How did deployments to NI work? I'm only really familiar with Australian and British deployment patterns in S.E.A. in the 60s. Australia stationed a battalion in Malaya for 2 years (accompanied by families) and deployed it to the Confrontation for combat for 4 months, deployed SAS from Australia to Borneo for 6 months combat tours, deployed battalions to Vietnam (without families) for a year long tours. Britain did similar things; British battalions for a year, Gurkhas for 6 months and stationed troops doing 4 months combat tours.
Were units 'stationed' in NI (and Germany) or 'deployed' there, or a mixture? If its a mixture can that mix be changed to reduce the manpower burden? What about the drain on finances from the simple fact that NI was an operation zone from the 70s?
'Garrison Troops' in safer areas (I was Signals in Lisburn, so basically as safe as it got) were standard two year postings. Some infantry tours were also two years. Tours in the dangerous areas (South Armagh, Londonderry, West Belfast etc) were six month roulement tours. The roulement tours started out as four months but they did research and came up with six months as the ideal.
There were married quarters in some areas but the six month tours were obviously unaccompanied.
Edit - support units were fixed (15 Signal Regiment and 321 EOD Sqn for example, as well as the three brigade HQs) with personnel posted in and out. Infantry tours (along with the artillery and armour regiments that did them) rotated in and out as units. UDR/Royal Irish Home Service were also fixed and recruited from the local population and were a mix of full and part time.
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