The Prime Minister has arrived in Afghanistan in a bid to boost morale on the frontline.
But with the armed forces facing cuts of around a fifth and personnel being drafted in to plug gaps in Olympic security, it is a difficult period for the military.
David Cameron visited troops at Camp Bastion, before travelling to Lashkah ghar where he met members of 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment in the outpost of Shawqat, Nad-e-Ali, in Southern Afghanistan.
The Battalion’s Corporal Alex Guy, 37, was killed in June while leading his section to assist a group of Afghan soldiers pinned down by enemy fire.
The Prime Minister said he is "absolutely full of support" for the armed forces, adding: "We do ask them to do a lot on our behalf."
But he defended cuts to the defence budget which will lead to 20,000 job losses, saying: "It is in everyone’s interests to have a defence budget that really adds up and we do now, and that’s why we can invest in pieces of kit like the Foxhound.
"Yes, there are difficult decisions but what really matters is we have a defence budget that makes sense."
A total of 422 British personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began in 2001.
In his first visit to the region for a year, Mr Cameron was shown the new Foxhound vehicles which are currently undergoing testing in Afghanistan.
Small and lightweight, they have a V-shaped bottom to protect against Improvised Explosive Devices and roadside bombs.
The visit comes as 3,500 additional military personnel have been drafted in to help with Olympic security after the private company G4S failed to provide the staff it promised.
The head of the security firm said he was "very sorry" for what had happened, and assured that the police and military would be reimbursed for providing personnel to plug the shortfall.
But the Prime Minister refused to guarantee that no more troops will be drafted in to help with security at the Games, saying: "We have to be ready for all contingencies.
"I salute and applaud what the military has done. If there are further steps we have to take, of course we will take them. Be in no doubt - whatever it takes to provide a safe and secure Olympic Games we will do."
