Territorial Army officer Glen Miney is to deploy to Afghanistan early next month to spend six months supporting the British military mission in Helmand Province.

Lt Miney, of Shevington, combines his civilian job working as highway safety specialist for Warrington-based company Atkins with being a member of D (DLOY) Squadron The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry.

This Territorial Army unit, based in Canal Street, Wigan, trains its soldiers as loaders and gunners for the British Army's main battle tank, Challenger 2. As TA soldiers, the unit's men and women train as soldiers on a paid, part-time basis.

Lt Miney, 33, is one of four soldiers from D (DLOY) Sqn to be mobilised for duty in Afghanistan.
He is currently training in Paderborn, Germany, before deploying with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards to Afghanistan early next month. Lt Miney expects to be deployed to a forward operating base in Helmand as a "watch-keeper."

He said: "I am looking forward to the challenges of the tour where temperatures will vary between 40C and minus 20C during the autumn-winter months, as well as the challenge of the hostile environment that we will be working in."

Lt Miney joined the squadron in 1998, with a view to gaining experience before looking towards a career in the full-time Army.
But he soon realised that the TA offered the best of both worlds – a "normal" civilian life and a career with the Army. Afghanistan will be his first operational tour of duty, although he has taken part in training exercises and expeditions in various countries including Norway, Canada and Austria.

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