Helmand exhibition curated by Paratroopers

In a bold move the National Army Museum’s newly opened show HELMAND: The Soldiers’ Story attempts to explain a conflict whilst it continues to unfold – the first time a heritage exhibition has done so.

It is also groundbreaking in that it was written, built, and contributed to, by soldiers who have just fought in Afghanistan, and will again – unlike previous shows at the museum. Men from 16 Air Assault Brigade, of which the Parachute Regiment is a part, were the first NATO troops into Helmand Province in April 2006. On returning from their tour, the Brigade suggested the exhibition as a way of giving the public an insight into their own experiences.

More than 150 of these soldiers have contributed written and oral accounts, photographs, footage, personal diaries, letters and emails, and personal objects relating to the tour. The Museum will also be adding the blogs of soldiers serving in Afghanistan to its website in the coming months.