Infantry Training Centre Catterick | |
---|---|
Active | 1995-Present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Training |
Role | Infantry Training |
Size | Three battalions |
Part of | Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command (ARITC) |
Garrison/HQ | Catterick |
The Infantry Training Centre (ITC) is a unit of the British Army, administered by HQ School of Infantry and responsible for the basic training and advanced training of soldiers and officers joining the infantry. The unit's headquarters are at Catterick, North Yorkshire.
ITC Catterick assumed overall responsibility for all infantry phase 2 training from the three Infantry Training Battalion sites at Catterick, Strensall and Ouston on 1 May 1995. [1] As of May 2002, the ITC assumed full control of all infantry phase 1 and 2 training for the Regular Army in a single Combat Infantryman's Course (CIC). The course was subsequently renamed the Combat Infantry Course (CIC) to reflect the inclusion of female recruits. [2]
Whereas initial training for other army roles is delivered in two stages - Phase 1 (basic training) and Phase 2 (trade-specific training) - the Combat Infantry Course combines both into a single course for Standard Entrants aged 17.5 years and above. (Junior Entrants enlisted from age 16 and destined for the infantry receive their Phase 1 basic training separately at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate before joining ITC for their Phase 2 training.)
The basic CIC lasts 26 weeks, in which the basics of infantry soldiering are taught: [3]
Both the Foot Guards and Parachute Regiment have extended versions of the CIC that last an additional two weeks. New recruits to the Foot Guards undertake an extended drill programme for regular public duties. [4] The Parachute Regiment course incorporates additional fitness work with Pegasus Company, including eight demanding assessments such as a 20-mile endurance march and milling, a gruelling test derived from boxing. [5] [6]
The course for new Gurkha recruits lasts for 37 weeks, incorporating the CIC course with English language training and cultural orientation for the United Kingdom. [7]
ITC Catterick is divided into three Battalions, of which two are Infantry Training Battalions (ITB) and one is a support Battalion (ITC).
The Infantry of the British Army, comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles, including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.
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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 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.
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The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is an airborne infantry regiment of the British Army. The first battalion is part of the Special Forces Support Group under the operational command of the Director Special Forces. The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Paras, along with the Guards, are the only line infantry regiment of the British Army that has not been amalgamated with another unit since the end of the Second World War.
Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and military town 3 miles (5 km) south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 13,000 in 2017 and covering over 2,400 acres. Under plans announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in November 2005, its population is expected to grow to over 25,000, making it the largest population centre in the local area.
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the United Kingdom nor a member of the Commonwealth.
The Parachute Regiment is an airborne and special forces regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised in 1945 as part of the British Indian Army but was disbanded after World War II and was re-raised in 1952 as part of the Indian Army. Currently it consists of fifteen Special Forces, two Territorial Army and one Rashtriya Rifles battalions.
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The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia that is dedicated to training infantrymen for service in the United States Army.
The 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, is an Army Reserve unit of the British Army and is based across the United Kingdom. Originally the Battalion covered the North of England, with its headquarters located in Pudsey, West Yorkshire. Following the Options for Change review in 1993, 4 PARA amalgamated with the 15th (Scottish) Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, which was downsized and became 15 (Scottish) Company of 4 PARA. As part of further changes in 1999, the Battalion also merged with the 10th (Volunteer) Battalion which then became 10 (London) Company.
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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.
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