Lairg soldier looks forward to coming home
A soldier whose home is in Lairg, who has spent months living on rations and facing insurgents on an almost daily basis, is coming to the end of his tour of Afghanistan.
Corporal Dean Devine, who is originally from Dingwall, deployed to Helmand Province back in April with The Highlanders, The 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. After arriving, he and his multiple were attached to 42 Commando Royal Marines and have been operating in the Nad-e Ali district.
For almost a third of his time in Helmand, 23 year old Cpl Devine was based at a small, remote checkpoint called CP Toki. The compound was home to Dean and 12 other soldiers who had to get used to the austere conditions of life on the frontline.
With temperatures regularly reaching above 50 degrees, the soldiers did not have the luxury of air conditioning or even running water, and had to rely on air drops to be supplied with their food, ammunition and other materials needed to survive.
Cpl Devine says it was pretty tough living: "We went out on patrol once or twice a day which meant putting on our body armour and helmets and carrying packs weighing up to 40 kilos even though it was really hot.
"When we’d return to base there was no break from the heat and the dust and no proper showers to get clean. All we had was our camp beds and a mosquito net. The food’s been OK as the ration packs are now pretty good but after several weeks, we were craving all kinds of meals!"
CP Toki was in one of the more dangerous parts of the area of operations and the insurgents were never far away. Despite the threat, the soldiers would carry out regular patrols into the surrounding area to disrupt the insurgents and build relations with the local people.
"Although the multiple came under attack on a number of occasions, thanks to information provided by locals, they were also able to find and detain several insurgents and uncover a number of caches of drugs, weapons and IEDs."
This has been Cpl Devine’s second time in Afghanistan. He was last deployed to Helmand back in 2008 and says he’s noticed a big difference since his first tour: "The whole area has changed considerably. Although the insurgents are still around, they are not in the same numbers and even in the time we’ve been here we’ve seen security improve a lot.
"The Afghan National Army (ANA and ANP) have improved immeasurably and the locals trust them a lot more and that helps because they’re willing to share information with the Police and the Army which helps them to be one step ahead."
Cpl Devine has now got only six weeks left of his tour and is starting to allow himself to think about going home. After a brief stay at 4 SCOTS base in Fallingbostel, Dean is planning to head back to see his two sons, Liam who is four and two-year-old Dylan.
