UK armed forces complete handover of Helmand Province after eight years

Britain’s command of Helmand Province in Afghanistan ended on Tuesday as control over the area was officially handed to US forces.

15:12 02 April 2014

Britain’s armed forces in Helmand Province, Afghanistan are scheduled to withdraw later this year. However, a moving ceremony has recently been held at Camp Bastion where UK officials handed control over the area to the US forces. This ends the eight years of countless battles where hundreds of lives were sacrificed.

The ceremony included a two-minute silence for the 448 British servicemen and women who were killed from 2001 until now. There were more than 400 members of the British forces who were killed in the country under Task Force Helmand, a mission that lasted longer than expected.

Padre Steven Whiting told 300 service personnel attending the ceremony: “From the poppy fields of Ypres to those of Helmand province, our bravest and best have borne the cost of freedom for others.”

Brigadier James Woodham, the last commander of Task Force Helmand, said: “I think the British forces have served long and hard here in Helmand. They have demonstrated their professionalism. They have shown real commitment through some dark days. They have delivered the mission. They have given the Afghans a chance.

“They have bought time and space for those Afghan forces to be developed, to allow them to take the lead and now it’s time to step back a little further, allowing the Afghans to continue to deliver the all-important security to their people.”