Members of the Afghan National Army have "graduated" from a training course run by a Scottish battalion.
The Afghan soldiers, known as "warriors", spent three weeks being trained in mortar weaponry by a unit from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, (1 SCOTS).
The Scottish battalion is on a six-month operational tour of Helmand province, where they are working with the Afghan National Army (ANA) to prepare them to take over the security of their country. They have also been teaching the Afghans about first aid, counter IED (improvised explosive device) operations and vehicle maintenance.
Once trained, some of the Afghans are taught how to be instructors, in the hope that eventually British troops will no longer be needed and security will be handed over to the Afghan National Security Forces.
Colour Sergeant William Mair, 37, who leads the mortar training and advisory team, said: "During the three-week course, they learned to assemble and dismantle the 81mm mortar and the 82mm mortar systems.
"They also learned how to 'lay on' to a target for when they are on the ground and want to aim and fire at something. In the last couple of days we finished off with a bit of live firing so they got a chance to put all of the skills they had learned into practice. We will also run a more advanced course to teach the best of the bunch how to be mortar instructors."
C/Sgt Mair, who is originally from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, but now lives with his wife and daughter in Darlington, added: "The overall aim of these training courses is that when we move out or take a step back, the ANA can establish their own mortar platoon and be able to conduct their own training.
"I feel very proud because it shows we've made a name here and achieved our aim. We've managed to get them up to a good standard so we're confident we can take a step back and let them crack on on their own."
At the ceremony, the group of about 20 warriors were handed certificates, signalling that they are qualified to fire mortar weapons.
Captain Alistair Cuthbertson, 44, who is originally from Barrhead and a training adviser with 1 SCOTS, told them through an interpreter: "This is the start of your future as good quality mortar men and hopefully, in the future, mortar instructors."
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