Checking the ground methodically with different pieces of specialist equipment, Royal Engineer Captain Rob Windard and his team find and isolate a number of devices hidden in the dusty ground - all designed to kill or maim.

"It's our responsibility to clear areas against various threats," he says, as they head towards open ground a couple of kilometres from insurgents. "We use different methods and different bits of equipment to combat that threat."

Capt Windard, 26, from 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)), based at Wimbish, near Saffron Walden, is a RESA - Royal Engineer Search Advisor.

As a member of the Army's Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Task Force (composed of the Royal Logistic Corps' EOD teams and the Royal Engineers) his job is one of the most demanding and dangerous in Helmand - to find and isolate IEDs before they explode.

Privates to Commanding Officers are in no doubt that the remarkable men and women like Capt Windard are saving many lives throughout Helmand province, where the majority of British troops are based. They are fast becoming the heroes of the Afghan counter-insurgency campaign.

"They are real heroes of this campaign," said Major Rob Philipson-Stow, Second in Command (2iC) of the Household Calvary Regiment (HCR) Battle Group. Maj Philipson-Stow's Battle Group has called on their services numerous times. "The way they approach their jobs is phenomenal."

All in a day's work

It may seem remarkable that someone so young has such responsibility on their shoulders but for Capt Windard it's all in a day's work.

"Yes, the responsibility is there, but I have got the utmost respect for the people I lead and the infantry guys who are doing the same job, searching for IEDs all over Helmand," says Capt Windard.

As UK troops have consistently defeated the enemy in open combat so Taliban guerrillas have resorted to laying IEDs. In many cases they pay or coerce others to plant explosives for them, including children, as a way of generating headlines and harming UK troops.

Skilled in identifying IEDs

In response the Army has set up a Counter-IED Task Force to study the Taliban's methods and has developed new tactics and equipment, much of it secret, to find and destroy the bombs before they explode.

In addition, infantry soldiers are becoming increasingly skilled in identifying IEDs, thanks to new training and equipment.

"The Counter IED task force is important. We allow the guys on the ground to get on with the job, and Afghan civilians to go about their daily lives," said Capt Windard.

Many of the victims of the IEDs are poor Afghan farmers or children, who pick up items like detonators thinking that they are toys, only to have hands and feet blown off.

80 per cent are found and made safe

Such is the backlash from locals that British soldiers in the Musa Qaleh area are seeing many more 'walk-ins' from Afghans fed up with the Taliban's tactics.

"We've had former Taliban fighters come to us and say, 'I have children now, I don't want them to be blown up,'" said Captain Rolly Spiller, a Staff Officer based in Musa Qaleh who himself was injured on a previous tour by an IED.

Although some IEDs do detonate, more than 80 per cent are found and made safe by C-IED Task Force. In addition, heavily armoured new vehicles such as the Mastiff mean that soldiers are increasingly likely to survive bomb blasts uninjured should they occur.

“If you look at the stats we are getting on top of it. The ratio of finds to contacts [explosions] is very high; so the vast majority of devices are found,” said Capt Windard.

'Utmost respect'

Today there was no firing from the enemy, although sometimes Capt Windward and his team have to work under small arms fire from the enemy.

“I try not to think about it. You just get on with it,” he said. “We are learning and developing all the time to counter the threat.”

Brigadier James Cowan, Commander of Task Force Helmand, said: “The men and women of the C-IED Task Force are an extraordinary group of people. Selflessly committed to their dangerous work and utterly professional.

"There isn’t a soldier in Task Force Helmand who doesn’t hold them in the utmost respect for what they do and the way they do it. I am deeply proud to have them serving as part of my brigade, saving military and civilian lives day in and day out.

"They are some of the true heroes of this campaign."