A SOLDIER from Cwmbran has joined squaddies from all over the world in a massive military exercise in Turkey.

Exercise Efes, led by the Turkish military, is one of the biggest multinational exercises of its kind to ever have been held.

Soldiers from all over the world including the US, Germany, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined together in weeks of manoeuvres featuring land, sea and air.

They were joined by more than 100 soldiers from D Company 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, who formed part of the Turkish land forces during the mock attacks.

As part of the training exercise, the Welsh soldiers were dropped in by helicopter and used tanks and armoured personnel carriers to attack and clear enemy fighters.

Elsewhere helicopters carried out night-time raids and de-mining vehicles set off controlled explosions.

Fusilier Lewis Stevens, 21, a former Croesyceiliog School pupil, from Thornhill, Cwmbran, took part in the exercise.

He joined the Army in 2013 and has completed overseas training exercises in Poland, France and Germany, but nothing on this scale.

He said: "It's an exciting opportunity to be part of. This is a new experience for us and to be involved in aviation assaults is not what we're normally used to.

“Your family do worry about you when you're away but this is what we train for and go over our core skills.

"This is something which is unprecedented and for our company to be involved in great.

“It's a full on sea, air and land attack and you get an understanding of how other armies work. There are thousands of troops taking part and it's something you can really learn from."

Major Ross MacLachlan, 39, the officer commanding the 110 soldiers of D Company, 1st Royal Welsh, said: “This is a significant opportunity to enhance cooperation and understanding and build upon our interoperable learning with coalition forces. It’s about communicating and manoeuvring together.

“We've been able to develop our low-level skills and ensure our junior soldiers get used to dealing with austere environments.

“There are a lot of soldiers in the company who are fairly new and this will be their first overseas deployment, having to look after themselves and their colleagues.

“This is what they join the army for - to get overseas and challenge themselves over varying landscapes and terrain."