C Squadron HCR came back into Camp Bastion on New Year's Eve after six weeks deployed on the ground. The initial tasking was to relieve Right Flank Company of the Scots Guards so they could carry out some maintenance on their Warriors: this was meant to be for eight days. Once the Warriors were back the Squadron stayed out to take part in the Brigade-level operation to retake Musa Qala. Once that op was completed the Squadron then remained in overwatch and assisting the Afghan Army in their operations before finally returning to the dreaded Lean Line in Bastion.

I was deployed - with about 18 hours notice - as a driver in Squadron Headquarters. Initially I drove a Spartan, callsign Zero Delta, until I was cross-decked to 14 Bravo, the Samaritan that serves as the Squadron ambulance. Our tasks involved lots of recce screens, overwatch, providing flank protection for the troop-carrying Warriors and Mastiffs and probing of enemy defences. As a rough rule, when the Squadron looked for trouble it found it. While it was (rightly!) the Gun troops who had the bulk of the contacts - and you can believe everything John says about him being in the thick of it - Squadron Headquarters got stuck in a few times as well.

One subject I'm looking forward to discussing with everyone is how they responded to being in contact. The first few times, my adrenaline was pumping and all my senses were hyper-alert. By the end of the MOG I was quite happy to sit reading in my cab, keeping an ear out on the net in case we needed to extract a casualty, while a firefight raged barely a kilometre away on the other side of the ridge.

I learnt a lot about CVRT driving - remember I had no cross-country CVRT driving experience up until we left - although I freely admit that I need way more practice when driving at night using night vision goggles. SHQ was generally a bit more relaxed than the Gun Troops or Support Troop.

Most Squadron taskings involved everyone but the Light Aid Detachment so the ambulance did go on most operations but thankfully we only had two casualties. One had shrapnel wounds to the arm, and will make a full recovery back in the UK, while the other managed to burn his neck on Christmas Day with hot coffee: the lid had come off the issue mug while he was shaking it. His main injury will be psychological, from all the mickey-taking from the rest of the Squadron! He was evacuated on the IRT only because his burn meant he couldn't wear his body armour, which is a requirement when out of Bastion.

Christmas Day was spent on top of one of our favourite hills. On the way back from a shura with the local elder the Squadron picked up a couple of sheep which were roasted by the Fijians from Support Troop for the Squadron's benefit. Fresh mutton never tasted so good!

I saw John a couple of times. He was well, although of course looking forward to R&R and his beard was nowhere near as bushy as mine!