TERRITORIAL Army soldiers from the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry have become the only unit of their kind to qualify for a rigorous special forces- style training regime.
The intensive two-week exercise at the notorious Grafenwoehr Camp, in Bavaria, sees the use of live ammunition preparing troops for deployment to Afghanistan.
Trooper Daniel Jervis, 21, a Challenger 2 gunner from Neston who returned from a six-month tour in Iraq last year was one of 227 soldiers to undergo the training.
He said: “The house clearing exercises have been the most beneficial because it used to be a special forces role, but now in Afghanistan it’s a role that we will also fulfil, so it's very relevant training.
“The live firing facilities have also made a difference because they build your confidence.
“I'm confident about what we need to do in Afghanistan.”
