15 May 2009
The leader of Caerphilly county borough council, Cllr Lindsay Whittle, will swap his shirt and tie for a flak jacket and helmet this weekend as he heads off to Afghanistan as part of an official visit to support our troops in the area.
The 3 day visit is being arranged for SaBRE (Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers), a Ministry of Defence campaign which aims to build support for members of the Reserve Forces from their employers.
Lindsay, who is also spokesman for the Welsh Local Government Association, will leave from Brize Norton RAF base and fly to Camp Bastion via Kandahar. He will visit Lashka Gah and Kabul where the group will see hospital facilities, meet Reservist staff and call into the British Embassy to find out more about the operations taking place in the area.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the work of the dedicated men and women in our armed forces and although I have some reservations about entering a war zone I believe it is important that we support the work being done in the region to tackle terrorism and promote democracy" said Lindsay.
The visit is part of the 'Employers Abroad' programme which provides employers the opportunity to meet with Reservists carrying out their training or on operations.
During their stay the group will experience life with the troops on the ground – eating meals with the Reservists, travelling by military transport and sharing communal facilities within the camps.
- Return to News