A VETERAN of the Afghanistan conflict, who received a CBE for his services in the war-torn country, has been named as the new commander at Imphal Barracks in York.

Brigadier Greville Bibby is to take command of 15 (North East) Brigade, one of the largest in the north of England, which trains and administers more than 10,500 regular and Territorial Army soldiers.

Brig Bibby, who previously served at Imphal as a major in the early 1990s, said he was delighted to be stationed in York again.

“I am truly privileged to be given this fantastic job,” he said. “My family and I have been given a very warm Yorkshire welcome and we are all really excited to be back in this beautiful city.”

Brig Bibby was reffered to as the “the perfect soldier diplomat” by the British Ambassador to Kabul, due to his efforts during Operation Panther’s Claw in the Taliban stronghold of Helmund in 2009.

During his six-month tour as deputy commander of the task force, his men had to deal with more than 1,500 improvised explosive devices laid by the Taliban, which aimed to kill UK troops.

A citation submitted in support of his CBE said: “That development projects began and governance was introduced into Babaji within 48 hours, owes much to Bibby’s drive and powers of negotiation.

“More widely, under Colonel Bibby’s guidance, there have been further tangible signs of progress with the construction of many schools, clinics, mosques and infrastructure being the most obvious illustrations.”

It continues: “During some dark days, his leadership and judgement in this operational permanent reconstruction team has served to crystallise effect and has produced a step change in civilian/military integration at an important juncture in Helmand.”

Upon receiving the CBE, Brig Bibby said he was “amazed, surprised and delighted”.

He said he was “part of a very big team – a lot of great people who did a lot of hard work.

“I’ve got the recognition and they haven’t. We do recognise them, of course, but I’m the lucky one who’s actually being given this medal.”

Looking forward to his new role in York, he said: “The people of Yorkshire and the North East have traditionally been incredibly supportive of the Armed Forces and over the years we have been very well served by thousands of local people who have worked for the Ministry of Defence, providing the vital services needed to keep the show on the road.

“However, I think we all recognise that in the current climate of tightening budgets and a need for savings we face a number of challenges over the coming years to ensure that we maintain the level of support we have enjoyed in the past.

“It’s wonderful to be back among so many old friends and I am confident that we can work together, along with our numerous partners in the community, to manage any necessary change.”