Author: Alice Henderson, Head of Overseas Visits

The primary and most commonly understood role of the British Armed Forces is to be responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. However, it is less commonly known that they are frequently deployed to support peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, acting as a key part of Britain’s soft power.

Operation TRENTON, the name given to the British contribution to the UN Mission in South Sudan, saw approximately 400 British service personnel deployed to assist with engineering and medical tasks from 2016 to 2020. Engineers built roads, to allow the transport of humanitarian aid, as well as the construction of schools and hospitals. Defence Medical Services provided field hospitals to treat UN Peacekeepers and staff. This saw Britain lead the provision of health and education to the mission, as well as being the second largest bilateral provider of humanitarian assistance. This demonstrates Britain’s ability to be at the forefront of bringing freedom, security and prosperity to those that need it.

With the right training and support, our service personnel can make informed, considerate decisions when faced with delicate situations. Ensuring Britain leads by example as a force for good on the world stage. This is something the Royal Air Force in particular have begun dedicating time to, such as Exercise SWIFT PIRATE in 2021, where RAF personnel trained to understand the importance of working alongside FCDO colleagues, focussing on Human Security when training to deliver humanitarian aid.

This effective decision making has been demonstrated on operations as part of the British Army’s contribution to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. This mission sees the skillset of our Long Range Reconnaissance Groups used to great effect, going further for longer, to listen to voiceless people living in hard to reach places, understanding their needs to improve the future of Mali. Our British soldiers are deployed in a peacekeeping role, aiming to join UN partners in protecting civilians and stabilising the country to allow Malians to make progress. More specifically on this operation, it has been identified that links between women, peace and security had been poorly covered. This led to the decision to establish a Female Engagement Team which has allowed the UN Mission to build trust with local women and children, making them more effective as a peacekeeping force.

Our British Armed Forces offer versatility in an ever unstable world, and it is important on Armed Forces Day to reflect on the diverse skill set our service personnel offer, to keep Britain at the forefront of saving lives, alleviating poverty and bringing freedom, security and prosperity to those who need it most.

Footnote: We would like to offer thanks to Will Meddings ( @WillJMeddings on Twitter), who has done a fantastic job covering the brilliant work of the British Army in Mali via social media, and kindly agreed to let us use some of his content  in this blog post.