Into The Breach
Thousands of people combine normal jobs with training for the Territorial Army. But what was once just a supporting force is now 30% of the over-stretched British Army's deployment, even to the frontline.
Colour Sergeant Neil Redpath joined the TA when he was living on a miniscule grant at college. "It was to get extra money basically." The pay - one solider earns 27,000 GBP a year - can make all the difference to struggling families in the depressed north-east of England. Many of the soldiers weigh up the pressures of providing for a young family with dangers of active service. "In civilian life I drive a truck and how many people get killed on the roads?", reasons one. Yet Darren Longstaff's partner was shaken when he called to tell them he had been shot. As troops withdraw from Afghanistan, this report looks at the personal experiences of part-time soldiers who found themselves at the heart of the battle.
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