Army officer from Hereford is proud of Afghan success (From Hereford Times)

Army officer from Hereford is proud of Afghan success

8:30am Tuesday 14th June 2011 in Features By Paul Rogers

AN army officer from Hereford has spoken about his time serving in Afghanistan.

Major Steve Burton was deployed with the 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Staffords) to Maiwand Province in February after completing a 10-month tour of the country with US Marines.

The 33-year-old is the officer commanding B Company, whose job is to keep Highway One – the main road that connects Helmand with Kandahar province – safe from insurgents and improvised explosive devices.

Since the Mercian soldiers arrived, there has been a 100 per cent rise in traffic on the road, thanks to improved security provided by the Afghan National Security Forces.

“The Afghans have been really good to work with and have a real desire to defeat the insurgents and bring security to their communities,” said Major Burton.

“The company has had a number of major successes, most notably the capture of a senior insurgent bomb maker just over a month ago which has really boosted the spirits of my men.”

Major Burton, who joined the Army in 1999, is currently based in Fallingbostel, Germany, and will complete his next tour in Afghanistan in August.