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|  | Several Gloucestershire TA soldiers are among 36 members of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry who will be augmenting the Royal Dragoon Guards, a Regular Army armoured regiment, when they deploy in October on Operation Telic 5 for a six-month tour of peacekeeping duties in and around Basra. During the summer, they have been involved in pre-mobilisation training at Bovington Camp, headquarters not only the Royal Wessex Yeomanry but also of the entire Armoured Corps. The Royal Wessex Yeomanry contingent, drawn from squadrons in Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Devon, reported to the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre in Nottinghamshire for processing and medical checks at the start of August. Military skills and fitness After this, they will be trained and tested on basic military skills and fitness, undergo more advanced training in Norfolk and then fly out to join the Royal Dragoon Guards at their base in Munster, Germany. Major Rupert Wesson, Training Major for the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, said: "This prolonged training process has been designed to ensure that our soldiers are as fit and skilled as possible for what is likely to be a demanding and arduous tour. Once in Germany they will learn skills more specific to the operation they will undertake - Public Order, training on other weapons, urban patrolling and Arabic. They will also be given in-depth briefs on the background to the operation. The majority of the work will be patrolling in armoured Land Rovers or on foot. Some of the soldiers may be required to serve on Challenger 2 main battle tanks, the primary role of most of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry." Heading to Iraq  | | Pictured L-R are Pullin, Williams, Neaves, Second Lt. Hanbury-Bateman, Smith and Crouch |
The Gloucestershire TA members who will be heading to Iraq are: - Lance Corporal James Talbot, 38, a plumber from Quedgely
- Trooper Darren Crouch, 31, a vehicle mechanic from Churchdown
- Trooper Richard Evans, 27, a vehicle mechanic from Stroud
- Trooper Christopher Smith, 22, from Stroud, who works in engineering
- Trooper Daniel Pullin, 20, from Cheltenham, who works as a sales assistant at Argos
- Trooper Matthew Gardiner, 19, a painter from Gloucester
- Trooper Robert Ruston, 28, a vehicle mechanic from Stroud
- Sgt Paul Neaves, 37, a window frame maker from Gloucester
C (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Squadron of The Royal Wessex Yeomanry has its headquarters at the Somerford Road TA Centre in Cirencester. 
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Territorial Army soldiers from Gloucestershire have joined fellow Reservists from The Royal Wessex Yeomanry in training for peacekeeping duties in Iraq later this year.
