David Ruffley MP will be welcoming home the Royal Anglian Regiment and receiving a personal briefing on their tour of duty on Friday 16 November at their Regimental Headquarters in Bury St Edmunds.

David said:

'I have the privilege of being Member of Parliament for our part of Suffolk which includes the Royal Anglian Regiment's Regimental Headquarters in Bury St Edmunds, the RAF Regiment and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment based at Honington, and 3 Army Air Corps at Wattisham.

'The 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment have been deployed on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The Battalion operated in Helmand Province as part of 12 (Mechanised) Brigade's deployment on Operation HERRICK 6. This was a gruelling tour of duty and one that took the lives of several brave soldiers from our region.

'It will be a real honour to welcome them home and receive a briefing on their time in Afghanistan.

'The Royal Anglians will be performing a parade on Angel Hill on Friday 23 November which I will be attending. I hope as many people from our area as possible turn out to give them the reception they deserve.

'I know America quite well and if you are known to be a serving GI or GI veteran you are never expected to buy your own drink in your local bar.

'We need a little more of that sense of pride in our armed forces here in the UK- these men and women have put themselves in harm's way on behalf of us all. No praise is high enough for what they do in our name.'