Troops try life in the firing line before Kosovo deployment

THE rotor blades whirred, the down-draught bending vegetation as the helicopter airlifted a wounded soldier to safety.

It could have been a scene from the iconic Vietnam film Platoon — except this wasn’t a Hollywood set, although the drama was deadly serious.

The helicopter swoop took place in woods at Kilworth Camp in North Cork yesterday as more than 220 troops took part in what will be a week of intensive training prior to leaving for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.