It's not often you stumble across rocket launchers, Chinook helicopters and tanks on a stroll through the Welsh countryside.

But if any ramblers were out walking through the hills and valleys in the last 10 days they would have been in for a shock.

Over several square miles, 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines did their best to recreate life in Afghanistan's Helmand province, where they will soon be heading out to for a six-month tour to maintain security.

Although the rolling hills, lush green fields and free-roaming sheep would look out of place in Afghanistan, the Armed Forces treated it as if they were in a real “theatre of war”.

The heart of the site is a replica of the Afghani village Sangin, complete with a church, makeshift graveyard, market and lookout posts.

Members of 42 and 45 Commando along with Army soldiers and reservists carried out training exercises at the village, while gunners manned the perimeter fence with some heavy artillery.

They all slept in tents, ate rations and wore body armour, just as they would overseas.

The Commandos were regularly given practice missions from HQ and sent out on patrols for up to 12 hours. To keep them on their toes, Commandos they didn't know, along with some Afghani nationals, dressed up in traditional clothing and acted as civilians.

This helped teach the Marines, some of whom will not have been to Afghanistan before, how best to interact with what can be a very different culture.

Lieutenant Simon Williamson said: “What we're trying to do here is to recreate as much as we can of what's happening in theatre.

“We're using the advice of people over there at the moment to update our own drills and procedures.

“Commandos as an organisation are trained for all climates – cold weather and arctic, warm weather and the traditional aquatic capability.

“The challenges of Afghanistan are cultural, as obviously we don't speak the same language and communicate through translators.

“The suicide element is also quite new. We have had some experience in Ireland but they would never blow themselves up if they could help it.

“What's difficult is that they don't wear uniforms so a rifleman on the ground often has to make a quick decision about who the enemy forces are.”

One of the Marines going to Afghanistan for the first time this year is Bristol Royal Marine Reservist Pete Bird.

The 26 year old of Brislington, trained to be a commando in his spare time, while juggling his job as an engineer.

Although born in Guildford, he moved to the city to study and has made it his home. He said: “It took me eight months to get my 'green lid', while normally people do 32 weeks at Limpston.

“I joined while I was at Bristol University and passed out four years ago.

“The reason I joined was that it would give me all the adventures I want.

“It's taken me to Norway, France, Barbados and I also did the Edinburgh military tattoo for a summer.

“I was deployed in Iraq for three months and will be off to Afghanistan for the next six months.

“I'm quite excited, it will be a proper adventure.

“Iraq was more force protection, doing security on the base we were on, protecting convoys but no involvement with the locals.

“This time we're going to be knocking on doors, taking names, trying to create security rather than preserving what we've got.”

Lance Corporal Sean Keenan is one of the Army soldiers complementing the Marine forces.

Bristol born and bred, the member of E Company 1 Rifles has been with the armed forces since he was a teenager.

Now 24, Lance Corporal Keenan, of Yate, enlisted in 2000 straight out of school.

He said: “I left in 2005 then came back last year.

“I thought I'd try something different so I worked for a bathroom company but I found it quite mundane.

“I always wanted to be in the Army.

“I enjoy going on ops, just doing the job.

“Last year I was in Basra. That was pretty wild.”

In the last eight years Lance Corporal Keenan has served in Northern Ireland as well as Iraq, and this will be his second time in Afghanistan.

He is due to marry his fiancee Clare next month, but they're saving the honeymoon for when he comes home.