Troops in Afghanistan run for The Royal British Legion
14 June 2010
Personnel from 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, along with several Afghan nationals have completed a 10k run on the front line in Afghanistan to raise money for The Royal British Legion.
The challenge was made
more difficult by hard, uneven terrain, ankle-deep dust and
temperatures up to 40°C.
Warrant Officer Gareth "Taff" Davies, who is from the Royal Air Force but attached to the 1st Battalion's Burma Company, came up with the idea as a way of raising money and providing a welcome distraction for the troops. He has organised several fun runs before while serving in Bosnia and Kosovo, but this one presented its own unique challenges. He said troops wanted to do their bit for charity even while on operational duty.
The route took participants - who call themselves the Desert Dash Lions - on six laps of Patrol Base Shahzhad, in Helmand province.
"A major consideration is operations, they take priority over everything, so I had to split the run into three events to give everyone an opportunity to take part, as there are patrols, guard posts and shifts to man. The first run was on 3 June and that had about 25 people take part", said WO Davies.
"We've kept the run route to within protection walls as much as possible, so it means we have to do laps. There are few places where the enemy can see what we are up to and we have deterrents placed all round the camp."
Overall, about 100 people took part in the event, including about 10 Afghans.
WO Davies said, "We want them involved as it's their country and we want them to feel part of everything we are doing here, whether that's patrolling or sport. I'm doing this run to show solidarity with those who are serving today and in the past. I'm proud of them and this is just a small way of trying to show that."
The troops' target was £1,000 but they've already reached that and are now aiming for £2,000. To donate to the Desert Dash Lions appeal, follow this link to their JustGiving page.
