Head of British Army pays tribute to Gurkhas during visit to Nepal to meet new recruits

The head of the British Army has paid tribute to the toughness and professionalism of the Gurkhas.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, the Chief of the General Staff, was speaking to the BFBS Gurkha service during a visit to Nepal.

Gen Sir Patrick is currently in the capital, Kathmandu, where he spoke to members of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

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Later this week he will travelling to Pokhara in the foothills of the Himalayas to attend the attestation parade for the latest intake of Gurkha recruits joining the Army.

He said: "The main reason to come here is of course attestation, when we take I think it'll be 336 trainee riflemen and they swear their oath and they go off to Catterick.

"But it's also because the strategic partnership, the relationship, the friendship between the UK and Nepal matters to us enormously.

"It's an opportunity for me to meet some of your country's leaders, political leaders and military leaders, and reinforce those bonds of friendship and just ensure that we keep that historic relationship going at the level that it's been."

When asked if he had any messages for the Gurkhas and their community, he said: "First of all, one of encouragement to keep doing what they're doing.

"Because we have a deep bond of affection and respect for the Gurkha riflemen and indeed all Gurkhas who serve in the brigade in the British Army.

"Also ... their loyalty, their resilience, their toughness, their professionalism are hallmarks.

"These are bywords for the brigade and we in the British Army are immeasurably stronger for having the Gurkhas serving with us - and long may that continue."

Gen Sir Patrick also reflected on his personal connection to the Brigade of Gurkhas, as his father served in 10 GR (10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles), fighting in the Malayan emergency and the Indonesian confrontation.

The Chief of the General Staff also explained how the Army was currently undergoing the largest programme of equipment modernisation that he has seen so far in his career.

He said: "The Army will look very, very different by the end of this decade, so it's an exciting time to join.

"We are deployed globally. We have the highest level of commitments that we've had for a very long time."

More than 4,000 soldiers are currently serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas across many trades.

All Gurkhas are recruited from Nepal, with many thousands of young people attempting selection every year for only a few hundred job opportunities.

All Gurkhas are first trained as infanteers at Catterick and are then allocated to their regiments or corps as part of the Brigade of Gurkhas, often working within other organisations of the Army.