Op Telic

This morning I, and another RBL Rider, attended a ceremony at Cheltenham War Memorial to commemorate the liberation of Iraq in Operation Telic. The 'other RBL Rider' actually took part in Op Telic travelling around each base in the area installing IT solutions and sorting out IT problems 
Telic, it is said, stands for 'Tell Everyone, Leave Is Cancelled'. In actual fact Telic means a purposeful, or defined, action and comes from the Greek word 'Telos'
The ceremony was attended by Royal British Legion standard bearers, The Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, various officers from UK and European countries based at the ARRC in Gloucester (Allied Rapid Response Corps). This is located at the former RAF Innsworth camp.
At the onset of the war 46,000 troops were deployed of which 9,500 were British (someone should tell US VP Vance). Our own daughter was involved, based at Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, we obviously have no idea what her involvement was but she has a clasp, to her GSM (General Service Medal) for active service in Iraq.
179 British troops died during operation Telic and these sort of  commemorations honour those that gave their lives during their military service.
3,598 British personnel were wounded, injured or fell ill (315 wounded in action) 1,971 of whom required aeromedical evacuation. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the Sun, and in the morning,
We WILL Remember Them.