Some facts about the Commando Unit that will be sperheading the 1700-strong deployment of British troops sent to reinforce US and Canadian troops already in the country:

• Based at Royal Marines Condor in Arbroath, Scotland, the 45 Royal Marine Commando will be leading the 1700-strong deployment of British troops - Operation Janaca - being sent to reinforce the 6000 US and Canadian troops already in Afghanistan.
• The 45 Royal Marine Commando is part of 3 Commando Brigade, the Royal Navy's amphibious infantry which are part of the United Kingdom's Joint Rapid Reaction Force, created in 1996 as a result of the Strategic Defence Review, and which combines personnel from all three branches of the Armed Forces.

• The Brigade, made up of three lightly armed commando units, is trained to manoeuvre in hostile and inhospitable climates ranging from treacherous jungle to arctic climes.
• During the early 1970s, the 45 Commando was the first of the units to specialise in cold weather combat and as such has been called on by the US led coalition to serve in Afghanistan due to its skills in waging mountain warfare.
• The 45 Commando will be reinforced by combat units from: 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, from Plymouth; 59 Independent Commando Squadron of Royal Engineers, from Chivenor, Devon; and the Commando Logistics Regiment, from Chivenor, north Devon.