We're finally here: Welsh Guards arrive in Cyprus at the start of two-year tour
Soldiers from The Welsh Guards have started to deploy to Cyprus for a two-year posting in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Almost 200 members of 1st Battalion and their families were the first large group to arrive at RAF Akrotiri.
The unit will take over from 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment as the Resident Infantry Battalion in Episkopi.
A fantastic opportunity
"We're finally here," said Second Lieutenant Joshua Landau, a 26-year-old platoon commander from London.
"The entire battalion has worked really hard to get out here and we're really excited by all the opportunities that Cyprus has to offer."
The guardsmen will spend the first year protecting military sites and supporting public order needs as the Cyprus Operations Battalion.
In the second year they could deploy to the Middle East or Africa while assigned as the Regional Operations Battalion.
A single company is kept at high readiness for taskings such as peacekeeping or evacuation.
"As a young platoon commander, it's really exciting," added 2Lt Landau, who completed his specialist infantry training at Brecon in April.
"Often you get times in camp where your platoon's quite dispersed, and having everyone out here is a fantastic opportunity to get some training done.
"Next year potentially we'll do something with the platoon, that's not just training, when we're on the regional standby."
Getting into green soldiering
Two battalions are stationed with British Forces Cyprus in the Western and Eastern Sovereign Base Areas.
The Welsh Guards arrived at a time when multiple conflicts are taking place in the wider region and five months after a drone hit a hangar at RAF Akrotiri.
The guardsmen travelled via Voyager from RAF Brize Norton on one of the last flights before its runway closed for repairs.
"It was long, a lot of waiting around," said 24-year-old Guardsman Charlie Richards, who comes from Cilgerran.
"The actual plane journey itself was quite short, but glad to be here now."
The Welsh Guards is Wales's senior infantry regiment and is part of the Household Division.
The soldiers are most recognisable in their role as Foot Guards protecting King Charles and performing state ceremonial and public duties.
But first and foremost, they are a highly trained infantry battalion.
Asked if he'd miss the scarlet tunic and bearskin or guarding royal palaces, Gdsm Richards replied: "Maybe a little bit, but we're quite happy to get into green soldiering.
"It's a nice change of pace and what we've been training to do."
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