Local MP Mary Macleod has met with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan next month. Mary met with the Hounslow based regiment, founded in 1915 after a Royal Warrant from King George V, to discuss what support is given to servicemen and women both prior and post deployment. Mary commented, “I was impressed by the level of training and support that soldiers receive as part of their 27 month training cycle which culminates in deployment. The Welsh Guards have a clear mission to ensure that Afghanistan cannot return to being a base for al-Qaeda and a terrorist threat to the United Kingdom.”

The upcoming deployment will see the Battalion return to where they were stationed in 2009. Mary added, “After a particularly hard tour of duty in 2009 the Battalion now returns to a changed country. It is clear that their objective now is to ensure that this progress is protected so that the country is capable of securing its own stability and that of the region.”

There has been significant investment in the Cavalry Barracks with £35m being spent on upgrades over the past 6 months. Mary commented, “It is clear from meeting with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards that the training and support that these servicemen and women go through is truly world class. During a visit to Afghanistan late last year I had the opportunity to see the excellent work being done. What we must do is ensure that the support is continued after service. That is why I campaigned throughout last year for ex-service personnel to be given priority for social housing. It is important that both locally and nationally service personnel and their families are given the proper support and I will continue to campaign for this.”