A parade at Colchester’s Merville Barracks formally marked the end of 16 Air Assault Brigade’s involvement in Afghanistan and honoured the memory of the 58 soldiers killed while under the brigade’s command. Paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade provided security in Kabul in 2002 after the overthrow of the Taliban and led the first major deployment into Helmand Province in 2006. Its Apache attack helicopters were deployed from 2006 until British combat operations ended in late 2014. Some 1,000 soldiers from all of the units that deployed with 16 Air Assault Brigade, plus civilian support staff, were on parade for a short but solemn service that including the reading of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives. Music was provided by The Band of the Parachute Regiment. Captain Joe Scrivener, of 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, deployed on the Brigade’s three HERRICK tours. “It is very important to gather like this to formally bring our involvement in Afghanistan to a close and it was a very poignant service,” he said. “I knew many of those killed, some as close friends, and to hear their names read out was extremely moving.” Read the full story: bit.ly/17YnuOr
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 11:38:19 +0000
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