Bugle Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 5
FOREWORD
FOREWORD
By The Colonel Commandant
Lieutenant General Sir Charlie Collins KBE DSO
I open by offering my and the Regiment’s
sincere thanks to Lt General Sir Tom
Copinger-Symes for his service as Colonel
Commandant The Rifles! In my recent
update to our Royal Colonel, Her Majesty
the Queen, I stated that the Regiment is in
good health across all of our Five Pillars.
That is, in no small part, due to General
Tom’s energy and application as our Colonel
Commandant. Thank you for what you have
done for The Rifles, the Army and the nation
across your long and distinguished service!
The Rifles remain at the fore. The Regular
battalions continue our sharp focus on
operations. 1 and 2 RIFLES have been busy
preparing for commitments across Europe.
3 RIFLES is pioneering the new concept of
the ‘Near Surface Infantry Battalion’ while
furthering its interoperability with our allies in
the High North. The 4 RANGER evolution going
from strength to strength as 5 RIFLES turns
its attention to supporting national resilience
in the UK and defending our interests in the
South Atlantic. The tempo is unrelenting and
I thank you for all your efforts in maintaining
our high standards on operations.
Our Reserve battalions are among the best
recruited in the Army. They actively contribute
to operations and exercises overseas with
8 RIFLES building to its UN Peacekeeping
commitment in addition to regimental
activities across our national footprint. They
have stayed close to our name through 6
RIFLES winning and 7 RIFLES coming second
in the Reserve category of the Defence
Operational Shooting Competition.
Last year’s Strategic Defence Review
directed a national expansion of the cadet
scheme. The Rifles is well placed to lead that
endeavour with around a quarter of cadets are
already affiliated with the Regiment. As such,
we look forward to The Rifles National Cadet
Cup in September, supported by A Company 2
RIFLES, and the healthy competition across the
16 teams drawn from both ACFs and CCFs.
In sport, the Regiment has enjoyed
strong performances through winning Army
championships in ski biathlon and cycling,
coming second in boxing and fielding the best
team in Defence in the new arena of e-sports.
The Rifleman’s Association, with Her
Majesty The Queen as the Patron, will
launch in the near future. This, alongside the
great work already in motion through the
Always a Rifleman Programme, is a powerful
demonstration of the bond we have with,
and care we have for, all Riflemen past and
present.
The Rifles will celebrate its 20th birthday
next year. We have had a great start and
proved ourselves immediately on operations.
The
Ri昀氀es will
celebrate
its 20th
birthday
next year
That said, there is no room for complacency
as global events continue to challenge us
as a nation, an Army and as a Regiment. Our
birthday celebrations will serve as a good
opportunity to reflect on our first 20 years
and reinvest in our connections across our
network, all with a view to applying the best of
our innovative history to the future.
RIFLES The Bugle 5
