If the dogs knew what they were sniffing, they would be on the first plane home! That’s what we were told when we visited the dog training support unit in Camp Bastion.

We grinned because it was true that the search for explosives was just a game for them.

Obviously they don’t realise they are sniffing out some of the most dangerous substances in the world.

We watched as a spaniel called Tobias, or Toby as he's affectionately known, ran up and down a row of tubes. Within seconds he started what I can only describe as dancing.

Toby had found the explosives, stopped by the tube and waited for a reward The trainer threw a tennis ball and Toby was clearly pleased with it. The dogs would do that a 1000 times over - they are clever enough to find the explosives but not clever enough to get bored with the reward.

They are safety conscious however and will stop before by a tube as soon as they have the scent.

They are the front line in protecting soldiers from improvised explosive devices.

But without man's best friend soldiers have to search for the devices using a Vallon detector, which puts them in awful danger.

It’s hard to comprehend what it must be like to be told by higher ranking officers that you will be a Vallon man.

It was described to me as 'one of the worst jobs.' You're the man who leads a patrol of troops scanning the ground for devices.

Any error means soldiers being killed and losing limbs as a result of these devices.

Everyone is trained to use the Vallon and waits to find out when they will be called to carry out those duties.

They know that when that days comes, despite doing everything in their power to find the improvised explosive device, they could well be killed or injured.

Some soldiers say they cope with the job by banishing ‘what ifs’ from their thoughts and just getting on with it.

Despite the real risks of taking on the role I’m told not a single soldier has refused to take up the position as a Vallon man.

That makes them better people than me, truly brave and courageous.