IEDs have been the main cause of British casualties during the campaign and, because they are often laid along roads and dirt tracks, they are responsible for killing and injuring many civilians too.

Sapper Flood, who is coming towards the end of his six-month tour, said, “We were involved in Operation Moshtarak, making sure that the infantry guys had safe passage to the places they needed to reach.

“Although our role is not highlighted very often, we know we are an integral part of operations out here and the infantry always want us around with them.”

The former Forfar Academy pupil said, “I am fully aware of the dangers, but I have a job to do and I get on with it. I take every precaution to protect me and my mates from harm — that includes carrying my rifle whenever I leave the front gate.

“If I have someone shooting at me, believe me, I will be shooting back.”

The army has set up a counter-IED team combining the skills of the Royal Engineers and explosive ordnance disposal teams from the Royal Logistic Corps.

Sapper Flood said, “We were given loads of training before deploying so that when we arrived here we were ready to face the challenges ahead of us.

“However, I’m not sure that anything could have really prepared me for the feelings I had before going on patrol for the first time — a mix of excitement and nerves rolled into one.

“Experience is everything. This is not a job you can take lightly. It takes huge concentration, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Completing the tasks and going home safely at the end of the day knowing that you helped save lives is what it’s all about.”

He is now looking forward to coming home to visit his parents, Frank and Elizabeth, girlfriend Carla and his brothers Jimmy and Frankie, both of whom are also in the Royal Engineers.

Brigadier James Cowan, commander of Task Force Helmand said, “The men and women of the counter-IED force are an extraordinary group of people.

“Selflessly committed to their dangerous work and utterly professional, there isn’t a soldier in Task Force Helmand who doesn’t hold them in the utmost respect for what they do and the way they do it.

“I am deeply proud to have them serving as part of my brigade, saving military and civilian lives day in and day out. They are some of the true heroes of this campaign.”