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Background The deployed Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) in the British military field hospital in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, admits both adults and children. The purpose of this paper is to review the paediatric work-load in the deployed ITU and to describe how the unit copes with the challenge of looking after critically injured and ill children. Methods Retrospective review of patients <16 years of age admitted to the ITU in the British military field hos-pital in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, over a 1-year period from April 2011 to April 2012. Results 112/811 (14%) admissions to the ITU were paediatric (median age 8 years, IQR 6–12, range 1–16). 80/112 were trauma admissions, 13 were burns, fou