Newtonmore soldier lucky to be alive
A YOUNG soldier from Newtonmore out in Afghanistan has recounted his lucky escape when an improvised explosive device blew up just a few metres away from him.
Highlander Adam Grant has spent the last five months battling the Taliban in temperatures of more than 50C whilst on the frontline in the country.
Hldr Grant, a member of the 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, is now coming towards the end of his first operational tour since joining the Army in 2009.
The 20-year-old was deployed to Helmand Province back in April, and since then has been based in the district of Nad-e Ali, working alongside Royal Marines from 42 Commando.
Not long after he arrived, Hldr Grant was sent with 12 other soldiers to man a remote checkpoint in an area that was known to be home to a number of insurgents.
CP Toki was so isolated, it had to be re-supplied by helicopter which would deliver the essential items needed by the men including food, water and ammunition.
The soldiers had to work and live in the small compound where temperatures often reached more than 50 degrees.
For Hldr Grant, he admits it took a bit of getting used to.
"The hardest thing is the heat. I’ve never experienced anywhere so hot and with no air conditioning," he said. "It is impossible to cool down, especially after a long patrol.
"Even during the night, it is often too warm to sleep. We had no running water or proper showers or toilets and the only food we had was rations, so it was a shock at first but by the end we didn’t think anything of it.
"We made the place as homely as we could and built a gym and place to rest and read books and watch TV."
The soldiers in the unit are responsible for providing security in the area around the check point.
This means carrying out regular patrols to both establish a presence and deter the insurgents from launching attacks.
With the area around the base littered with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Hlder Grant said it can often be risky.
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"I am a rifleman and as such could do a number of things on patrol; either look for IEDs or operate the general purpose machine gun – it depends on the task that we are given," he said.
"It has been a busy tour and no two patrols are the same. There is one incident that stands out. We were patrolling back into the CP and were crossing a ditch when an IED went off about five metres away.
"We were pretty lucky there was nobody injured."
After more than two months at CP Toki, the multiple was moved to another base which was slightly more comfortable but Hldr Grant says he is still looking forward to the little luxuries of home.
He said: "I am looking forward to going home but with six weeks to go, I’m trying not to think too much about it. I’m concentrating on the job in hand and hoping that will make the time go more quickly."
4 SCOTS will complete their tour of Afghanistan in October and will return to their base in Fallingbostel in Germany. The soldiers will then have several weeks leave to spend with friends and family back in Scotland.