Enduring Freedom

A new anthology of poetry to commemorate the tenth anniversary of UK forces deployed in Afghanistan, in support of the Combat Stress charity With a foreword by His Grace, The Duke of Westminster, and an introduction by Sir Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. This year sees the tenth anniversary of UK forces deployed in Afghanistan, and many thousands of us have been affected by these events over the last decade and saddened by the casualties suffered by our forces serving there. Whilst our thoughts go out to those who have shown immense dignity in the face of great personal loss, we can be truly proud of the positive contribution that our servicemen and women are making, in conjunction with our allies. This new poetry anthology entitled Enduring Freedom takes the name from the UN authorised, NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission as part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom launched in 2001. Since operations began, over 80,000 personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The debt of gratitude owed to our young men and women, and to their predecessors, is indeed profound. The charity Combat Stress has seen an increase of over 70% in referrals since 2005. With our personnel involved in operations across the globe under immense strain, we have perhaps only reached the tip of the iceberg in cases relating to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In this year marking a decade in Afghanistan, this book aims to help increase awareness of these problems whilst raising vital funds for Combat Stress. GBP2 from the sale of every book will be donated to the charity. With poetry contributions from members of the public, historians, and service personnel, amongst others, anyone reading this anthology will be both moved and inspired.