Armed Forces to end military operations in Northern Ireland

The Armed Forces are to end their longest running military operation, Op BANNER, in Northern Ireland on 31 July 2007.

Signs belonging to units that have served in Bessbrook Mill have now been removed for storage

From 1 August 2007, the Northern Ireland garrison will contain just 5,000 troops who are trained and ready for deployment worldwide.
Then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain MP, announced a normalisation programme on 1 August 2005 signalling that the security situation had improved. Widespread, routine military support to the police in Northern Ireland would no longer be needed and military presence there has been consistently reduced.
Today, Wednesday 25 July 2007, the Armed Forces Minister, Bob Ainsworth, made the following written statement to the House of Commons:
"Next week, on 31 July, Operation BANNER will come to an end, the three Services (Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy) having delivered continuous support to the police and civil authorities in Northern Ireland for 38 years. It will have been the longest continuous deployment of UK Armed Forces in their history.
"As we move into a new era with fewer than 5,000 troops resident in Northern Ireland, trained and available for deployment worldwide, the military will retain some limited but specific responsibilities with the capability to deploy in situations of extreme public disorder in support of the PSNI under a new operation to be known as Operation HELVETIC. Read It Here

(RG) No prizes for guessing where they will be sent.


© Mack (RG) The thoughts of a Falklands War Veteran.