3 Commando Brigade to replace 16 Air Assault in Afghanistan

[Anth]

3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines will replace 16 Air Assault Brigade in October 2008 as the lead formation of UK forces in Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Des Browne confirmed today, Tuesday 8 July 2008.


Engineers from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, exit the rear of a Chinook helicopter during a training exercise (stock image)
[Picture: MOD]

3 Commando Brigade will command the majority of the units serving in Afghanistan. Their deployment is expected to last until April 2009.

The new force elements deploying under the command of 3 Commando Brigade will be either direct replacements for capabilities already in place in Afghanistan or comprise elements of the force level increases that were announced on 16 June 2008.
Volunteer and Regular members of the Reserve Forces will continue to deploy to Afghanistan as part of the integrated force package, and we expect to have eventually issued in the order of 620 call-out notices to fill around 560 posts.

On completion of their mobilisation procedures, the Reservists will undertake a period of training and, where applicable, integration with their respective receiving units. The majority will serve on operations for six or so months, although some may have shorter deployments. As part of this commitment, we expect up to 25 members of the Sponsored Reserves to be in Theatre at any one time.

The new force elements deploying in October 2008 include:

• 3 Commando Brigade Headquarters, Royal Marines
• Elements of the Naval Strike Wing
• Elements of 845 Naval Air Squadron
• Elements of 846 Naval Air Squadron
• Elements of 847 Naval Air Squadron
• 42 Commando Royal Marines
• 45 Commando Royal Marines
• United Kingdom Landing Force Command and Support Group
• Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines
• 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
• 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
• 24 Commando Engineer Regiment
• 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles
• 1st Battalion The Rifles
• 3 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• 114th Provost Company Royal Military Police
• Elements of The Queen's Royal Lancers
• Elements of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 16th Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 26th Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 47th Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 39th Regiment Royal Artillery
• Elements of 32 Engineer Regiment
• Elements of 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
• Elements of 35 Engineer Regiment
• Elements of 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group
• Elements of 10th Signal Regiment
• Elements of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support)
• Elements of 22nd Signal Regiment
• Elements of 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
• Elements of 7 Transport Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps
• Headquarters, 104 Logistic Brigade
• Elements of 9 Supply Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 11 Explosive Ordnance Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 17 Port and Maritime Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 24 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps
• Elements of 101 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• Elements of 103 Military Working Dog Support Unit
• Elements of 1 Military Intelligence Brigade
• Elements of 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
• Elements of 6th Battalion The Rifles
• Elements to man 904 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force
• 4 Force Protection Wing Headquarters, Royal Air Force
• 1 Regiment Field Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 4 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 39 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 70 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements to man the Tactical Supply Wing
• Elements to man the Joint Helicopter Support Unit
• Elements of 1 Air Movements Wing, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 85 (Expeditionary Logistic) Wing Headquarters, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 1 Air Control Centre, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 90 Signals Unit, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 2 Motor Transport Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of 5001 Squadron, Royal Air Force
• Elements of Mobile Catering Support Unit
• Elements of Tactical Medical Wing
• Elements of Tactical Armament Squadron
• Elements of Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing
• Elements of Joint Medical Command

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