Empey praises Army at end of Operation Banner
Marking the end of Operation Banner – the Army’s 38-year active deployment in Northern Ireland – Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey has expressed his gratitude to the Army for their service and sacrifice.
Sir Reg said, “the people of Northern Ireland owe a debt of profound gratitude to the Army. Over 700 military personnel paid the supreme sacrifice during Operation Banner, defending society in this part of the United Kingdom against terrorism and paramilitarism. Today, as Operation Banner ends, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of too many young soldiers who died in the cities, towns and villages of Northern Ireland, protecting the community against those who sought to undermine democracy through ruthless violence.
“Operation Banner – the deployment of the military in aid of the civil power – prevented a deeper descent into chaos and madness during the dark years of Northern Ireland’s Troubles. Without the deployment and professionalism of the Army, supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary, our society in Northern Ireland would have endured even greater violence and bloodshed.
“The return of the military garrison in Northern Ireland to the numbers and duties seen anywhere else in the United Kingdom, is a sign that we enjoy peace and normality far beyond what many would have ever imagined possible. Without Operation Banner it is difficult to envisage how the Northern Ireland of 2007 would be a peaceful, normal part of the United Kingdom.
“Those of us who lived through the worst of the Troubles, the generation that has come of age since 1998, and the generations to come, owe much to the young men and women who donned our country’s uniform and put themselves in harm’s way for our sake during Operation Banner”.