Page 20 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

The Army 2020 Re ne (A2020R) announcement in December 2016 determined that The Ri es would have a busy 10th Anniversary year and this proved to be the case in 2017. The adjustment to the new establishments across 1-5 RIFLES, formation of 8 RIFLES and changes to the 6 and 7 RIFLES structures all had to be achieved around a relent- lessly demanding programme. In the background, Regimental Headquarters has been subjected to another review, careers have had to be managed, recruiting has continued to be as important as ever and progress has been made on the Regiment’s priorities of shooting and bugling, as well as on the sports eld. In short: a really busy year with plenty of change.
The A2020R headlines for the Regiment’s Regular Battalions were the loss of 124 posts and the adjustment of liability to meet an unparalleled range of exciting new roles. 1 and 2 RIFLES remain in the Light Role (now called Light Infantry Role!) and have had their establishments increased by about 70 posts having been initially pared down too much following SDSR 15. 3 RIFLES has seen a switch to become one of just four Mechanised Infantry Battalions that will transition into a ‘Strike’ battalion, optimised for expeditionary, wheeled operations at distance with minimal logistic support. This meant an increase in establishment of about 130 posts and a conversion to Mastiff vehicles in 2017; and will result in the battalion moving from Edinburgh to Catterick from 2021.
Meanwhile 4 RIFLES has undergone the most profound adjustment as it assumed the new Specialised Infantry Battalion (Spec Inf Bn) role from April 2017. This change reduced the battalion’s establishment to just over 200 selected Ri emen (exclusive of other cap-badged support). The ORBAT is made up of a Bn HQ and reduced HQ Company (no Support Company), together with three Ri e Companies; each consisting of four Teams, commanded by a 2nd tour Platoon Commander, supported by a Colour Serjeant and 9 SNCO/ JNCOs (predominantly Support Weapon quali ed) optimised to deliver training and accompany overseas armies. There will eventually be four Spec Inf Bns across the Infantry, with 4 RIFLES and 1 SCOTS piloting the initiative this year – meaning that the rst 4 RIFLES company deploys on operations in its new role from October 2017. The Army’s intent is for these battalions to be aligned to geographic areas (4 RIFLES to the Middle East) so as to remain persistently engaged in upstream capacity building/ defence engagement and become experts in their role and designated area.
Creating this new role required over 300 Ri emen from 4 RIFLES to be assigned elsewhere in the Regiment, which was not a popular move but was achieved by wherever possible giving individuals their rst preference of a new battalion. Sustaining 4 RIFLES in this exciting role will be the critical issue
because the 4 RIFLES ORBAT will not allow all the Of cer and NCO posts to be lled from internally and so suitable Ri emen from across the Regiment will have to complete an assessment and conduct bespoke training before being deployed on opera- tions within the battle space that has traditionally existed between Special Forces and good Infantry battalions. Finally on the Regular Battalion front, 5 RIFLES had a very small uplift in its establishment and carried on comparatively unchanged into its deployment as the rst UK Battlegroup, heading up NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia.
One might conclude that such change has been the rst major manning test for The Ri es since the Regiment was formed in 2007. While there is still plenty of adjustment needed to bed the battalions and Ri emen into these new roles, I am con dent that the changes have demonstrated the forward looking and innovative attitude we take pride in and illustrated how remarkably well integrated the Regiment is - optimised to deliver military effec- tiveness without any let up in the operational tasks the battalions have concurrently been undertaking as explained in the separate battalion reports. Our experience as a Large Regiment, pioneering such change, should be of value to the other Infantry Divisions as they begin to operate in a more colle- giate way to sustain a similar spread of Infantry roles that will demand increased individual movement between regiments.
A2020R affected our Reserve too. Most signif- icantly, 8 RIFLES will form on 1 November 2017 and become the Regiment’s reserve battalion of the North and West Midlands. Bn HQ and HQ Company will be located in Bishop Auckland, with Ri e Companies in Durham (with Platoon in Sunderland), Pontefract (with Platoon in Doncaster) and Shrewsbury (with Platoon in Birmingham). 6 RIFLES realigned the Shrewsbury Company to 8 RIFLES, but retained the large Hereford Platoon by aligning it to the Gloucester Company. Finally, 7 RIFLES was directed to relinquish F Company to become a RIFLES company within The London Regiment, but will imminently move its Bn HQ from Reading to London and form a new Ri e Company in Wiltshire (Swindon and Bulford). In summary: plenty of opportunity to relish and exploit within the Regiment’s Reserve pillar.
Switching track and on the career front, 2017 saw a number of records being set. We now have six Late Entry Lieutenant Colonels serving in the Regiment. Those that know how dif cult it is to reach Lieutenant Colonel through the ranks from Ri eman will acknowledge this remarkable achievement. We had nine Warrant Of cers commissioned in 2017, with three of them selected in Army wide compe- tition as Command Serjeant Majors, illustrating just how highly they are regarded across their peer group. Promotions on the of cer and soldier fronts were as we would want them to be and
MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, 8 RIFLES WILL FORM ON 1 NOVEMBER 2017 AND BECOME THE REGIMENT’S RESERVE BATTALION OF THE NORTH AND WEST MIDLANDS
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