An Army nursing officer from Brecon has helped to rebuild remote Nepalese communities after the devastating earthquake that hit the country in April 2015.

Major Lynda Ricketts has been in Nepal with 70 Gurkha Field Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment on Op MARMAT 2 - which means ’rebuild’ in Nepali.

Living in tents pitched in the foothills of the Himalayas, the troops have built schools, community centres and houses in the villages of serving Gurkhas, their families and veterans.

Maj Ricketts, 41, said: “It’s been very rewarding to come to Nepal and support the Gurkhas as they help rebuild their own country. I’ve been in the Army for 20 years and deployed on combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, so a humanitarian mission like this has been a different and interesting challenge.”

Maj Ricketts is a senior nursing officer with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps and is based in Sennelager with British Forces Germany Health Services.

The former Gwernyfed High School pupil said: “My role is to look after the overall health of the troops and provide medical treatment. We’re leaving in pretty austere conditions but the guys have been really robust and safety-conscious while they’re working, which has meant I’ve only had minor ailments to treat.”

70 Gurkha Field Squadron deployed to Nepal from October 2015 to February 2016, with colleagues from 69 Gurkha Field Squadron taking over.