The Royal Rifle Volunteers

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The Royal Rifle Volunteers is a regiment of the British Territorial Army.

[edit] History

The Regiment was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of elements of the 6th/7th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets due to the reforms of the Territorial Army implemented due to the Strategic Defence Review. It is the infantry component of 145 (Home Counties) Brigade. Its HQ is based at Reading, Berkshire and comprises 3 companies:

• HQ (Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire) Company, which includes an Assault Pioneer Platoon in Berkshire and a rifle platoon in Swindon

• A (Royal Green Jackets) Company in Oxfordshire, comprising Anti-Tank Platoon and a rifle platoon

• E (Royal Green Jackets) Company in Buckinghamshire, comprising a Mortar Platoon and an Infantry platoon

• The Regiment's C (Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment) Company, which covers Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has been transferred to the operational command of 3rd Battalion The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment pending the formation of The 7th Rifles in 2007.

In 2002 the Royal Rifle Volunteers took part in a major NATO "Partnership for Peace" exercise in the Ukraine codenamed Exercise COSSACK EXPRESS. In 2003 the Royal Rifle Volunteers took part in a major NATO exercise in the Eastern European country of Lithuania codenamed Exercise AMBER HOPE. A formed platoon was also deployed to Afghanistan as part of Op FINGAL. Some soldiers from E (RGJ) Coy also deployed to Bize, Albania in support of the Royal Welsh Regiment's "Partnership for Peace" exercise codenamed ALBANIAN EXPRESS. In 2005 a formed company (Roebuck company) from the RRV, along with a platoon attachment from the 3rd Battalion Pricess of Wales's Royal Regiment was dispatched to Iraq which was part of the Multi-National Division (South East) as part of Op TELIC.

On 24th November 2005, the MOD announced that the Royal Rifle Volunteers (minus the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment company) will be amalgamated along with other regiments into a new large regiment to be called The Rifles by 2007 where it will become the 7th Battalion, The Rifles. This will reunite the regiment with the Royal Green Jackets and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.

The Regiment is currently under the command of Lt. Col Damian Griffin, TD, RGJ who is a Terratorial Army soldier.