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| Alistair ready for Afghanistan |
On Sunday Archant journalist ALISTAIR NELSON flew out to Afghanistan to find out how the troops - and civilians - from the East of England are faring in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. You can follow his diary on The Hunts Post website.
DO YOU have your own body armour?
Not a question that, if I'm honest, I get asked regularly as a reporter. But the woman on the other end of the phone from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) wasn't joking and on Tuesday booked me an appointment for a "fitting".
So I was soon on a train travelling into London and in two days' time I'll be on a plane to Afghanistan, without doubt the most dangerous place on the planet.
It all started last Friday, when my editor told me the Armed Forces Minister and Harlow MP Bill Rammell was off to visit the war-torn country and had invited Archant (owners of The Hunts Post) to send someone along.
My hesitation was enough to book me on the first flight out of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday, but not before I had been kitted out with armour.
My appointment is at the Regent's Park Barracks in north west London. Formerly called the Albany Street Barracks, the 19th century complex is set among trendy cafes and posh houses, and is just a grenade's throw from London Zoo.
The first piece of body armour I try on feels loose and surprisingly light. So I ask the soldier behind the desk for a smaller vest, and this time it's a snug fit.
There are two non-uniformed men working in the kit store and, after I'm happy with the fit, the second man proceeds to put Kevlar plates into pockets on the front and back of the blue vest. I now realise why it didn't feel particularly heavy when I tried it on and when he hands it back it feels more substantial.
I can't help thinking how small the plates are compared to the size of my body and I notice that the one on the front is off-centre. It's there to cover my heart. I feel a slight rush off fear as it begins to dawn on me just how dangerous this assignment could be.
I ask the kit man if the plates can stop a bullet and he assures me they can.
My first stop was at the MoD building in Whitehall where I was met by one of Mr Rammell's staff, a woman called Beryl who gives me a VIP pass and ushers me through the vast security system and into the heart of the country's defence nerve centre. We walk straight through the building and out the other side where Beryl informs me that a car is waiting to take me to the barracks.
As it turns out the car is not just for me - two others from the party of six will be joining me to get kitted out for body armour as well - so I take the front seat and wait for the others to arrive.
Before long I'm joined by Mr Rammell's special advisor and we head out into the midday London traffic.
After we are fully kitted out with our body armour and helmets we head back to the MoD to meet some more of the minister's travelling party and to be briefed about the trip.
Chris Higham, a former soldier and now a military advisor to Mr Rammell, talks us through some of some things we can expect (mainly heat and sand) and what to pack for the journey. Mr Higham is the only member of the group who has been to Afghanistan before, so his insight is invaluable and his enthusiasm for the country is infectious.
An MoD press officer who will also be travelling with us briefs us on our itinerary. Just in case the Taliban subscribe to the e-edition of the The Hunts Post I can't say too much in advance about where we will be going.
However, it's safe to say that we'll be travelling around a lot, and areas such as Kabul and Kandahar will feature.
I'm also told that a forward operating base (FOB) and a military hospital are on the agenda, so I should see the reality of war in Afghanistan. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet soldiers who have fought on the front line.
The war in Afghanistan is continuously in the press especially because of the number of troops who have died their recently and the controversy over helicopter numbers.
As I leave the MoD building and head for the tube carrying my body armour and helmet, I am both excited and nervous about what lies in store for me in this war-torn country.
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