Sold Out - Lecture | Op Bracken, 20 Years On – The Black Watch In Iraq In 2004

Having served in Iraq the year before, The Black Watch had moved to become the Army’s demonstration battalion at Warminster and had no expectation of being sent again to Iraq any time soon.  But events changed that calculation and the battalion deployed at short notice to southern Iraq in the early summer of 2004, less than a year after they had left.  Having been involved in fierce fighting in the south, a second surprise occurred at the end of the tour when the battlegroup was told that, rather than returning home, it would deploy north to support the American operation around Fallujah.  This was the only occasion during the Iraq campaign that a British unit served under American command outside of the south.  James Cowan was Commanding Officer and will tell the story of the tour, as well as reflect on this unique military operation 20 years after it finished.

James Cowan was commissioned into The Black Watch in 1987.  As a junior officer he served in Berlin, Northern Ireland, Africa and Hong Kong.  As well as his tour in Iraq as Commanding Officer he served again in Iraq in 2006-07 and was Commander Task Force Helmand in 2009-10.  He planned the military security operations for the London Olympics and finished in the Army as General Officer Commanding The 3^rd Division.  He has led The HALO Trust since 2015, an NGO of 12,000 personnel working in 30 war affected countries.

6.30pm Drinks Reception (Drink included in ticket price), 7.00pm Lecture Commences

£11 non members | £9 Friends