The armed forces community within Hertfordshire is made up of men and women currently serving in the regular and reserve forces, veterans from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy along with their immediate families, working or living in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire is not a garrisoned county but is home to a few military units.
Hertfordshire is home to 25,849 veterans, according to Census 2021. The organisations representing the interests of military veterans here include the Royal British Legion, the Royal Naval Association, the Army Benevolent Fund, and the Royal Air Force Association.
Northwood Headquarters
Northwood is a permanent joint headquarters (HQ) in Southwest Hertfordshire. It has been used by the British Armed Forces since 1939, originally housing the RAF Coastal Command during WWI. The site underwent significant reconstruction between 2006 to 2011, resulting in a purpose-built facility for 2,000 personnel.
Today, Northwood is the UK’s primary military headquarters, hosting 5 operational HQs including Joint Forces Command HQ and the Royal Navy’s Maritime Operations Centre.
HMS WILDFIRE, a reserve unit of the Royal Navy, is based at Northwood HQ with reservists from Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire proudly flying the White Ensign there for nearly 65 years.
162 Medical Squadron
162 Hospital Squadron is based in Hitchin and is 1 of 3 sub-units that make up 254 (East of England) Multi-Role Medical Regiment. The Squadron has a variety of roles available, both clinical and non-clinical, and can offer all of its reservists an enjoyable, rewarding and exciting alternative career that can be done in their spare time and enhance their civilian career prospects. It can offer suitably trained soldiers, worldwide travel and the opportunity to spend up to 1 year away working in support of the British Armed Forces.
Royal Anglian Regiment – 6 Platoon as part of 3 Company
The Royal Anglian Regiment is the East of England’s premier Infantry Regiment with two Regular battalions and a Reserve battalion based in the East of England. Primarily recruiting from Hertfordshire and 9 other counties across the East of England, all three Battalions retain very strong links to the counties they represent.
The Regular Hertfordshire Regiment was amalgamated with the Essex Regiment in 1958 and then into the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964, though the Hertfordshire Regiment remained with the Territorial Army until 1967 where it ultimately became the 7th (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment in 1971. In 1999 the Hertfordshire Territorials became part of the East of England Regiment, until 2006 when they were renamed to the 3rd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, taking the nickname “The Steelbacks”.
From 2006 Hertfordshire Territorials and Army Reserve Soldiers have been involved all over the world supporting wider Regular Army deployments, regularly mobilising soldiers to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, and at one point providing 8 of a 30 person platoon from across 3 Royal Anglian, commanded by the Hertford Platoon Commander in 2009. In 2011 they were deployed as part of the 3 Royal Anglian deployment to Cyprus, again with a strong contingent from Hertford following their new Platoon Commander.
6 Platoon as part of 3 Company, 3 Royal Anglian continues to support the Army on wider deployments and exercises all over the world and is based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. They have recently deployed on Op RESCRIPT for COVID response and currently have troops on Op INTERFLEX, training Ukrainian troops.
Uniformed youth organisations
There are about 40 locations in Hertfordshire where young people can join a uniformed youth organisation including the Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, RAF Air Cadets and Army Cadet Force. Over 2,200 young people in Hertfordshire take part in at least one of these military-sponsored youth organisations, led by around 400 adult volunteers. Young people between the ages of 10 to 18 are building skills in first aid, leadership, teamwork, resilience and communication through these youth organisations.