Parliament thanks 3 Commando Brigade for Afghanistan tour

Parliament thanks 3 Commando Brigade for Afghanistan tour
A History and Honour news article

Members of 3 Commando Brigade, recently back from fighting in Afghanistan, paraded through central London and were then welcomed at a prestigious parliamentary reception at Westminster Palace, yesterday, Tuesday 30 June 2009.
Troops march outside Westminster Palace

Members of Parliament from all parties invited members of 3 Commando Brigade to attend the event in order to show their appreciation for the dedication and sacrifice shown by the marines and soldiers on their deployment to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK 9 which lasted from October 2008 until April 2009.

Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said:

"This has been an opportunity for Parliament to thank the troops from 3 Commando Brigade for their hard work, dedication to their task and their determination in leaving Afghanistan a better place.

"Importantly, this is also an opportunity to pay tribute and remember those whose lives were lost during the tour. They have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the ongoing efforts to maintain our national security and in creating a more stable Afghanistan. Our thoughts are with their loved ones and their friends and colleagues in the Armed Forces."

Around 120 personnel marched from Wellington Barracks, led by the Royal Marines Band, down Birdcage Walk and through Parliament Square, arriving at the Houses of Parliament where they were addressed by Lindsay Hoyle, Vice Chairman for the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Royal Marines.
The troops then proceeded to a reception organised by members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Army.

3 Commando Brigade have been returning from Afghanistan over the past two months, following an extremely tough six-month deployment in Helmand province. The tour was marked by high profile, ongoing operations, including Operation SOND CHARA (Red Dagger), which successfully cleared the Taliban from the Nad e-Ali area, and Operation DIESEL, which destroyed improvised explosive device manufacturing facilities and captured chemicals and equipment that could have been used to process opium into heroin which would have had a UK street value of millions.

The brigade suffered 33 fatalities during the course of the tour, and saw many other men seriously injured, a reflection of the extreme intensity of the six-month period and the highest of any winter tour