British Military Garrison Brunei
Encyclopedia
The British Military Garrison Brunei (BGB) is the name given to the British armed forces presence in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

. Since the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

 is the only remaining British military base in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

, and along with Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....

 one of only two East of Suez
East of Suez
The phrase East of Suez is used in British military and political discussions in reference to imperial interests beyond the European theatre ....

. The garrison has been in existence since 1959, when British troops were moved there from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 to quell a revolt against the Sultan. From there, British forces have been involved in several conflicts, including helping to quell the Brunei Revolt
Brunei Revolt
The Brunei Rebellion broke out on 8 December 1962. The rebels began co-ordinated attacks on the oil town of Seria and on police stations and government facilities around the protectorate...

 of 1962 and the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...

. Since Brunei's independence in 1984, forces have been stationed there at the request of the current Sultan, in a renewable agreement lasting five years at a time. The forces stationed in Brunei are available to assist the Sultan as and when required, but are also available for deployment overseas with other elements of the British armed forces if needed. As recompense, the Sultan pays up to £40 million per year to help support the British presence.

Structure

BGB is located at Seria
Seria
Seria is a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Its full name is Pekan Seria in full . Seria was originally known as Padang Berawa which is Wild Pigeon's Field in Malay. The name "Seria" comes from the river located very near where oil was first discovered in the area in 1929...

 and is centred around a light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...

 battalion, which will be one of the two battalions of the Royal Gurkha Rifles
Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...

. The battalion stationed in Brunei operates as the British Army's acclimatised Far East reserve, and is available for overseas deployment in the Far East region and beyond - the Brunei based battalion has been deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 as part of Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...

 on several occasions, and has also been deployed to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

 and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

.

The infantry battalion is supported by a small number of garrison troops that are permanently stationed in Brunei.

In addition, Brunei serves as one of the British Army's major training areas, specialising in jungle warfare
Jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...

, with the Jungle Warfare Training School
British Army Jungle Warfare Training School
The British Army Jungle Warfare Training School is the British Army's training establishment located at the BGB at Seria, Brunei.The courses run from the TTB which train soldiers and Royal Marines are:* Jungle Tracking...

 (also known as Training Team Brunei) running the Jungle Warfare Advisor's Course and the Military Tracking Instructors Course in conjunction with the infantry battalion. The garrison totals approximately 900 personnel.
  • Stationed Units
    • HQ Brunei Garrison
    • Resident infantry battalion - the resident battalion is rotated every three years.
      • 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles
        Royal Gurkha Rifles
        The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...

    • 7 Flight
      7 Flight Army Air Corps
      7 Flight Army Air Corps is an independent flight of the British Army Army Air Corps, based at the British garrison in Seria, Brunei. They replaced C Flight, 660 Squadron AAC, following the handover of Hong Kong in 1997....

      , Army Air Corps
    • Brunei Police Unit
      Royal Military Police
      The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...

    • Jungle Warfare Training School
      British Army Jungle Warfare Training School
      The British Army Jungle Warfare Training School is the British Army's training establishment located at the BGB at Seria, Brunei.The courses run from the TTB which train soldiers and Royal Marines are:* Jungle Tracking...



The British Forces Broadcasting Service
British Forces Broadcasting Service
The British Forces Broadcasting Service provides radio and television programmes for HM Forces, and their dependents, in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Tristan da Cunha as well as a live satellite...

 broadcasts to the garrison, carrying programmes from both BFBS Radio 1 and BFBS Radio Gurkha

See also

  • Camp Gonsalves
    Camp Gonsalves
    Camp Gonsalves is located in Northern Okinawa, Japan across the villages of Kunigami and Higashi. At JWTC contains 22 helicopter landing zones, one water surface beach access, four bivouac sites, three outdoor classrooms, one firebase, three 3rd world village target sites and one target missile...

     - United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps
    The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

    equivalent jungle warfare training site.

External links

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