Mark visited a number of units during his visit, including the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, 20th Armoured Brigade and the Headquarters of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division, which is led by Major-General James Chiswell. In addition to his visit to the troops, Mark also visited the Personnel Recovery Centre at Sennelager and gave a speech to the Army Families Federation conference, during which he explained the process for the gradual withdrawal of units from Germany to the United Kingdom, which should be complete by 2020.
Speaking about his visit, Mark Francois said:
“Part of my duty as the Minister of Personnel and Veterans is to get out and visit our troops and their families. I have now visited a number of establishments around the UK but I thought it was also a good idea to visit units in Germany to help explain the process of how we will gradually bring them back to the United Kingdom. I had a very worthwhile and informative visit and I remain proud of what our troops do to help keep us safe and free.”