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29 October 2014

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You are in: Somerset > So Somerset > Marines head off to battle

Marine

Around 700 marines are going

Marines head off to battle

For the first time the whole of 40 Commando, the Somerset-based Royal Marines, are leaving Taunton for Afghanistan.

Around 700 Royal Marines will be deployed to the Helmand province.

Lt Cdr Stuart Birrell said his troops' morale was sky-high and that they were fully prepared.

"They are under no illusions about the importance of what they are doing and what is expected of them."

Lt Cdr Stuart Birrell

"Morale is outstanding. This deployment is exactly why they joined up in the first place. They are raring to go. This is what they have trained for from when they became marines in the first place.

"They are always training and keeping fit but training steps up a gear when they know they are deploying and they have known for about nine months.

"They are under no illusions about the importance of what they are doing and what is expected of them."

The officer commanding Bravo Company, Maj Dan Cheesman, 33, said: "We are extremely well prepared for this deployment.

"We are the most fully trained and fully prepared UK military force to deploy to Afghanistan. We are fully fit and fully equipped with everything we need.”

He said the average age of Bravo Company was in the early 20s and that half of the company had not been deployed before. However many of the remainder had been on several tours of duty and brought valuable experience and knowledge of Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq to the ranks.

last updated: 26/09/07

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