Helmand Mission

After celebrating St. Patricks Day 2008, 1st Royal Irish Battlegroup deployed to Afghanistans Helmand province as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. For six months the Royal Irish fought the Taliban in Helmand in some of the most difficult country on earth. At the same time the Battlegroup was training the nascent Afghan National Army (ANA) and many of its engagements were alongside Afghan soldiers. Well trained and with an operational maturity gained from deployments in every year but one since 19