131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers

131 Commando Squadron
131 Cdo Sqn emblem
Active	1947–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army Royal Engineers
Role	Engineer support
Part of	24 Commando Engineer Regiment, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines
Garrison/HQ	Lonergan Lines

131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers is an Army Reserve unit, and part of 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers. It provides engineering support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines (3 Cdo Bde RM) and is the largest Army Reserve Commando unit. The squadron has deployed worldwide to provide combat engineer support to 3 Cdo Bde RM, often deploying in small sub-units. 131 was first raised in 1947 as an airborne engineer regiment, and reached a strength of over 1,000 trained parachute engineers by the early 1960s. Between 1 April 1978 and 1 October 2015, the unit was an independent Commando squadron under operational command of HQ 3 Cdo Bde RM. On 2 October 2015, it formally became the third squadron of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment.

As a Commando unit, the majority of the squadron's personnel have completed the Reserve Forces Commando Course, run by the Royal Marines at the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone. This demanding course is the foundation for all further training. As an engineer unit, the squadron trains for a variety of tasks from demolitions to construction. It has its own chefs and clerks to sustain and administer its personnel.

The squadron is an integral part of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment and frequently deploys on tasks with regular forces in both the United Kingdom and abroad. Personnel from the squadron have deployed to over 50 nations and territories wordwide, with more than 200 deploying on operations since 1993. 131 Squadron has sent teams to the annual Exercise Cambrian Patrol competition held at the Sennybridge Training Area and has won the Courage Trophy competition a record five times (1977, 1978, 1992, 1993 and 1994). It also has a rich cross-country skiing pedigree, and at the pinnacle of its performance in 2011 reached 3rd place in the UK rankings.

The squadron consists of four troops based in the following locations around the UK: