Afghanistan

Major Gen Messenger's account of life commanding on the frontline

The MoD’s Strategic Communications Officer has given a frank account of what it’s like to command troops in Afghanistan.

Major General Gordon Messenger was the head of Task Force Helmand during 2008 and 2009.

During a speech at the Royal United Services Institute today, he said it’s a lonely existence in command.

He spoke of what he called the uncomfortableness of remote decision making. Decisions which he said, could be about life and death are made away from the action, looking at a graining grey screen and getting information over the radio.

Budget constraints on the military are rarely out of the headlines these days and Major General Messenger briefly touched upon these today, although he was keen to point out he wasn’t making a political point. He said the reality of operations is they will be resource constrained.

He couldn’t talk about what it’s like to be a commander without touching on the human cost of operations. He said often as a commander, it could be strange to be drinking Chai with a provincial governor at a time when firefights were underway and personnel were being injured.

He also raised how important it is for a commander to be politically aware.

Watch the video for the full report and reaction from Defence Correspondent Robert Fox.