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Proud TA returns to Cannington after Afghanistan deployment
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| Elaine with a child patient admitted to her hospital with malnutrition |
A PROUD TA nursing officer from Cannington has returned home after three months braving the volatile battlefields and stifling humidity of Afghanistan.
Major Elaine Smith was deployed to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province in January, along with fellow TAs from B Squadron 243 based in Exeter.
Elaine, who works as a nurse in Minehead, visited war torn Iraq with the TA in 2003 but she described her time in Afghanistan as much more of a challenge.
She said: "Afghanistan was definitely more interesting and challenging. We were under NATO rule and the soldiers felt their time there was far more useful than it was in Iraq."
Less than a month ago, the Mercury's sister paper, the Somerset County Gazette, reported on the deaths of two Royal Marines based at Norton Manor Camp, near Taunton, following a tour of the same province.
Camp Bastion is the only camp yet to be attacked during the Western occupation since 2001, but Elaine said she always felt safe despite the many loud explosions nearby.
She said: "The new £11 million hospital I worked in was situated near a weapons range, so I did get a bit shaky hearing loud bangs.
"It was brilliant working in the hospital. It was clean and its upkeep was impeccable.
"At first it was difficult to get used to the habits of the Afghan patients but, with the help of the brilliant team of interpreters, they were a pleasure to work with."
Elaine now has a month off work and plans to spend time with her son, who is in Southampton studying to become an engineering officer for the Royal Navy.
She has another 18 months to prepare for her next deployment but remains upbeat about the future.
She added: "I have been a member of the TA for 23 years and I have experienced things and been to places I would never have dreamed of.
"I am glad to be home and I am very proud of what I have achieved in Afghanistan."
12:36pm Monday 5th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Jarvis Dee, Wedmore on 10:44pm Tue 6 May 08
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.
Posted by: Larry, BW on 10:48pm Tue 6 May 08
[quote][bold]Jarvis Dee[/bold] wrote:
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.[/quote] Helping ou?. Helping you, it might read?. May I suggest that if someone hits you onthe head with a stick,you don"t feel grateful for the band-aid they offer you next, you sort thm out. That is what the Afghans seem to be doing to our forces.
Jarvis Dee wrote:
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.
Helping ou?. Helping you, it might read?. May I suggest that if someone hits you onthe head with a stick,you don"t feel grateful for the band-aid they offer you next, you sort thm out. That is what the Afghans seem to be doing to our forces.
Posted by: Jane, Durleigh on 9:12am Wed 7 May 08
[quote][bold]Jarvis Dee[/bold] wrote:
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.[/quote] If you think Afhanistan was more orderly before we bombed and invaded, what about Iraq?. How many innocent Iraqis have died because of our invasion and occupation?. And how many of our own troops?.
Jarvis Dee wrote:
Very heartwarming to see our deployed forces return and believe they have helped matters in Afghanistan. Does it occur to anyone, especially them, that Afghanistan seemed to be running itself as a nation, not as a civil-war battleground, before our onslaught and invasion?. If someone hits you on the head with a stick, then sticks a band-aid on the bruise, are they really able to feel proud of helping ou?.
If you think Afhanistan was more orderly before we bombed and invaded, what about Iraq?. How many innocent Iraqis have died because of our invasion and occupation?. And how many of our own troops?.
Posted by: Boris Yeltsin, Moscow on 9:25am Wed 7 May 08
Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.
Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.
Posted by: Ringerman, The Institute of Historic Own Goals on 8:51am Thu 8 May 08
[quote][bold]Boris Yeltsin[/bold] wrote:
Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.[/quote] Hey Boris, cool point, but why think we could sort the Afghans out, when your own mighty Soviet armies got a pasting there a few years ago?. Do you want to see us get bled dry out there so you can kick our butts when we"re down?.
Boris Yeltsin wrote:
Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.
Hey Boris, cool point, but why think we could sort the Afghans out, when your own mighty Soviet armies got a pasting there a few years ago?. Do you want to see us get bled dry out there so you can kick our butts when we"re down?.
Posted by: Zac Whiteman, Bootle on 8:58am Thu 8 May 08
[quote][bold]Ringerman[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Boris Yeltsin[/bold] wrote: Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.[/quote] Hey Boris, cool point, but why think we could sort the Afghans out, when your own mighty Soviet armies got a pasting there a few years ago?. Do you want to see us get bled dry out there so you can kick our butts when we"re down?.[/quote] If u think the Afghans are kicking our butts, don"t even try to guess what the mean mullahs of Iran and their forces might do if we start bugging them too much. Comprehende?.
Ringerman wrote:
Boris Yeltsin wrote: Running itself as a nation before the invasion? Have you not heard of the oppressive nature of the Taleban and how the basic liberties of this nation had been stripped by a reigime that was truly selfish? Mass opium farming would still be strife in the country, not to mention how they forcefully and positively contributed to Al-Qaeda training - thus, in turn, bringing more terror to our shores.
Hey Boris, cool point, but why think we could sort the Afghans out, when your own mighty Soviet armies got a pasting there a few years ago?. Do you want to see us get bled dry out there so you can kick our butts when we"re down?.
If u think the Afghans are kicking our butts, don"t even try to guess what the mean mullahs of Iran and their forces might do if we start bugging them too much. Comprehende?.
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