No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment | |
---|---|
Active | 1979 - present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Air Force Infantry |
Role | Force protection |
Garrison/HQ | RAF Waddington |
Motto(s) | "Freedom of the Skies and of the Land" |
No. 2503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Regiment reserve squadron based at RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, [1] fairly close to the city of Lincoln and RAF Cranwell. Gunners are recruited both from ex-regulars in the RAF Regiment and civilians in a 50 miles radius surrounding RAF Waddington. [2] The squadron is an infantry squadron in the dismounted close-combat force protection role. [3] The squadron consists of two Flights of RAF Regiment personnel and one Flight of RAF Police personnel.
The squadron was formed on 1 July 1979 at RAF Scampton [4] [5] to provide force protection to the Vulcans being maintained there at the time; in 1985, the squadron was moved to its current home to provide force sustainment for the regular RAF Regiment. [2] The squadron was deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War as part of Operation Telic, and gunners from the squadron have also been deployed to Germany, [6] [7] the Balkans, Kuwait and Afghanistan [8] as part of Operation Herrick. [3]
The squadron standard was presented on 6 December 2005, backdated to July of the previous year. [4]
In 2015, the squadron was tasked with assisting on an archaeological dig, searching for a lost spitfire. [9]
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