TROOPS based at Bord-on's Prince Philip Barr- acks are being deployed this month to support British forces in the war-torn Helmand province in Afghanistan. More than 100 soldiers from 10 Close Support Com-pany, part of 4 Battalion REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), will support the main force of 12 Mechanised Brigade for six months. They will support the brigade by repairing and servicing equipment. The soldiers have been training since the decision was made in December to send them. They will be working in barren desert in the south of the province and steep, mountainous regions in the north, under weather conditions ranging from blistering heat in day to freezing temperatures at night. Their commander, Major Neville Pattison, said: "Every single one of the guys wants to get on with the job. They have trained hard for it, seen the kit they will be working with and working on, and want to get stuck into it."
