No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment: Difference between revisions
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No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack.
It is a unit with a long history having its first origin in 1921. In that year No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF was formed in Egypt. After undergoing many expansions and contractions and also disbandment and reestablishment the armoured car company merged with No. 2701 Squadron RAF Regiment to form No. 1 Squadron. The squadron initially retained its armoured car role but lost this in 1953 when it assumed its current field squadron role.
During the Cold War the squadron was consistently based in Germany. It took part in the Berlin Airlift and numerous exercises. After a number of moves it found a more permanent home at RAF Laarbruch. In the aftermath of the Cold War the squadron has seen action twice. It was deployed against Iraq both in the 1991 Gulf War and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In addition it has been tasked with peacekeeping duties in the former Yugoslavia and periodic deployments to the Persian Gulf region in support of British forces operating there.
It is currently based at RAF St Mawgan.