Educating soldiers in Helmand's Green zone
Soldiers serving out in Afghanistan are able to continue their education whilst on tour.
Currently deployed to Forward Operating Base Shawqat in Nad ‘Ali’, Educational and Training Officer Lieutenant Laura Bullen is responsible for making sure that soldiers get their basic numeracy and literacy .
“My job here is to continue the education of 1 LANCS soldiers.
"The soldiers have periods of downtime, they're not continuously out fighting, and it is during these periods that I'm here to do education.
"I have lots of guys on camp who are doing courses at the moment and they pop by when they have a spare five or ten minutes, ask some questions, get some more work from me and then get back to their day jobs."
Lt Bullen 28 from Bridge Allan in Stirling is part of 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) it is her job to make sure that the soldiers pass the courses that they have to do.
Based at the education centre she often has to go forward to patrol bases and checkouts carrying the equipment that she will need to support the soldiers.
"When I go forward to the smaller bases it is quite difficult. I take the absolute minimum resources," she said. "I take one calculator and one dictionary but I have to improvise with what I've got there - I'll use stones if needs be!"