History
Following the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and subsequent Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the British Army of the Rhine, and I (British) Corps were disbanded in 1994. Later that year, at Joint Headquarters Rheindahlen, the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps was formed as a static multinational three-star command. As part of this new corps, two new units were formed to be directly subordinated; 280 (United Kingdom) Signal Squadron and the HeadquartersAllied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion. This new unit was formed through the redesignation of the old 1st British Corps Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport, itself formed through the amalgamation of 14 Transport Troop, and 170 Pioneer Headquarters Squadron. After formation, the new battalion was based at Ripon Barracks, Bielefeld, however the next year it moved to Ripon Lines, in Rheindahlen. In 1994, 14 Squadron absorbed 68 Squadron. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In 1995, the battalion was renamed as the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion. And then sometime after 1995, the battalion was assigned to 1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade; the United Kingdom's only star command assigned to the ARRC directly. [1] [2] [5] [6] [8] In 2010, as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, and subsequent Army 2020 announcement, all British troops were to withdraw from Germany by 2020. Therefore, in October 2010 the battalion along with HQ ARRC, moved to their current base at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth.
In 2015, after another defence and security review, called the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, and subsequent Army 2020 Refine, the ARRC is due to be expanded. As part of these changes, the battalion will become a full Gurkha unit. The battalion's current role is to provide enabling and force protection support to the ARRC NATO Warfighting HQ on all operations. The Battalion is currently at very high readiness, ready to deploy, build and sustain the ARRC HQ anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. [1] [5] [9]
The battalion is equipped in a similar way to the mechanised infantry units of the army and close support units, armed with the Mastiff PPV and the 15 Tonne MAN truck system. [1]
In August 2021, the battalion added the subtitle 'Gurkha'. Though the battalion has had Gurkhas for many years, it is now officially been subsumed into the Brigade of Gurkhas. [10]
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. The brigade, which was 4,010 strong as of 1 April 2021, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that served for the East India Company. The brigade includes infantry, engineering, signal, logistic and training and support units. They are known for their khukuri, a distinctive heavy knife with a curved blade, and have a reputation for being fierce and brave soldiers.
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications and information systems essential to all operations. Royal Signals units provide the full telecommunications infrastructure for the Army wherever they operate in the world. The Corps has its own engineers, logistics experts and systems operators to run radio and area networks in the field. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communications.
The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization High Readiness Force (Land) Headquarters ready for deployment worldwide.
Imjin Barracks is a military installation situated near Innsworth in Gloucestershire that is home to NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).
16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the British Army focused on delivering air assault operations.
JHQRheindahlen was a military base in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany active from 1954 to 2013. It functioned as the main headquarters for British forces in Germany and for the NATO Northern Army Group. Latterly it was also known as the Rheindahlen Military Complex, part of Rheindahlen Garrison. It was named after the local village of Rheindahlen, part of the city borough of Mönchengladbach.
The 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade is a brigade of the British Army which is intended to train and assist foreign forces. In 2021, under the Future Army changes, the brigade was redesignated, formerly being the 11th Infantry Brigade & HQ South East. Prior to the Army 2020 changes in 2013, the brigade was temporarily activated for deployment to Afghanistan, and before that engaged during the two World Wars.
34 (Northern) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment formed part of 12 Signal Group, providing command and control communication for NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). As a result of the Strategic Review of Reserves it was announced on 28 April 2009 that the regiment was to be disbanded The regiment consisted of three squadrons plus the band:
This is the Operation Herrick ground order of battle, which lists any British ground forces that have taken part in the duration of Operation Herrick between 2002 and 2014.
RAF Innsworth was a non flying Royal Air Force station, located on the north side of the city of Gloucester in England. The station closed in March 2008 and for the last 13 years of its life it was the headquarters of Personnel and Training Command. The site was transferred to the British Army and renamed Imjin Barracks becoming the home of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) in 2010.
Land Command was a military command and part of the structure of the British Army from 1995 to 2008. Its headquarters was at Erskine Barracks, at Fugglestone St Peter, some four kilometres northwest of Salisbury in Wiltshire.
The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, also known as 10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment or 10 QOGLR, is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps.
The Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) was a NATO military formation comprising five Army Corps from five NATO member nations. During the Cold War NORTHAG was NATO's forward defence in the Northern half of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The Southern half of the Federal Republic of Germany was to be defended by the four Army Corps of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG). During wartime NORTHAG would command four frontline corps and one reserve corps. Air support was provided by Second Allied Tactical Air Force.
The 1st Signal Brigade, formerly known as the 1st Signal Group, is a brigade of the British Army. The group was first formed in 1968 as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper which expanded support for NATO and the British Army of the Rhine. In 1987 the group was disbanded and merged into the 2nd Signal Brigade. In 1995 the brigade was reformed and has since deployed on operations across the globe in support of NATO and HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
The structure of the British Army of the United Kingdom (UK) will be reorganised in 2022 with the Future Soldier reform. The British Army is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), with Army Headquarters which is located in Andover, Hampshire. Subordinate to that post, there is a Commander Field Army, and a personnel and UK operations command, Home Command.
The following is a hierarchical outline for the structure of the British Army in 1989. The most authoritative source for this type of information available is Ministry of Defence, Master Order of Battle, and United Kingdom Land Forces, HQ UKLF, UKLF ORBAT Review Action Plan, HQ UKLF, 1990.
The 7th Signals Regiment was a regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Army. The unit and its predecessors supported 1st (British) Corps from 1911 until the end of the Cold War. Afterwards the regiment supported the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps until its disbandment in 2012.
3rd (UK) Division Signal Regiment is a regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Army. The regiment is based at Bulford.
The 4th Signal Group was a group sized unit of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Army that supported the British Army of the Rhine. The group's main job was to supervise all of the static communications used by the British Forces in Germany. It supported the British Army of the Rhine and 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force for just under 30 years.
Future Soldier is a reform of the British Army resulting from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021. The aim of the reform is to create a more lethal, agile and expeditionary force, able to fight and win wars and to operate in the grey-zone between peace and war. Future Soldier was published on 25 November 2021 and deals with the organizational changes of the British Army, with changes to personnel and equipment were set out in the Defence in a Competitive Age paper published on 22 March 2021.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 
British Army