3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, Operation JANUB ZILZILA, Zabul, Afghanistan, 2008

Digital photograph by Sergeant Ian Houlding, Royal Logistic Corps, 2008.

The soldier carries a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). The Belgian-designed GPMG served as the British Army's main machine gun from the 1960s. Built under license in the United Kingdom, it can fire 750 7.62 mm rounds per minute and is used to provide heavy supporting fire. British troops nicknamed the weapon, the 'Gimpy'.

In 2008 elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade, including the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, were deployed to the mountainous province of Zabul, near the border with Pakistan. The proximity of the border with Pakistan made the area an ideal location for Taleban forces to rest and recuperate. British forces were tasked with securing a supply route and confronting any insurgents in the area.