1 Regiment

The role of the infantry in battle is to close with the enemy by means of fire and manoeuvre to defeat or capture, or repel assault by fire, close combat and counter attack. Infantry soldiers have a key role in close combat situations, since, despite the technological advancement in weapons, only close combat between ground forces determines success in battle.

As part of the AFM’s reorganisation in 1992, key personnel who formed part of 1st Regiment’s Training Wing were posted to form part of ‘C’ Company. When new recruits completed their basic military training course, they were usually posted to ‘C’ Company to serve full-time on infantry duties. The soldiers’ young age together with their high level of motivation and enthusiasm enabled them to perform a wide range of challenging and arduous tasks.

‘C’ Company remains the AFM’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF); capable of providing trained personnel to intervene in high-risk operations or scenarios. Malta’s European Union membership brought new challenges to the AFM, and amongst these was the redesignation of the sub-unit to ‘C’ Special Duties Company in August 2003, with its primary tasking being to be the AFM’s rapid response element fulfilling Malta’s pledge towards the European Crises Management headline goal.

The primary role of ‘C’ (SD) Company is to provide the AFM with trained infantry soldiers capable of operating locally in defense of the national territory and also capable of deploying abroad to conduct peace support operations as part of the EU’s Crises Management Force.

C (SD) Company is the main AFM sub-unit tasked to train, prepare and contribute personnel for the EU led Crises Management Force. The secondary role is to provide the AFM with soldiers capable of conducting internal security and civil protection duties.

C (SD) Company personnel’s routine tasks include:
• Mobile foot patrols (anti-narcotics and illegal immigrant trafficking, illegal bird hunting)
• Vehicle check-points
• Executive VVIP protection and Valuable cargo escorts
• Sniper-cover details
• Covert and overt surveillance
• Civil protection (e.g. flood relief assistance)
• Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force training
• Ceremonial duties

The EU is in the process of establishing a crisis management and conflict prevention capability in both the civil and military fields to allow it to play its role fully on the international stage. Malta as a sovereign, independent state and as an EU member has been invited to make a direct contribution. Malta’s pledge towards the EU consists of a light motorised infantry platoon and an associated national headquarters element at 60 days’ readiness, sustainable for one year. Malta’s pledge is focused on humanitarian and rescue missions mandated by the UN or the OSCE.

In conducting humanitarian missions C (SD) Company personnel are expected to relieve or reduce the results of natural or man-made disasters. Should a need arise, rescue operations may be conducted, including non-combatant evacuation operations. The AFM will be deploying overseas on tours of duty of four months with Italian troops. Maltese soldiers will spend a month on a pre-deployment training in Italy prior to each deployment’s operational cycle.

Government’s policy regulating individual participation by members of the AFM in overseas rescue and humanitarian tasks in conjunction with the EU Crises Management Force is solely on a voluntary basis.


	The role of the infantry in battle is to close with the enemy by means of fire and manoeuvre to defeat or capture, or repel assault by fire, close combat and counter attack. Infantry soldiers have a key role in close combat situations, since, despite the technological advancement in weapons, only close combat between ground forces determines success in battle. As part of the AFM’s reorganisation in 1992, key personnel who formed part of 1st Regiment’s Training Wing were posted to form part of ‘C’ Company. When new recruits completed their basic military training course, they were usually posted to ‘C’ Company to serve full-time on infantry duties. The soldiers’ young age together with their high level of motivation and enthusiasm enabled them to perform a wide range of challenging and arduous tasks. ‘C’ Company remains the AFM’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF); capable of providing trained personnel to intervene in high-risk operations or scenarios. Malta’s European Union membership brought new challenges to the AFM, and amongst these was the redesignation of the sub-unit to ‘C’ Special Duties Company in August 2003, with its primary tasking being to be the AFM’s rapid response element fulfilling Malta’s pledge towards the European Crises Management headline goal. The primary role of ‘C’ (SD) Company is to provide the AFM with trained infantry soldiers capable of operating locally in defense of the national territory and also capable of deploying abroad to conduct peace support operations as part of the EU’s Crises Management Force. C (SD) Company is the main AFM sub-unit tasked to train, prepare and contribute personnel for the EU led Crises Management Force. The secondary role is to provide the AFM with soldiers capable of conducting internal security and civil protection duties. C (SD) Company personnel’s routine tasks include: • Mobile foot patrols (anti-narcotics and illegal immigrant trafficking, illegal bird hunting) • Vehicle check-points • Executive VVIP protection and Valuable cargo escorts • Sniper-cover details • Covert and overt surveillance • Civil protection (e.g. flood relief assistance) • Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force training • Ceremonial duties The EU is in the process of establishing a crisis management and conflict prevention capability in both the civil and military fields to allow it to play its role fully on the international stage. Malta as a sovereign, independent state and as an EU member has been invited to make a direct contribution. Malta’s pledge towards the EU consists of a light motorised infantry platoon and an associated national headquarters element at 60 days’ readiness, sustainable for one year. Malta’s pledge is focused on humanitarian and rescue missions mandated by the UN or the OSCE. In conducting humanitarian missions C (SD) Company personnel are expected to relieve or reduce the results of natural or man-made disasters. Should a need arise, rescue operations may be conducted, including non-combatant evacuation operations. The AFM will be deploying overseas on tours of duty of four months with Italian troops. Maltese soldiers will spend a month on a pre-deployment training in Italy prior to each deployment’s operational cycle. Government’s policy regulating individual participation by members of the AFM in overseas rescue and humanitarian tasks in conjunction with the EU Crises Management Force is solely on a voluntary basis.
1 Regiment, AFM
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