Rifles infanteers swap the heat of Cyprus for the warmth of a welcome home

Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Rifles have paraded through the streets of Chepstow in celebration of their return home to Beachley Barracks after two years away in Cyprus.

There was a real sense of attachment between the local community and the battalion as wellwishers of all ages lined the streets to welcome the Riflemen home.

The event was attended by Brigadier Robert Aitken, the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, who thanked everyone who turned out to welcome the infanteers home.

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"Thank you for the way you have come out today to pay your respects," he said.

"And not just today, but two years ago as well, when you stood here to say goodbye to the battalion in equally impressive fashion."

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Burkill, the CO of 1 Rifles, also expressed his gratitude to the community on behalf of the battalion – before ending with a tongue-in-cheek apology that the unit's new vehicles were likely to add to the traffic around town.

1 Rifles was deployed to Cyprus between 2023 and 2025, a period framed by what continues to be a particularly challenging time for the region, with affairs being shaped by the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

The battalion deployed in a variety of non-combat roles across the Middle East in response to the conflict.

During their time in Cyprus, the infanteers continued to protect vital UK strategic infrastructure installations – and also helped deal with local wildfires.

In their downtime, Riflemen of all ranks were able to engage in a variety of water sports, adventure training and cultural engagement.

1 Rifles will now re-role from Light Infantry to Light Mechanised Infantry, which will see the soldiers use vehicles such as Foxhounds and Jackals.