3 Commando Brigade

40 Commando

Right now the Royal Marines of 40 Commando are busy overseas, training in the harsh and demanding conditions of the American desert. This dry training follows swiftly from their last tasking, where the green berets provided the steel tip of the Cougar amphibious deployment in the Middle East.

The commando, based at Norton Manor just outside Taunton in Somerset, deployed with the nation’s flagship HMS Albion and her supporting vessels to demonstrate the importance of an amphibious force – including elite sea-going infantry – and its ability to react in a flash to global events.

During the Cougar deployment, 40 Commando carried out exercises in Cyprus and Saudi Arabia, honing its ability to put men and equipment ashore and work with Allied forces.

The commando has completed several tours of duty in Afghanistan and played a key role in the seizure of the Al Faw peninsula in the opening hours of the 2003 campaign in Iraq.

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42 Commando

Recently returned from the sands of Helmand, 42 Commando Royal Marines are one of three elite battalion-sized units which make up the global punch of 3 Commando Brigade. Based in Bickleigh, just outside Plymouth, 42 Commando – pronounced Four-Two, not Forty-Two – had been tasked with the crucial security mission in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand.

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45 Commando

For a long time Britain’s experts in cold weather warfare, the men of 45 Commando have spent most of the past decade surrounded by sand.

Right now they are recovering from their latest deployment to Helmand province, Afghanistan. This April 45 Commando took command of the Nad-e Ali South district.

From its main forward operating base, FOB Shawqat, 45 Commando’s task was to build on the work of 1 Royal Irish Battle Group in support of Allied and Afghan forces attempting to bring stability to the region.

This is the fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan in the past decade for the Arbroath-based Royal Marines. The commando played a key role in the last actions to rout insurgents in the mountains after the fall of the Taleban and returned to the country on two peacekeeping missions in Helmand in 2006-07 and 2008-09 before this latest deployment.

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30 Commando IX Group

30 Commando Information Exploitation Group was, until March 2010, known as United Kingdom Landing Force Command Support Group (UKLF CSG), which itself grew out of 3 Commando Brigade's Headquarters and Signals Squadron. The Unit’s role, however, extends back further to Royal Marines units tasked with signals, reconnaissance and intelligence operations during the Second World War. It achieved major unit status in 2000, and is now a multifunctional "information regiment" of some 465 personnel, though during operations this figure increases significantly as additional units are taken under command.

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539 Assault Squadron

539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines is a vital link in the Corps' chain, allowing 3 Commando Brigade to transfer onto land from the sea or river. It can operate amphibious Viking vehicles to deliver force into territories, something which the unit has done several times since it was created in the aftermath of the Falklands War. The unit served with distinction in Iraq's Al Faw peninsula during operations in the last decade, but it has also operated around the world with the Royal Navy's amphibious ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark and the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean.  Throughout the summer of 2011 the unit contributed to contingency operations across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, forming part of the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group and in 2012, 539 ASRM will assist the Royal Navy’s role in Olympic security.

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Commando Logistic Regiment

Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines (CLR) is situated at Chivenor in North Devon. It is home to about 620 personnel from all three services, including Mechanical Engineers, Medics and Logisticians. No other unit has such an eclectic mix of cap badges working together.

The Regiment’s purpose is to provide every aspect of combat service support for 3 Commando Brigade, anywhere in the world. In particular the Regiment’s aims are to provide support for brigade amphibious operations when sea based, during offload across a beach or port and over a large battle space on land.

CLR has proven the importance of its existence and roles in recent operations in Afghanistan. The Regiment deployed in its entirety on Operation Herrick 9 and the men and women of CLR RM were granted seven honours and awards in recognition of their outstanding achievements.

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Attached Army Units

29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery is an Army Unit which provides specialist fire support for 3 Commando Brigade. It controls huge firepower ranging from mortars, artillery and naval gunfire to fast jets and Apache helicopters. The Regiment contains volunteers from across the Armed Forces, and soldiers must pass the arduous All Arms Command Course to earn their Green Beret and serve at 29 Cdo. 

59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers is based at Chivenor in North Devon. The Squadron consists of a headquarters, three field troops, a reconnaissance troop, a support troop and a workshop. The Squadron is responsible for all engineer tasks in the Brigade forward area.

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