|
British
troops from the Spearhead Land Element
deployed to Kosovo as the Operational Readiness Force
in March 2004
(Updated
0720 on 29 March)
Following
violent disturbances between ethnic Serbs and Albanians in
Kosovo on the night of 17/18 March, the commander of the NATO-led
Kosovo Force (KFOR)
sought reinforcement from the Operational Readiness Force
(ORF), responsibility for which fell to the United Kingdom
for the first six months of 2004. The ORF role was held by
the 1st
Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire
Regiment (1 RGBW), serving at Hounslow as the Spearhead
Land Element, specifically trained and prepared for rapid
deployments such as this.
Although
the planning requirement for the ORF required the troops to
be deployable within four days, the very high readiness of
1 RGBW allowed the first reinforcements to arrive in Pristina
on the night of 18/19 March and commence patrols on 19 March.
Up to 750 personnel from the Spearhead Land Element are involved
in the deployment. As well as 1 RGBW, these include the Queen's
Company of the Grenadier
Guards, and specialist support troops, such as a strategic
communications detachment from 30
Signals Regiment.
In
addition, troops deployed to other sectors of the Balkans
have been moved by NATO to Kosovo, including men of 1st Battalion,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles, serving in Bosnia.
Video
clips
(right click and "Save target as..."
to download)
|
Troops
board an RAF C-17 heavy
airlifter at Brize Norton on 18 March
for the flight to Pristina, within just a
few hours of NATO's request for their
deployment
(Click
here for high resolution version)
|
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Inside
the huge hold of the
C-17, able to deliver heavy
equipment, vehicles and
troops direct to the operational
theatre
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Arrival
at Pristina airport
on the night 18/19 March
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
More
vehicles wait their turn to
enter a hangar at the Joint Air
Mounting Centre, South Cerney,
for final preparations for air movement
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Soldiers
of 1 RGBW prepare
at South Cerney
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Men
of the Queen's Company,
Grenadier Guards, conduct the
first patrol on the streets of
Pristina on 19 March
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
A Saxon
personnel carrier from
1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles,
is prepared for redeployment
from Bosnia to Kosovo
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
A Grenadier
Guards sergeant
supports a local policeman
on patrol in Pristina
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Grenadier
Guards are briefed
by an officer of the Irish Defence
Forces
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
|
A Gurkha
helps man a
Norwegian Vehicle Check
Point north of Pristina
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
Books
and clothes lie scattered
at a UN-sponsored school
destroyed in the unrest which
led to the deployment
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
An
RGBW soldier on patrol
in Pristina, where tasks
include the protection of
churches
(Click
here for high resolution version) |
A female
Royal Military Police
Corporal inspects the damage
at a ransacked community
hospice
(Click here for
high resolution version) |
| |
A Gurkha
and Royal Military
Police NCO visit the house of
a Serb family wrecked during
the disturbances that required
the reinforcement of KFOR
(Click here
for high resolution version) |
|
Useful
Links
>
KFOR website
The Ministry of
Defence is not responsible for the content or availability
of external websites
|
