Lieutenant Colonel Matt Bazeley, the Commanding Officer of 28 Engineer Regiment, spoke to around 200 of his soldiers at Camp Bastion in Helmand province as they make preparations for the clearing phase of Operation MOSHTARAK which is due to begin soon.
This will involve around 15,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan National Army troops launching a major assault into central Helmand to remove insurgents from their last remaining strongholds in the area.
Addressing his soldiers, Lt Col Bazeley said:
"We are going into the heart of darkness. This operation is a key part of delivering security to deliver reconstruction. We need to hold, we need to build. You will be tested. This is the nature of the business we are in.
"Operation MOSHTARAK rests on what we are delivering. We need to maintain tempo. Keep going forward, but do so with caution. It is bloody dangerous out there. Don't take risks, but don't be ground down. There is no-one from Exercise Control to help. This is real. This is it. This is what you have been trained for."
'Moshtarak' means 'together' in the Dari language used across Afghanistan, and emphasising the joined-up nature of the operation which has been fully planned and will be led jointly by Afghan and ISAF forces and has full Afghan Government endorsement, Lt Col Bazeley added:
"We are not alone. We have Americans and other NATO troops. We're working with the Royal Tank Regiment. Most important, we have thousands of Afghan soldiers with us, as our allies. We will work together to deliver a better future for the people of Helmand and Afghanistan. They are the prize."
The aim of publicly announcing the operation has been to prepare local Afghans and persuade the less committed insurgents not to fight, thereby reducing bloodshed.
Early warnings of the operation are considered more likely to engender Afghan support, deliver success and reduce casualties.
It is also a key tenet of the ISAF Counter Insurgency Strategy to force division between those Afghans prepared to remain and fight and those keen to flee or willing to reintegrate.
Reflecting on the dangers of the operation, Lt Col Bazeley also told his soldiers:
"We will have to find solutions to problems we face: fight the enemy, fight the comms, fight breakdowns, fight complexity - find the solution. We have got to make this work.
"I have huge pride in what you have done. We have a fantastic reputation. I want to maintain that standard. I want men and women to walk away from here saying, 'Did you see what the Engineers did. That was top draw.'
"If things go wrong, no sad moments, no pauses, we regather, recock, and go again. I repeat: much of this operation rests on us. Good luck."
Read more about what 28 Engineer Regiment have been doing in Afghanistan over the last few months in Related News.
The objectives of Op MOSHTARAK are to improve security and freedom of movement within the main population areas of central Helmand.
This will pave the way for greater economic development and growth of governance, and immediate stabilisation activities, led by the Provincial Reconstruction Team, will follow on as soon as possible after the clearing phase of the operation.