York troops off to Afghanistan (From York Press)

York troops off to Afghanistan

8:53am Saturday 29th September 2012 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

SOLDIERS from York are preparing to head to Afghanistan next month for a six-month tour of duty.

Members of the 2 Signal Regiment, based at Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road, will be working at several locations in Helmand Province, providing telecommunications, IT and secure communications.

About 300 soldiers are due to travel to Afghanistan towards the end of October, said an army spokeswoman.

This will be the regiment’s second deployment in Afghanistan during the current conflict, having last been there in 2011, and, with Britain’s involvement in the country being scaled down, it could be its last. On their last day of training, before being given leave, about 100 soldiers were sent out this week to help with sandbagging operations to tackle flooding risks in the centre of York and Cawood , near Selby .

Thirty soldiers laid thousands of sandbags in Peckitt Street in York city centre in support of the emergency services, local authorities and other agencies. Another 70 soldiers assisted in filling more than 4,000 sandbags to support existing flood defences at Cawood in a successful operation to protect the village.

Lieutenant Colonel Colin Vaudin, the Commanding Officer of 2 Signal Regiment, said: “We are very much part of the local community in North Yorkshire and were happy to join the effort as extra pairs of hands helping out with the sandbagging at what has been a very difficult time.”

York’s signallers also helped out during the floods in 2000 and were subsequently awarded the Freedom of the City of York.