Female Troops In Afghanistan

On parade: Captain Susanna Wallis mentors female Afghan officer recruits at the Kabul Military Training Centre
Lieutenant French, who is due to return to the country for another six-month tour in 2014 added: 'It's a tough world, but some of the women we met were so determined and positive. I hope they have a better future ahead of them.'
The images will be on display from 25 October to 11 November 2012 as part of an exhibition entitled 'The White Picture' at Oxo Tower Gallery.

Lieutenant French has her boyfriend and family back in the UK.
When away, she looks forward to getting back into her
favorite sport, sky diving

Making friends: Anna's language training has helped her to gain access to compounds and the residents are intrigued by her.
On one occasion, she was taking photographs of Captain Crossley chatting to Afghan women when they came under gunfire and had to make an escape.

Captain Crossly told the London Evening Standard that one of the highlights of the tour was 'seeing the absolute fascination of women in the compound when I removed my helmet and protective glasses to speak to them in their own language'.
She added: 'Women are known throughout the world to bring people together, to focus on family and community. Just by being female, even in military uniform, you are seen to promote such things and are therefore more accepted.'
Lieutenant French said: 'The photographs demonstrate the more feminine traits of female soldiers can be used as a strength on operations.'

Wash and go: Photojournalist Alison Baskerville wanted to capture 'the alternative view of life on the front line for women'. Her photos will be on display at the Oxo Tower Gallery from 11 November
Trained in Pashto, the Afghan language, they accompany infantry on patrols and build relationships with Afghan women in some of the most dangerous parts of Helmand - something local culture forbids their male colleagues from doing.

The women's lives have been documented by Alison Baskerville, a former RAF officer, who was granted access to the British Army's Female Engagement Officers (FEOs) and the women at the Afghan National Army's training centre in Kabul.

Downtime: A female solider puts her feet up in front of
the television to catch up on Downton Abbey

Breaktime: The women take a break after practicing their
marching skills. Although the training takes place in a separate
facility to the men, they are pushing for the
women to graduate alongside the male soldiers

Show and tell: Lieutenant French speaks to a crowd of
mostly women. She believes education is key to a brighter
future for female Afghans

Ready for action: Captain Crossley, a nurse at UCL hospital
on a six-month tour in Afghanistan, stands in full military
gear against a backdrop of mountains

Captain Crossley heads out to join soldiers from 3 Rifles as they
prepare for a patrol to help her gain entry into a local compound.

Forty winks: A female officer catches up on some
sleep in her makeshift home before duty calls.

We're all in this together: Men and women carry out washing
duties without the help of modern conveniences side by side.

Toiletries including deodorants, hair products, mouthwash and moisturising creams take pride of place on a makeshift dressing table
Miss Baskerville, who spent six weeks in Helmand, told the London Evening Standard: 'I'm trying to show the alternative view of life on the front line for women.

'I don't want to highlight that these women are exceptional or different from men. they want to show they're doing this job - to them a very essential job - and it's their passion and drive to do it well. 'It was nice to "lift the uniform off" and capture all the things they like to do, like watching Downton Abbey. I'm just trying to show the human element of being a female solider.'
During the six weeks Miss Baskerville spent in Helmand, she followed Captain Anna Crossley, 31, a nurse at UCL hospital and Lieutenant Jessica French who spent six months going into villages and small settlements to talk to women and earn their trust.

Expectant: Captain Crossley is pictured in the Upper Gereshk
Valley of Helmand. Here she kneels down as she joins
a patrol to see whether she can access a local Afghan
compound in the hope that she may meet women and children

On patrol: Lieutenant Jessica French visits an Afghan
community in Helmand. As a Female Engagement officer,
her jobs is to gain the support and trust of Afghan women

Getting kitted up: Two female soldiers prepare to head
out on a joint patrol to engage with local Afghan families
to train them in basic veterinary care. It is often the
children's responsibility to look after the goats for the family.

Alison Baskerville's photographs provide a fascinating
insight not only into the work female
soldiers do but also how Afghan communities survive.

Captain Crossley (pictured) said one of the highlights
of her tour was 'seeing the absolute fascination of
women in the compound when I removed my helmet
and glasses to speak to them in their own language.'

Trooping the color: Brightly colored women's
underwear stands out against a dull background
and more conventional items of military uniform.

Lieutenant French sits down with Gulali who said: 'When I meet
soldiers like Jess I hope that women from Afghanistan will
see her and also want to put
on a uniform, get a job and learn to be independent.'

The human element: Baskerville was keen to capture the ordinary parts of a solider's day. Here, Lance Corporal Rachel Clayton ties her hair in a french plait to keep it tidy under her helmet.

Both Captain Crossley and Lieutenant French met many brave women in remote parts of Afghanistan where a patriarchal society still reigns.

Captain Crossley told the Guardian: 'In the areas where I was working there is still a long way to go. There are so many things that need to happen. Sadly, they have been a little left behind.'

They realize that education is vital in order to secure a brighter future for the women of Helmand.