DARWEN soldier Laura Ennis has spent two weeks in the Cyprus heat preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.
The 25-year-old gunner who serves with 58 (Eyre’s) Battery, part of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery based at Baker Barracks in West Sussex, has been learning counter insurgency skills and drills which she may be called to put into practice when serving in Helmand next year.
Laura’s usual role is to operate a High Velocity Missile, mounted on an armoured vehicle, used to shoot down enemy aircraft. As there is no perceived threat in Afghanistan from enemy aircraft, the battery will train to operate high-powered optical scopes and thermal imaging equipment mounted on tethered balloons.
The former Darwen Moorland School pupil worked as a sales rep for a label firm before joining the army in 2008 and hopes to eventually to become a forensics investigator.
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