THE death of two servicemen in a week, including a member of 1 Rifles, the former Devon and Dorsets, shows how the war in Afghanistan is far from over.

The mother of a Dorset soldier serving with 1 Rifles has been keeping a diary as the unit spends six months in Helmand Province over the summer.

She has been updating the Echo, and here she reflects on girlfriends, saying goodbye – and on hearing that members of battalion have died...

My teenage daughter is strewn across the back seat of the car – crying inconsolably, texting every friend possible to build her team of support around her.

I’m choking back the tears silently praying I have the strength to get through another tour.

My husband keeps that stiff upper lip with a firm handshake – goodbye son, head down, take care, reciting the regiment’s motto.

As we start to drive away, reality kicks in as my son shouts “parcels – don’t forget, noodles, washing powder – get on it mother!”

Back home, life has to continue. I have to try and stay completely positive and focused. This will not be easy. I know there will be dark days ahead.

Being a mother of a serving soldier has definitely changed me.

When I hear people complain about the weather, or having to queue for more than a few minutes, sometimes I think – if only you knew what some people in the world are doing today to keep you safe tonight.

On my son’s last tour, I received a few calls from him to say that close friends had been killed in action. How do you try and console them? What can you say?

You feel so helpless. All you can do is tell them to try and push it to the back of their mind, they have a job to do, and they have to try and not get killed themselves.

They do their grieving when they come home.

Every time I hear of another soldier that has been killed in action my heart just sinks knowing a family has just received the worst news possible.

I rush to check the news and which regiment he is serving with – hoping selfishly it is not my son’s.

Luckily I have received regular phone calls so far and it is nice to hear his voice.

We seem to talk more about his new relationship than anything else.

He has a big fear that his girlfriend will finish with him before the tour ends, as this is all new to her. Many young girls find the time spent apart too much to deal with. I think a lot of soldiers find it hard to hold onto relationships whilst serving away.

But if this is the only fear my son has... I quickly remind him of where he is and what he is doing.