Army GOC downgrade to brigadier; NEW ERA.THE military presence in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland: see Ireland, Northern. Northern Ireland Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland occupying the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. Area: 5,461 sq mi (14,144 sq km). Population (2001): 1,685,267. is being downgraded in the New Year. The Army's General Officer Commanding General Officer Commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth (and some other) nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division. is leaving and a brigadier will be put in charge. It will be the first time since the foundation of the state in 1921 that there has been no GOC GOC Government Of Canada GOC General Optical Council (United Kingdom) GOC General Officer Commanding GOC Greek Orthodox Church GOC Gay Outdoor Club (Scotland) GOC Government of Colombia and the move is a clear reflection of the changed times. Major General Chris Brown packs his bags on January 1 and heads off to Iraq to take up a new post in Baghdad. He said: "It is the end of an era but I am now superfluous and it is time to go." Since the Army's duties in Northern Ireland - Operation Banner - ended last year it had been envisaged the top job would be downgraded. Where once there were up to 30,000 soldiers on duty, there is now a peacetime garrison of just under 5,000 scattered around bases across Northern Ireland. Major General Brown added that while there was still a threat from dissident republicans, "it doesn't require a two-star GOC". |
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