 The medics will put their full time jobs on hold for three months |
Soldiers from a North West Territorial Army (TA) unit are preparing for duty for the first time since World War II. The 85-members of 208 Field Hospital volunteers are to be mobilised for deployment to Afghanistan in July.
Members will put their jobs as doctors and nurses on hold for three months to operate a field hospital at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.
The last time the squadron experienced combat action was an excursion to Italy during World War II.
'Historic' moment
Commanding officer Colonel Andy Whitton said the mobilisation was a "historic moment" in the unit's support for the armed services.
"I think they'll find it very challenging that's for sure," he told the BBC.
"It is three months away from home - which will be difficult for most of them - and it's a very challenging environment.
"It is certainly going to be very, very busy and quite a lot of trauma is going on there at the present time, so they will expect to see some unpleasant things."
208 Field Hospital (Volunteers) is based in Childwall, Liverpool but also has training bases in Ellesmere Port and Blackpool.
Its members, who hold day jobs in hospitals, surgeries and clinics across the North West, will end their tour of duty in October.
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