At present (Jul 03) there are 3443 Gurkhas in the British Army.  Breakdown of manpower is below:

 What is the role of the Gurkhas in the British Army? 

The role of the Brigade of Gurkhas is:

‘To serve as an integral part of the British Army whilst retaining its Nepalese identity and culture and adhering to the terms and conditions of Gurkha service’.   

Gurkhas are an integral part of the British Army.  They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of Engineers, Logisticians and Signals specialists.  Gurkhas are liable for operational service world-wide in exactly the same way as British soldiers although, under existing policy guidelines, they do not currently serve in Northern Ireland. Since WW2 operational successes include Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Hong Kong and Singapore.  More recently elements of the Brigade have taken part in deployments to the Falklands, the Gulf, the NATO mission in Kosovo and operations in East Timor, both in 1999.  Most recently Gurkhas have taken part in operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.  It is a tribute to the professional skills and reputation of the Gurkha soldier that three key training establishments, the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, the Infantry Battle School at Brecon, and the Jungle Warfare Wing in Brunei all use Gurkha soldiers for demonstration purposes on their flagship courses.

The Brigade of Gurkhas is based in the UK.  The main locations are shown below:

Gurkhas also serve throughout the world.  Principle permanent deployments outside the UK as at Jul 03 are shown below:

Gurkhas can and do serve in Nepal to provide the administrative infrastructure for the key functions of British Gurkhas Nepal (recruiting, resettlement, pension paying and welfare):

The following wire-diagram shows the current organisation of the Brigade of Gurkhas:

Gurkha Reinforcement Companies (GRCs)

In the past the Brigade has provided 3 Gurkha Reinforcement Companies (GRCs) to alleviate undermanning within the Infantry.  The Royal Gurkha Rifles currently provide one GRC.  This company is assigned to 1 HLDRS.  The Gurkha manpower released by the drawdown of this GRC will be reabsorbed into the Royal Gurkha Rifles.  The existence of GRCs has allowed the Brigade of Gurkhas to be engaged with the wider Infantry, has promoted a better understanding of Gurkhas in the wider Army and has provided opportunities to explore new roles.  

Recruiting

Gurkha recruiting takes place once a year in Nepal.  The British Army maintains a skeleton recruiting structure based on the British Gurkha Camp at Pokhara, in the West of Nepal.  In a process that begins in September each year, local recruiters, known as Galla Wallahs, recruit a specified number of young men from their respective areas in the hills of both west and east Nepal.  The pool of young hopefuls is further reduced at a second stage in the process.  Here, senior retired Gurkha officers select a final tranche of potential recruits at a number of hill selection sites.  These individuals then move down to Pokhara where a stringent and demanding final selection process is conducted by British and Gurkha officers.  Once selected, the lucky few are flown to the UK to start recruit training and a career in the Brigade of Gurkhas.  The number of Gurkhas recruited depends on the Brigade’s annual manning needs.  The figure is currently around 230. Last year there were 28,000 applicants for 230 places.

The organisation of the Brigade of Gurkhas is continuously under review.  Under current arrangements there are no plans to recruit additional Gurkhas to alleviate under-manning in the British Army.   The drawdown dates of the Gurkha Reinforcement Companies have already been extended and a second Gurkha Engineer Squadron and a second Gurkha Signals Squadron have recently been formed.

In Service.

The majority of Gurkhas serve for a minimum of 15 years, the point at which all Gurkhas qualify for an immediate pension. Dependent on the rank achieved, Gurkhas may serve a full 22 year career and if commissioned, can serve on to a maximum of 30 years service.  Gurkhas do not have a right to a minimum of 15 years service; they are initially engaged for 4 years and then extended at the 4, 8 and 12 year manning control points to 15 years or more depending on their rank, performance and conduct.  Gurkhas remain Nepalese citizens throughout their service but in all other respects are full members of the HM Forces.

Resettlement

In 1997 all Gurkha resettlement training, previously arranged in Nepal, was brought in line with the system for all Regular Army soldiers, and is now held in the UK.  A Gurkha completing 15 years service is entitled to the same resettlement package as his British counterpart (7 weeks).    This arrangement provides Gurkhas with a wider choice and far superior courses to those previously available in Nepal and enhances a Gurkha’s chance of securing a worthwhile second career in the worldwide employment market after he leaves the Army. 

On completion of service with the British Army all Gurkhas are discharged in Nepal because they are recruited, serve and are discharged as Nepalese citizens.  Before making the transition back to civilian life all Gurkhas attend a 6 day reorientation brief in Kathmandu that is designed to them up to date with the current social, political and economic situation in Nepal.  The briefing also covers the provision of welfare support for ex-servicemen and their dependents during retirement.

The current Brigade of Gurkhas policy is not to assist Gurkhas with securing employment in the UK.  A civilian recruitment agency (the official career transition partners) ‘Coutts’ is contracted by the UK MoD to act as an employment agency in Kathmandu for ex-servicemen and provides access to a wide ranging pool of employment worldwide.   

The Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT).

For details about the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT) please click on this link to the GWT website: www.gwt.org.uk