the Council for his tour. Check out here.

"Not blogged for a while as I have been involved in pre Afghanistan deployment training- training for a hot summer in Afghanistan with a freezing two weeks in Wiltshire!

But today in Northern Ireland we were issued our desert clothing and equipment. The reason I mention this is that there has been much criticism in certain papers about the lack of equipment our troops are issued with.

Well in all my time in the army I have never been issued with so much equipment and of such good quality.

Of course our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan deserve the best equipment but the papers (and the Tories) should say well done when the MOD and the Government get it right".