1st Battalion, The Rifles

1st Battalion, The Rifles (1 RIFLES) is a light infantry battalion of The Rifles under the command of 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team.

History


The battalion formed on 1 February 2007 as part of 52 Infantry Brigade, merging the single battalions of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. The battalion then moved in August 2007, to its permanent home of Beachley Barracks at Chepstow.

From 2008 to 2012, it was attached to 3 Commando Brigade as the fourth manoeuvre unit of the brigade alongside the three battalion sized commando units of the Royal Marines.

From March 2020, 1 RIFLES was deployed throughout Wales on Operation Rescript, supporting the UK's efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The battalion helped install hospital beds at Dragon's Heart Hospital, a temporary critical care hospital for COVID-19.

Future
The battalion is currently based in Dhekelia, British Forces Cyprus until 2025. 1 Rifles will return to Chepstow in the summer of 2025 to take on a new role as a Light Mechanised Battalion driving Foxhound vehicles. Towards the end of the decade, 1 Rifles will move to new build facilities at Caerwent Barracks.