SEE our video interview with Oswaldtwistle soldier Gareth Thomson, who is currently serving with the Army in Afghanistan.

Kingsman Thompson, aged 27, who works in civilian life as a wagon driver at a quarry, is from the 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (4 LANCS).

34 soldiers from 4 LANCS, from Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside & Greater Manchester, deployed to Kabul in February. They return to the UK in August.

The primary tasking of the platoon (this number of soldiers is known as a platoon) is to guard the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul. This involves a range of duties, from guarding the perimeter of the base to conducting patrols (on foot and in vehicle) and vehicle searches across Kabul.

4 LANCS is a Territorial Army battalion. Its soldiers serve the Army on a part-time basis, alongside their civilian ‘day jobs’. This platoon in Kabul includes solicitors, plumbers, a hospital worker, a fast-food restaurant chef, college students and wagon drivers. This deployment to Kabul highlights the importance of the TA to the British Army – it represents almost a quarter of its total manpower. Since 2003, more than 1,300 TA soldiers from the North West alone have deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

Click on the video window to see the interview in full ...