Exercise Pacific Kukri – The First Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Brigade of Gurkhas is a unique organisation in the British Army with a reputation of being amongst the finest and most feared soldiers in the world. There are currently over 4000 Gurkhas employed 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 firstly trained at Infanteers at Catterick and then are allocated to their Regiments and Corps as part of the Brigade of Gurkhas, but often working within other organisations of the Army.

Brigade of Gurkhas

The Brigade of Gurkhas is a diverse multi-cap badge organisation which includes combat, combat support and combat service support elements.

There are two Battalions of The Royal Gurkha Rifles; one in Brunei, one in 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team in the UK and Companys with The Rangers Regiment

The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers is based in Maidstone, Kent as part of 36 Engineer Regiment, with additional squadrons in Catterick and Colchester.

The Queen’s Gurkha Signals is based in Bramcote, Nuneaton with 30 Signal Regiment. There are independent Squadrons attached to Signals Regiments across the Army as well as detachments in Nepal and Brunei.

The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment is based in Aldershot, Hampshire with additional squadrons in Colchester, as well as detachments spread across the breadth of the Brigade footprint.

The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas is based in Folkestone, Kent with the resident UK RGR Battalion.

The Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support Company provide personnel administrative staff support to all Brigade of Gurkhas units.

The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps has a Gurkha Support Battalion based in Innsworth and is formed from five Brigade of Gurkhas cap badges.

Gurkha Company, Infantry Training Centre, Catterick provides initial phase one and two infantry training for all Gurkha Trainee Riflemen before they join their respective Brigade of Gurkhas units.

Training Support subunits are based at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Infantry Battle School in Brecon, the Specialist Weapons School in Warminster and the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick.

Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas is in Robertson House, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, providing oversight for all Brigade of Gurkhas units and their personnel.