PASSING out parades are part of everyday Army life - but a ceremony at Catterick Garrison was given added poignancy because an hour later 23 new recruits flew straight to the Gulf.
More than 100 new soldiers of Burma Company 1st Battalion Infantry Training Centre marched on the parade ground in full dress uniform at Helles Barracks last Friday before some joined the action.
Meanwhile, a daring raid into the city of Basra was led by Major Tim Brown of Bedale.
Major Brown was in command of a tank unit that stormed three miles into the city.
His squadron of 11 Challenger II tanks from the Scots Dragoon Guards met resistance from Iraqi forces still battling to hold Basra.
After achieving the objectives, the soldiers return without suffering any casualties.
The squadron destroyed three targets - a Fedayeen HQ, a TV and radio mast and a 20ft high statue of Saddam Hussein.
Major Brown, 38, said: "The mission wasn't to go in and kill people, it was to take out three objectives of infrastructure."
Major Brown's tank was part of the troop that attacked the communications mast and it took 15 rounds of high explosive to bring it to the ground.
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