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Tonga's government has agreed to deploy 275 soldiers to Afghanistan over the next two years.  They will help guard the British garrison of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.

An initial contingent of 55 marines will be deployed in November, the first of four six-month rotations of 55 troops Britain will command the troops and pay for the deployment

Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele said the deployment would help to ease unemployment in his nation of 104,000 people, and foster closer ties between Tonga and Britain.

Brigadier Tauaika 'Uta'atu, the Tongan defence services commander said, "This is an invitation from the British Army who saw our soldiers work in Iraq and then - Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote to our prime minister and asked for support.  This is something we think is an honour to be a part of."

'Uta'atu said the British government would pay $4 million to cover Tongan costs the first year, including uniforms, ammunition, accommodation, travel expenses and a daily stipend for each soldier in Afghanistan. The soldiers will receive six weeks training in Britain before deployment, likely starting in late September or October.

Tongan officers chose the location for the deployment from among four sites during a visit to Afghanistan in May, the brigadier said.

"It looks safer than Iraq," he said. "Our soldiers will not be doing street patrols where there have been a lot of deaths. We will be doing force protection, and security on the boundaries of a camp, which is in the desert."

The next step must be to stop foot patrols in Afghanistan.  When this happened in Iraq, the deaths stopped.