Weymouth marine prepares for Afghanistan

Corporal Paul Abbs, 26, lives in Wyke Regis with his girlfriend Rebecca Vallins.

Corp Abbs, of 30 Commando, said: “It will be my second time in Afghanistan, I’ve also been twice to Iraq.

“We usually get sent out for six months but because we’re an advance party it will probably be closer to seven.

“I’m quite eager to go, I’m in that mindset of getting all the training up and running.

“The hardest thing is leaving my family and girlfriend behind.”

The training in Lulworth has included a Pashtun language course and learning the culture to avoid causing offence by actions such as ‘waving with your left hand’.

He added: “The post is quite good out there now, there’s good internet and phones.

“The kit we’re getting there now is absolutely fantastic and we’re working alongside the Afghan national army which is good.

“We’re taking on more of a mentoring role.

“Pashtun’s been easy to learn – once you learn a few basic phrases, the language kind of teaches itself.”

Royal Marine Paul Cook, 23, of Corfe Mullen, described Lulworth as ‘one of the better live firing establishments in the UK’.

“We learn everything over here then it comes naturally over in Afghanistan, it works.”

He said once in Afghanistan troops were given two weeks to acclimatise to the ‘heat and dusty environment and then everyone feels ready to rock’.

He added: “It does enter your mind that the worst could happen but the more experience you get, you learn how to cope with it better.

“This is my third time and parcels from home help. It’s nice to know people are thinking of you.”

Captain Tom Hughes, 28, of Maidstone, Kent said: “I’ve done quite a bit of training at Lulworth and Bovington. Dorset’s a beautiful place.

“I’m going to Afghanistan early next year. I’ve been once before in 2006.

“It’s our job at the end of the day.

“There’s an element of nervousness but the guys just throw themselves into training and prepare themselves as best we can.”