SOLDIERS from 1Rifles are making their final preparations before leaving for a vital history-mission in Afghanistan.

They have reached the final stage of their training, and passed their confirmation exercises with flying colours, said Captain Jim Bewley.

"Now we have returned from our pre-tour leave it's just about personal trimming."

A battle group of 900 men and women, including attachments, are being deployed to the rural district of Nar-e-Saraj South in Afghanistan's war-torn Helmand province later this spring.

Some 550 soldiers based in Beachley will be heading out in small detachments from mid-April for a six-month tour based within the Green Zone. They are due to return home between late October and early November.

Their mission is to hand over responsibility for security to the Afghan national forces, to pave the way for the withdrawal of British troops by 2015.

They anticipate they will have to keep the Taliban away and thwart any attacks as they work in partnership with Afghan national police and the Afghan national army.

Although a number of the younger soldiers will be heading out on their first missions, for 44-year-old Captain Bewley, and a number of others in the battalion, it will be his third tour in Afghanistan.

"Previous missions have been about training Afghanis, but the approach has now changed from 'clear' to a 'hold and build' strategy," he said.

"We will be embedded in partnership with the Afghan national forces – living, eating, sleeping and fighting side by side."

Commanding officer Lt Col James de la Billière said the mission was about 'creating the time and space' to allow the transfer of security arrangements.

But he said the battalion will face the hard climatic conditions of the Afghan summer and the enemy 'so we must prepare ourselves accordingly'.

He said soldiers have been put through a six-month vigorous training programme and have had to learn new skills, including learning languages spoken in Afghanistan.

He urged supporters of 1Rifles to wear green Swift and Bold wristbands with pride, and support the 1Rifles' charity appeal, Care For Casualties.

So far £3,779 has been raised to help Army families cope with injuries or bereavements during tours of duty. Forest of Dean District Council staff and councillors raised £201.50 at a dress-down day and raffle, and Viv Hargreaves, editor of The Forester, is preparing to run the Forest of Dean Trails Half Marathon in aid of the appeal on March 27.

Captain Bewley said: "It's very cheering and heartening that we're being supported so much by the community."

In the battalion's first tour in Afghanistan in 2008/9, nine Riflemen lost their lives.

"This is about looking after each other and knowing when to ask for help," said Lt Col de la Billière.

"In the longer term this is about looking after our casualties in the event of an incident."