The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are to mark their return home to Germany for the last time after completing a six-month tour of Afghanistan.
Scotland’s cavalry, who will move to Leuchars next year, were met by their families today in Wessex Barracks, Fallingbostel, where the regiment has lived since 1995.
The SCOTS DG completed two full run-throughs of the parade and medals ceremony under the watchful eye of Commanding Officer Lt Col Ben Cattermole on Wednesday afternoon.
More than 120 soldiers who returned from their first tour of Afghanistan last week will receive medals from the Duke of Kent.
Lt Col Cattermole, 40, told The Courier: “It’s a huge relief to have everyone back. But the parade is not just for the 120 guys who are getting their medal for the first time.
“It is just as much for the Rear Operations Group who were here in Germany, the families and the German community.
“Without that whole team, the 230 of us who were deployed would not have been able to operate.
“If you don’t know that your family is being looked after by the welfare team, if you don’t know that the German community is continuing to welcome and support everybody, then you can’t focus on your job. We’ve been able to do that. So the parade is for everyone.”
The SCOTS DG have been appointed to spearhead Light Cavalry, the army’s latest capability as part of the wider restructuring of the force, known as Army 2020.
Lt Col Cattermole said:“This marks the beginning of a significant shift for us as a regiment, to our new Army 2020 structure, moving back to Scotland, leaving Germany and converting to light cavalry.
“It’s an important part of what we call our normalisation at the end of a tour.”
For more from Graeme Ogston in Fallingbostel, see Friday’s Courier or try our digital edition.