The Impact of the Afghanistan War on the UK Army
The Afghanistan War had a massive impact on many Public Services however, it has had a
huge impact on the UK army. The conflict was sparked by the 9/11 terrorist attack on the
World Trade Center in New York, by members of Islamist militant group al-Qaeda.
The War in Afghanistan caused the army to be equipped with a
lot of new high tech equipment such as weapons, chemical explosions, kits, vehicles,
aircrafts and other things that the Army might need in War at Afghanistan. In a really short
space of time, this meant they had to operate and maintain this equipment which weighs
down logistics and is very costly in long run. It seems that the more war the UK Army has to
deal with the more money it is costing them, and with that comes setbacks and
redundancies. This could lead to a lack of morale from the service man and women as they
are being asked to do more but for fewer advantages. During the Afghanistan War British
death stands at 458 and 2.199 soldiers who were seriously injured after fighting against the
Taliban. The Afghanistan war has been going on for over a decade and Afghanistan still
remains a very extremely dangerous country. The UK's military role in Afghanistan since
2001 has brought with it a heavy human toll. Members of the Army, RAF, Royal Marines and
special forces have lost their lives in the fight against the Taliban. British troops were sent to
the southern province of Helmand. Their intended role was to provide stability and security
for reconstruction projects, but their arrival provoked a violent response from a resurgent
Taliban. Many British soldiers try peacekeeping however, this results and leads to many
deaths of soldiers or severely injured troops. The British soldiers try peacekeeping by
fighting in the war and through trying to help Afghanistan to rebuild a stable nation and a
stable government. The UK Army is also involved in Afghanistan because the UK is working
on stabilizing and securing Afghanistan and counterterrorism.
UK troops in Afghanistan
140,000
UK troops served
£21.5bn
Total operational cost
● 453 UK troops killed
● 108 died in 2009 - the worst year
● 470 mentors staying on