Location of GJ and RGJ Battalions

Characteristics of The Rifles Regiment

‘To all those who step forward with The Rifles’

The Rifles has a long, proud and honourable history. We were built to reflect the British Army’s core values of courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. But our characteristics are unique to our Regiment and define our fighting spirit. They are inspired by the example of General Sir John Moore, who formed the Corps of Light Infantry two centuries ago. We still live by these characteristics today. WE ARE ALL RIFLEMEN Riflemen have always been encouraged to think quickly, acting on their own initiative through service and in battle to seize those fleeting opportunities on which success or failure so often depend. This means we trust and respect each other completely, building confidence and humility. Everyone who serves in The Rifles is a Rifleman, regardless of rank, background or gender. It a point of pride to say: ‘I am a Rifleman.’ WE ARE ONE FAMILY Our Regiment is built on 5 Pillars: Regulars, Reserves, Cadets, Associations and the Communities where we live and serve. This is our Regimental family. Each pillar needs the others, and they support Riflemen through the whole of their lives.

WE ARE CONNECTED The Rifles is a national Regiment, drawn from every corner of the United Kingdom and beyond. But we never forget the towns, cities and counties that built us. These communities support and nurture us and we represent them in return. WE ARE INNOVATORS The Rifles is a forward-looking Regiment that thinks and acts differently. Our ethos and training lead us to welcome new ideas, wherever they may come from. We are not afraid of change: We thrive on it. This means we are always ready and willing to meet the challenges of an unpredictable world. WE ARE SKILLED Joining The Rifles means serving with some of the finest soldiers in the world. Our battle-worthiness, marksmanship and field-craft are second to none. We strive for excellence in everything we do.

WE UNLEASH POTENTIAL Leadership in The Rifles is about creating opportunities and unleashing potential. Our commanders lead by serving: they must know their Riflemen, put them first and help them to become the best they can be. By joining The Rifles, we become part of one of the greatest stories in the British Army and add to its chapters.

WE ARE SWIFT AND BOLD Our motto dates back to the 1750s, when the alertness and courage of the soldiers so impressed British general James Wolfe that he captured their conduct in the motto, Celer et Audax: in English, Swift and Bold. It is a perfect description of The Rifles then and now: quick in our thinking and actions, brave and confident in every challenge.

WE ARE SWIFT AND BOLD WE ARE THE RIFLES

From: General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen, Colonel Commandant

Regimental Headquarters The Rifles Peninsula Barracks Romsey Road WINCHESTER Hampshire SO23 8TS

01962 828527 admin@the-rifles.co.uk

26th March 2021

Riflemen,

Many of you will have followed the announcement of the Government’s Integrated Review and the Defence Command Plan, that details the MOD’s part in it, and will now be wondering what this means for The Rifles. In my messages to you at Christmas and in The Bugle, I asked you to ensure that you were ready to embrace the changes that lay ahead; I am pleased to say the outcome for the Rifles is a positive one.

Your hard work and dedication since the formation of the Regiment in 2007 has proved the worth of large regiments. New threats and adversaries mean that we must now adapt to face these threats and the Future Soldier programme sets the path for the Army to do so.

The detail of which unit will be in which role is yet to come; but new roles, platforms, career paths and opportunities will be open to our regiment. We will be in an almost unique position, where one capbadge can offer opportunity in the full suite of new roles.

There will of course be change within the Regiment, not least as The 4th Battalion leads the way in the creation of the Ranger Regiment, but we must be true to our regimental ethos as innovators; embrace the change and seek advantage in it.

My visits to the Battalions were highlights of 2020 and I look forward to visiting as many of you as I can in the coming months.

Swift and Bold.

From: Major General RTH Jones CBE

Assistant Colonel Commandant (Home Command) c/o Standing Joint Force Commander Standing Joint Force Headquarters, Northwood Headquarters, Sandy Lane, Middlesex, HA6 3HP

Telephone: 01923 958600 Military: 9360 58600 Mobile: 07879 665640 Email: rupert.jones114@mod.gov.uk

19 January 2021

Dear Fellow Riflemen,

As we approach the 14th anniversary of our formation on 1 February 2007, I write to you in your important capacity within The Rifles Association, Cadet or Community pillars. As you know, we in The Rifles cherish our strong bond to the local communities that sustain the Regiment and are proud to support the regions from which we come.

We never take this privileged relationship for granted and we know that we must continually nourish and invest in it. In this vein, we have prepared a series of County and City Brochures that capture a snapshot of the historical and contemporary connections between ‘our’ communities and ‘their’ local Infantry regiment. I hope you will find this helpful and that it inspires you about the fantastic things the Riflemen achieve in our name. This letter is for you, but please share the brochure widely with others who may be interested; the series of brochures can be found on our Association website.1

As you will know, in 2019 the Government initiated an Integrated Review of the UK’s security and defence approach, recognising that the security environment is significantly different to that envisaged by the 2015 SDSR. The outcome of the review is expected to be announced in the next couple of months setting the path to a major modernisation of Defence. This is an exciting once in a generation opportunity to ensure that the Armed Forces adapt for the challenges of the future. It is probable that the impact on the Army, as with the other Services, will be significant, including for the Infantry which will adapt to meet changing imperatives. We expect to see an increased role for the Army Reserve, greater specialisation, and an increase in the forward deployment of units overseas. We should also not rule out changes that lead to debates around the size and structure of regiments.

Innovation is central to The Rifles ethos and we will embrace the opportunities stemming from these changes. We must speak with a clear voice about the positive contribution and advantages we offer. As you will see from the brochures, our achievements since formation are hard to match, both on operations around the world and back at home. As a national regiment with deep roots into our local communities, we bring precisely the efficiencies of scale, strong recruiting, adaptability and excellence that will be vital in the future. It is particularly important that our deep historic connections to our counties and cities is felt.

1 www.theriflesnetwork.co.uk/page/local-ties I hope these brochures will help explain what we offer and allow you to participate in local debate. We have a compelling brand that is the envy of many. We consistently deliver:

• Regular battalions at full strength without reliance on reinforcement from other cap badges or an over-reliance on Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers that some others depend upon.

• Best practice integration between our Regular and Reserve battalions, recently demonstrated by being the first Regiment to deliver fully Reserve units on operations.

• Top quality ‘Riflemen’ – a historic title that we cherish and whose number now proudly include a comparatively strong number of women.

• Best practice support to our affiliated cadets with about 20% of all Army cadets affiliated to The Rifles; a powerful reflection of our connection to the regions.

• Strong, deep rooted and cherished links through our famous antecedent and forming regiments to 20 counties and cities stretching from Durham to Cornwall.

We are incredibly proud and humbled by the achievements of The Rifles. Its success is borne on its original design to be a modern regiment, structured to adapt to changing requirements, and thriving on the strength between its five pillars: Regulars, Reserves, Cadets, Associations and Communities.

I know that you share this pride in your local Regiment and hope that these brochures will help you tell our story. It is a compelling story, devoid of sentimental anecdote, and wedded in achievement and potential. We need your support now and always to help explain locally why The Rifles model is so strong and perfectly suited to adapt to the challenges of the future, and to remind local communities of the deep roots, current and historic through the forming and antecedent regiments that we share – we are ‘their’ Regiment and we fight for them.

I thank you and your community for your continued support.