The Olympics and Half a Million Man (and Woman) Days

Revealed this week in a Parliamentary Answer was the final tally for the units involved in providing Olympics and Paralympics security.

Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel were deployed to provide security at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, by unit; how many working days of their time this amounted to; and if he will make a statement.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 15 October 2012, c32W)

Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire, Conservative)

The number of armed forces personnel deployed to support the safety and security of the Olympic and Paralympic Games peaked at 18,700.

The personnel came from a mixture of established units as well as individual augmentees. Units and elements of units involved in the operation are set out by service as follows:

Royal Navy

HMS Ocean

HMS Bulwark

RNAS Culdrose

RNAS Yeovilton

30 Commando Royal Marines

43 Commando Royal Marines

42 Commando Royal Marines

45 Commando Royal Marines

Commando Logistic Regiment

24 Commando Engineer Regiment

1 Assault Group Royal Marines

539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines

Fleet Diving Squadron

RFA Mounts Bay

HMS Blazer

HMS Exploit

HMS Express

HMS Pursuer

HMS Raider

HMS Smiter

HMS Tracker

Royal Navy and Marine Reservists

Army

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

1(st) The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

Queen’s Royal Hussars

Irish Guards

The London Regiment

3 Scots

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland)

7 Scots

3(rd) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

1 The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment

2 The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment

3 The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment

1(st) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

2(nd) Battalion The Mercian Regiment

2(nd) Battalion The Parachute Regiment

3(rd) Battalion The Parachute Regiment

4(th) Battalion The Parachute Regiment

1(st) Battalion The Rifles

2(nd) Battalion The Rifles

4(th) Battalion The Rifles

5(th) Battalion The Rifles

6(th) Battalion The Rifles

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery

7(th) Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

26(th) Regiment Royal Artillery

12(th) Regiment Royal Artillery

16(th) Regiment Royal Artillery

100 Regiment Royal Artillery

106 Regiment Royal Artillery

23 Regiment Royal Engineers

28 Regiment Royal Engineers

35 Regiment Royal Engineers

HQ 1 Signal Brigade

1 (UK) Armoured Division Signal Regiment

10 Signal Regiment

39 Signal Regiment

71 Signal Regiment

HQ 101 Logistic Brigade

HQ 104 Logistic Brigade

13 Air Assault Support Regiment

17 Port and Maritime Regiment

150 Regt Royal Logistics Corps

151 Regt Royal Logistics Corps

152 Regt Royal Logistics Corps

156 Regt Royal Logistics Corps

27 Regt Royal Logistics Corp

29 EOD and Search Group

1 Military Working Dog Squadron

11 EOD Regiment

16 Air Assault Brigade HQ

13 Air Assault Support Regiment

Queen’s Own Yeomanry

Composite Units to include: 13 Medical Regiment, 216 Signals Squadron and 156 Provost Company Royal Military Police

4(th) Royal Army Medical Corps

3(rd) Regiment Royal Military Police

Royal Air Force

Joint Force Air Component HQ

1 Air Control Centre

RAF Conningsby

RAF Leuchars

RAF Odiham

RAF Benson

RAF Northolt

Queen’s Colour Squadron RAF Regiment

3 Force Protection Wing RAF Regiment

5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron

The total number of working days has not yet been finalised. However over the period of the Games, some 60 days, it is estimated to be of the order of 500,000 to 600,000 man-days. A breakdown by unit of the number of armed forces personnel deployed is not held centrally.

 

Over half a million man days, wow.