Hello everyone welcome back to the history hit warfare podcast I'm your host James

Rogers we're marking a bit of a milestone with the podcast this week as we hit one million

listens and it's been great to hear from so many of you about what you've enjoyed and what you want to hear so keep it

keep it coming. We also want to hear about your family histories. You can

follow us on Twitter at History hit W.W.2 on Instagram at James Rogers History and you can now contact us via email on

warfare at history hit.com. In this episode first recorded for Dan Snow's history hit we have Dr Mike Martin who famously critiqued the

MOD in 2014 when they tried to prevent the publication of his book on the war in Afghanistan. This book was based on a series of

conversations Martin had with the local people of Afghanistan and he was one of the few people

in the military who could speak Pashto. As we hear news of the final withdrawal

of NATO troops from the country, it's the perfect time to revisit this episode and

hear from Mike about how the conflict in Afghanistan has changed for better and for worse over time,

especially in Helmand province where Mike has first-hand experience.

So here he is, Mike Martin, on the Afghanistan War in Helmand. Good to have you here. And now, last time we met, you were very brilliant and it became apparently you had many other

stories within you, but one of them was this, your experience in Afghanistan.

You as a soldier spent an unusual amount of time in Helmand, didn't you? Why was that?

So I was a political officer for the British Army and I spoke Pushto, which is the language in

Helmand. How many British officers would have spoken, pushed to?

Fluently, so able to, I don't know, have a conversation with someone in the room whilst

earwigging on a conversation that's happening across the room between five and ten.

Isn't that, really?

Okay.

And so, and as a result, you were in Helmand for longer than the usual rotation.

...