How often do you get to go on overseas exercises or deployment ?

[Brixstix]

One of the main things drawing me to the forces is travel. Obviously it’s a job and not entertainment but is overseas travel common in the paras ?

 

[Mackers]

2 PARA Battlegroup were in Afghan for a 6 month tour on Op Toral last year. There is also the multinational battalion battle groups that head to Estonia. Obviously the days of Op HERRICK are gone but that’s not to say there isn’t anything on the horizon. The likes of Mali is worth keeping eyes on if you ask me. You’ve also got the likes of Ex Askari Storm in Kenya. Ex Eager Lion in Jordan. The Reg will always be at the pointy end if anything kicks off

 

[Redders]

The Army are on ops in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, South Sudan, Estonia and Mali at the moment! The Reg always tends to get away. You’ll have plenty of exercises over the year in both UK Trg areas and aboard. I’ve been to Kenya, Jordan, USA for ex’s. I’ve also deployed to NI, Kosovo, Iraq. There might not be any tours on in the raw sense of 'combat' but you can also be involved in other taskings like peacekeeping and the duration for anything can be 0-6 months and anywhere in-between.

 

[DannyMac]

You’ll have plenty of exercises throughout the year as a reg. Could be Plt level training, doing low level skills and drills in the field or company level and all the way up to full scale battalion ex’s. Anything from 2 weeks in Brecon right up to six weeks in Kenya for example. Deployments are as and when

 

[Iron]

All four Battalions of the Reg are kept busy during a “normal” year. Alongside the standing operational and readiness commitments, no matter where in The Reg you land you’ll train to maintain and evolve core skills.
I spent the guts 6 weeks just before Xmas on Wessex storm which we have a thread running about. Just search for it on here. Without writing an essay outside of COVID, which as had an impact on oversea exercises, you’ll have plenty of time in the field. The Reg is the tip of the spear. In 2019 for example exercises ranged from the Falkland Islands to Croatia, and from the deserts of Jordan to the bush of Kenya.
Snapshot of 2019 for example ; 1 PARA supported UKSF on multiple operations across the world. 2 PARA deployed 400 ranks out to Kabul on Op TORAL for six months and were also the lead battlegroup for Wessex storm. 3 PARA spent much of 2019 overseas. One of their coys deployed to the Falklands and later the whole Battalion deployed to Croatia alongside the American airborne. Another company including the guards platoon went to Jordan training with the Jordanian QRF. 4 PARA continued to support both 2 and 3 PARA. Bit of a snapshot but hopefully gives an idea of how a “normal” year looks for the Reg