WILTSHIRE "terriers" are out in the Texas desert as guests of the US Army, taking part in night exercises with tanks.

About 150 members of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry will spend a fortnight with the 56th Brigade of the Texas Army National Guard on Exercise Gloworm, continuing an association that began when the Americans joined the Yeomanry at their regimental headquarters at Bovington Camp in Dorset earlier this year.

For the next two weeks, the TA soldiers will be involved in a wide range of training activities, crewing a variety of US Army armoured vehicles, including the formidable M1 Abraham main battle tank.

Lt Col Max Rothwell, CO of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, said: "The exchange gives the soldiers a chance to interact and learn from their peers and experience another way of life, as well as challenging all the skills which they have learnt through the Territorial Army."