Tuesday is market day in Camp Bastion and you can buy everything from plastic encased scorpion key rings, Afghan flags to the ‘Sex and the City’ DVD box set.

It is a hive of activity with soldiers from all over the massive base making the trip across to pick up some goodies.

The ‘jingly’ market, as it is known by the military, is set up beside the NAAFI — Bastion One’s only coffee shop — a little oasis in the desert. Outside there are picnic tables where soldiers gather to chat about everything apart from the war.

There’s a Pizza Hut trailer but it doesn’t open until August.

“It’s good for the boys — to give them something else to do and it’s also good for the local Afghan community. It’s showing that we are putting money back into the community,” Sergeant Major Denis McKee said.

For the TA soldiers from Northern Ireland, however, market day means the busiest day of the week. With anything between 11 and 12 vehicles arriving on a Tuesday plus 15 to 35 trucks — they are stretched to the limit.

Sgt Tommy Matier (45) from the Shankill Road in Belfast said: “It’s a security headache on a Tuesday. We’re constantly on the look-out for suicide bombers. Even though we might know the guy and talk a lot to him we still have procedure of searches. But these guys are just like ourselves — they‘re just out to earn a living.

“Recently our ration trucks have been hit by the Taliban and there was a suicide bomber right outside the gate into the base on May 31 — so we have to be careful.”

Getting in to the vast camp is no mean feat. Truck drivers — whether they are bringing fuel, rations or goods to sell at the market have to remain at the ‘soak bay’ for a period of time while TA troops carry out finger tip searches. Sniffer dogs are then brought in to carry out further checks and finally — just before they are allowed entry — any drivers and passengers are searched.

Armed troops spend anything up to 24 hours in Sangers overlooking the entrance while other troops carry out searches.

When we arrived the drivers were gathered in a make-shift camouflage waiting area — out of the shade. One, affectionately known as ‘smiler’ joked with the guards about how he had a ‘very good rug’ for him today.

Another of the Afghan suppliers, whom the TA troops have nicknamed ‘Albert’ jokes with the soldiers about bringing in whiskey and vodka into the dry camp.

Major Mark Hudson, a sports officer with the University of Ulster lead the TA in Afghanistan said: “They are taking a big risk working here. Only last week a local, who works as one of our interpreters was beheaded by the Taliban after being identified working for the ISAF security forces.

“Financially they are much better off. For example, an electrician could be doing a labourer’s job in here (Camp Bastion) and be earning four times as much as he would have normally. But with that comes the risk. Just as in Northern Ireland when people who worked for the security forces were targeted.”