2 YORKS Complete Historic Move To Cyprus During Pandemic

The Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment has said his unit is the first to move to another country during a global pandemic.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and relative restrictions, the arrival of 2 YORKS was delayed by several months.

“2 YORKS have had a really busy year – Afghanistan and then, of course, delivering COVID tests around the country and then, of course, doing what is a first: the overseas unit move out to Cyprus under a global pandemic,” Lieutenant Colonel James Ashworth, Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, said.

He added that the battalion did “brilliantly” and have been “patient and disciplined”.

Lieutenant Colonel Ashworth was speaking during a promotions parade in Cyprus, the first time the battalion was able to gather since arriving on the island.

Speaking of the significance of being able to promote some members of the unit, he said it was “fantastic”.

“It’s always a celebration to recognise individuals that have excelled and really brought their leadership to the fore and doing that in front of the whole battalion has been a great thing to do,” he added.

The battalion has been chosen to become the Army’s only enhanced light force battalion, which will mean a multimillion-pound investment in the new year.

“The battalion is going to receive a whole new suite of individual weapons, sighting systems, robotics, un-manned aerial systems,” Lieutenant Colonel Ashworth explained.

“That will allow us to operate in completely new ways and we’ll ask those soldiers to take on all that brand-new equipment and see how much more capable they can make themselves,” he added.

As the regional standby battalion, 2 YORKS can deploy anywhere in the Middle East or Africa within 48 hours if required.