BATTLE-HARDENED veterans of Worcestershire’s infantry regiment are going back to Afghanistan to train fellow soldiers on how to fight the Taliban.

It will mark the fourth time soldiers of the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) have been posted to the Afghan badlands.

This time, however, they will not be directly be in the line of fire.

In a mark of how experienced the battalion has become fighting in the country, 116 men from C Company will be based at Camp Bastion training other Army fighting companies.

Having exchanged fire with the Taliban in every season over a total of one-and-a-half years campaigning in Afghanistan, 2 Mercian are seen by military chiefs as one of the most senior fighting infantry units now in the British Army’s battle line.

Their tour will last four months, and they deploy in January, 2013.

The battalion is currently headquartered at Palace Barracks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but is set for a move back to mainland billets in 2014.

Earlier this year, they were among soldiers taking part in a military parade through the streets of Worcester, which was well-supported by the public.

Captain Mike Brigham, who led a fighting rifle company the last time the unit was in Afghanistan, said the deployment was a recognition of the unit’s particularly high level of experience.

“We’re that senior now regarding Afghanistan – we are the joint senior battalion, because we have the most experience.

“So now we’ll be the first British Army battalion to be given this task, training others. We’ll be providing training teams to the troops who are coming on operations to Afghanistan to get their battle readiness right up.”

Separately, Capt Brigham said the battalion was also set to become part of Britain’s contingent for the multinational NATO Response Force in 2013.

It means 2 Mercian could be called on at short-notice to support and fight in any developing military operations anywhere around the world, if required.