Wonderful Homecoming PHOTOs
Posted on 06/04/2007 8:34:42 PM PDT by SandRat
Six hundred soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment have returned home from a tough and challenging operational tour of duty in Iraq.
The 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (2 LANCS) were at the forefront of the fight against militia forces. They arrested and detained a record number of rogue militia, making southern Iraq a safer place.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Kenyon, 2 LANCS' Commanding Officer, said:
"I am immensely proud of every man and woman in this Battalion who have not only endured one of the toughest deployments to Iraq since the war but have succeeded in mounting an unprecedented number of successful operations against a formidable enemy."
During their deployment 2 LANCS have seen significant strategic changes in Iraq. These have included the handover of many bases in Basra City back to the Iraqi authorities, the transition to Iraqi control of Maysaan Province and the setting of conditions for Provincial Iraqi Control in Basrah Province.
Throughout the seven-month deployment, as part of 19 Light Brigade, 2 LANCS were responsible for providing security for the region, so that local political processes, reconstruction and the training of the Iraqi Security Forces could progress. As a result of the Battalion’s efforts to improve the security situation, conditions improved so that British bases were able to be returned to the Iraqi Authorities.
Captain Phil Calderbank, aged 26, from Didsbury, said:
"There is definitely a real sense of achievement felt by this battalion about the tour. We were working a lot with the Iraqi Army, who more and more started to come out on patrols with us."
Part of the 2 LANCS soldiers' mission involved carrying out "strike operations" – the arrest and detention of known rogue militia and criminals who are attempting to undermine the Iraqi Security Forces.
2 LANCS were particularly successful in this, achieving the record number of successful "strikes" since Operation TELIC began. The Battalion struck more than 100 buildings across the south of Iraq and detained 79 key suspects, focusing in particular on the leadership of these groups.
Additionally, 2 LANCS removed more than 200 weapons from the streets, a significant number of ready-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and large amounts of bomb-making equipment.
Whilst the men of 2 LANCS have seen many improvements in southern Iraq since they arrived, they operated against a background of attacks specifically targeted against coalition forces. The 600 Officers and Kingsmen of 2 LANCS, equipped with Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles, therefore learned to expect the unexpected on every mission they made. As they conducted "strike operations" in Basra City they were attacked by gunfire, Rocket Propelled Grenades and roadside bombs, often as a result of the successes they had in detaining their targets.
Throughout their tour 2 LANCS also acted in support of the Iraqi Security Forces as they have increasingly taken responsibility for the security and policing of Basra. Notably, days before 2 LANCS completed their tour they supported the Iraqi Army’s Special Operations Forces (ISOF) on a significant arrest operation.
The operation involved 2 LANCS locating a top-level leader of the rogue militia in Basra who was known to be responsible for the intimidation of local Iraqis and attacks on British forces. This individual was known to change his location frequently in an attempt to prevent coalition forces tracking and arresting him.
2 LANCS tracked the vehicle the rogue militia leader was travelling in before conducting a series of blocking manoeuvres which forced him to drive into a pre-chosen area of the city. There, 2 LANCS cordoned off the area which allowed the ISOF to move in and attempt to arrest the rogue militia leader. However, as he resisted arrest and fired shots at the ISOF they returned fire and killed him.
Throughout each operation, the 2 LANCS soldiers were supported by Challenger 2 tanks from EGYPT Squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and Snatch Landrovers.
Lance Corporal Steven Booth, 25, from Bury, said:
"I think we’ve achieved a lot over this last seven months. It’s a different environment to when we were there last time."
When not using their Warriors, the Kingsmen of 2 LANCS showed their flexibility and military skills, deploying by day or night on foot, by boat and by helicopter across the whole of the British area of operations.
The Officers and Kingsmen of 2 LANCS are particularly grateful for the unswerving support of friends and family during their long seven-month tour of duty. Justifiably proud of all of their achievements in improving southern Iraq, 2 LANCS will remember their colleagues, eight in total, who were killed in action between November 2006 and April 2007. A number of other soldiers were also injured and are now recovering in the UK.
FR WAR NEWS!BUMP
Welcome home,and Thank You.
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