Final Herrick Training for 12 Mech Bde 09.03.12
4The latest brigade to deploy on Op Herrick is adamant the job will continue, despite this week's loss of life in Afghanistan.
12th Mechanized Brigade is preparing to take over in theatre from 20 Armoured Brigade - and had visits from both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Defence Secretary on its Mission Rehearsal Exercise today.
After speaking to the soldiers Philip Hammond added: "Morale is clearly very good, obviously everybody is terribly upset about the tragic events that have occurred this week, but they are focused on the deployment.
"We've got a mission here to complete - we've set out to ensure Afghanistan can not again become a safe haven for international terrorism to launch attacks on our citizens or the citizens of our allies.
"The fact is that British casualties are sharply down - notwithstanding the terrible events of this week - successful attacks on British forces are sharply down, we are succeeding and what we need to do now is complete the mission, leave with our heads held high knowing that the job has been properly done."
Mr Hammond was joined by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, who said he was humbled by the troops he had met and defended the army's equipment following the attack carried out by the Taliban.
"I've just been with the battalion and the commanding officer and there is no doubt in their mind that they are doing something that is really worthwhile and they want to do it properly.
"It's very humbling I have to say listening and talking to them you'd expect them, as they are, to be thinking pretty seriously about what they are about to confront but there is absolutely no loss of resolve or determination and I'm just feeling rather lucky that I have such people under my command."
Sergeant Nigel Coupe, 33, of 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was killed alongside Corporal Jake Hartley, 20, Private Anthony Frampton, 20, Private Christopher Kershaw, 19, Private Daniel Wade, 20, and Private Daniel Wilford, 21, all of 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, when their Warrior armoured vehicle was blown up by a massive improvised explosive device (IED).
Asked if our troops have the right equipment for the job they face in Afghanistan General Richards said: "I've been a soldier for a long time and I feel as much as they do about reassurance on that point.
"Every time I go to visit them, and I was out there myself in the period when things weren't so good, I get nothing but praise for the kit they've got today.
"Be quite clear that this IED - which we are pretty certain it was - was massive and even a main battle tank that had been struck in that way would have had a problem, so there are some things that you can and we do protect against, but there are some things that occasionally the enemy - in this case the Taliban - they hit lucky and they did on this occasion."
Over the past month thousands of soldiers have been taking part in training across Salisbury Plain before this year's major deployment to Afghanistan this spring.
The lead formation of British troops to the war-torn country in April will be the 12th Mechanised Brigade, which is based at Bulford in Wiltshire but Operation Herrick 16 will draw in servicemen and women from all three services from across the country.