3 SCOTS reflect on Afghan deployment (AUDIO)

3 SCOTS are currently based in Kandahar where they took over as the Regional Battle Group (South) in April 2009.

They also have soldiers deployed across Helmand province and have been involved in a variety of operations as part of 19 Light Brigade including Operation PANTHER'S CLAW.

Here you can listen to four members of the regiment talk about their experiences over the last few months in Afghanistan.

The four soldiers are:

Private Michael Collins

Aged 19, this is Pte Collins' first operational tour. He talks about his first fire-fight which lasted about 38 hours, saying:

"It was scary, but it was good as well, it was a good buzz, we were doing our job for the first time. As soon as you start getting shot at all the training kicks in and you just get on with it.

"You just don't think about it, you're not scared anymore. We had one minor casualty but everybody was safe. We're quite lucky. We've been lucky through the whole tour - especially B Company, but aye, we're all lucky... especially on that op!"

Listen to Pte Collins talk more about this incident and his role in Operation PANTHER'S CLAW at Related Links >>>

Private William Yeaman

Pte Yeaman was recognised as the best physical training student during his recruitment training at Catterick Garrison. Here he talks about his early Army career, the environment in Afghanistan and working with the Afghan National Army (ANA), saying:

"The ANA that we work with, so far are pretty good. They can pick out any insurgents, we've asked them for help when you're on stack or out on patrols, you'd ask the ANA if any of them are Taliban, and they'll be able to spot them just by the clothes.

Listen to Pte Yeaman talk more about the operations he's been on at Related Links >>>

Corporal Andrew Braid

Cpl Braid, aged 32, talks about his role as the Battle Group Commanding Officer's (CO's) signaller which involves providing the communications for the CO to talk to the Battle Group.

He said:

"Going out on the ground, as signallers, we carry a lot of kit. The heaviest I've carried so far was 142lb [64.5kg], I carried on one of the ops. And it's hard. It's hard when it's hot, and you're struggling.

"When you're out on the ground, it doesn't really go through my head that much about things like IEDs [improvised explosive devices]. You've still got to be switched on to them, but I don't think about it too much. If you think about it too much you wouldn't go anywhere - you'd be sitting in a compound, you wouldn't move, you'd be too scared to move. So, in that sense, it's not too bad."

Cpl Braid talks more about Operation PANTHER'S CLAW at Related Links >>>

Sergeant Robbie Tullan

Sgt Tullan has been in 3 SCOTS for about 15 years. He's the Signal Platoon Sergeant in the battalion so is in charge of 28 soldiers and controls the signals and the organisation of the Ops Room for the Adjutant.

He said:

"The hardest thing I've found that I've had to deal with personally was injuries. I wasn't there on the scene, but I was there on the other end of the radio. I was taking information of injuries that had happened to the guys and sending up reports back to Kandahar of what had happened to the boys, what their injuries were, how we were dealing with it, making sure that the helicopters were coming in to deal with them, and that was quite harrowing for me hearing what had happened to the boys on the ground."

Sgt Tullan talks about how the soldiers are coping with stress at Related Links >>>

3 SCOTS are due to return to the UK in November 2009.