On 24 July 2025, Gurkha Recruit Intake 25 achieved a significant milestone in their training programme. They only arrived in the United Kingdom in February, but have been formally presented with the capbadges for their future units in the Brigade of Gurkhas at an event in Catterick.

Commanding Officers, Gurkha Majors, and other senior officials from the seven capbadges of Brigade of Gurkhas convened to extend a warm welcome to each trainee as they joined their respective regiments and Corps within the Brigade. Trainees assigned to The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, Queen’s Gurkha Signals, Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support, the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and The King’s Gurkha Artillery, received new berets and cap badges. Meanwhile, those trainees designated for The Royal Gurkha Rifles retained their existing beret and cap badge but were embraced into the new brigade family.

The allocation of soldiers is:

• The Royal Gurkha Rifles – 123
• The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers – 30
• Queen’s Gurkha Signals – 40
• Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment – 48
• The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas – 4
• Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support – 9
• The King’s Gurkha Artillery 20

The Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas congratulated them on this milestone, and told them they all had great careers ahead of them, no matter which capbadge they had been assigned to.

Upon the conclusion of their training in November at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, which is a component of the Soldiers’ Academy, they will either proceed to specialised trade training or be assigned to their respective units in the United Kingdom or Brunei.

Photographer: Mr Mick Latter