The Welsh Cavalry is poised in the Kuwaiti desert

Gareth Kinsey is used to seeing sheep roaming the hills around him. Camels are a different matter altogether.

Trooper Kinsey of Builth Wells, Powys, has gone from the green grass of home to the hot and dusty plains of the northern Kuwaiti desert.

He is now perched on the Iraqi border with the largely-Welsh Queen's Dragoon Guards, ready to push north when the command is given.

Thoughts of armed conflict may be uppermost in the 90-strong regiment's minds - but Kinsey - in his early-20s -still has time to mull over the culture shock.

Heat

"Being a hill farmer, coming from mid Wales, I live on top of a mountain, I see a few odd sheep," he says.

1st QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS History:- Has roots in units formed by James II in 1685 Modern regiment formed in January 1959 Comprises troops from Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire Duty:- Ypres, 1914-15 Somme, 1916-18 Afghanistan, 1914 El Alamein Kosovo, 1999 Foot-and-mouth, 2001 Queen Mother's funeral, 2002 Tearful send-off for troops Soldiers head for Gulf Guards on Kosovo mission

"But being out here with the camels and sand... heat is the worst, probably."

The Guards - a 318-year-old unit dubbed the "Welsh Cavalry" - have been in the stifling heat of this most northern and barren part of Kuwait since early February.

But, without a firm declaration of war, they have been left to train then train some more and maintain their light armoured battle vehicles in the face of frequent sandstorms.

Trooper James Dean Whitehead of Llanelli says it is tough: "It's a lot of work, every day...

"Cleaning it, just making sure it's ready to go, [else] it is just going to break down."

Poised

Recruited from Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire, the Cavalry - some as young as 19 - left their Catterick, North Yorkshire, barracks to relatives' tears and the prospect of six months on the front line.

The regiment was formed in 1685 by James II and has seen action at Waterloo and Kosovo.

The Cavalry has to keep vehicles in working order

But the Guards' last major duty was back at home in the UK, disposing of foot-and-mouth carcasses in Devon.

Now far from home, poised to move on Iraq, they are mindful of domestic opposition to war, but supremely confident support is swinging in their favour.

Corporal Horton of Ruthin, who leads a crew, said: "A few of us were worried that it would be like Vietnam, with the British population against us.

"But, from what we've heard, everyone is against the politicians, but they are geeing us up as well, which is good news."

Either way, the men appear to have put fear behind them and are preparing for action.