The Rifles

The Rifles
Cap and Back badges of The Rifles
Active	2007 – present
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Rifles
Role	1st Battalion—Light Mechanised Infantry 2nd Battalion—Light Infantry 3rd Battalion—Mechanised Infantry 5th Battalion—Armoured Infantry 6th Battalion—Light Infantry 7th Battalion—Armoured Infantry 8th Battalion–Light Infantry
Size	Seven battalions
Part of	Light Division
Garrison/HQ	RHQ—Winchester 1st Battalion—Beachley 2nd Battalion—Lisburn 3rd Battalion—Edinburgh 5th Battalion—Bulford 6th Battalion—Exeter 7th Battalion—Reading 8th Battalion–Bishop Auckland
Motto(s)	"Celer et Audax" (Latin) "Swift and Bold"
Colours	Rifle Green
March	Quick: "Mechanised Infantry" Double Fast: "Keel Row/Road to the Isles" Slow: "Old Salamanca"
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	The Queen
Colonel Commandant	Lieutenant-General Thomas Copinger-Symes[1]
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
Arm Badge	Croix de Guerre From Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry
Abbreviation	RIFLES

The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions. Each Regular battalion of The Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light Division (with the exception of the 1st Battalion, which is an amalgamation of two individual regiments). Since formation, the regiment has been involved in combat operations in the later stages of the Iraq War and in the War in Afghanistan.