Festive belly laughs for 28 Engineer Regiment

There were plenty of festive belly laughs in store for more than 200 members of 28 Engineer Regiment courtesy of BFF and comedy partners Jongleurs.

Comedians Kev Orkian, Dave Ward and Paul Pirie received a standing ovation at the end of the evening designed to lift spirits and recognise the sacrifices made by the soldiers and their families.

"It was brilliant," said Sgt Theo Brown. "Fantastic evening that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The Jongleurs Comedy group were amazing. Thank you very much for your support and for the service you provide."

The entire Regiment, which is split across three locations (Bury St Edmunds, Woodbridge, and Warminster) had come together at RAF Honington for this rare cohesion event. It provided a chance to reflect on the year they’ve had and to look ahead to 2026.

"Our Regiment returned from a demanding operation that saw the entire unit deployed across the UK, 24/7, from December 2024 to August 2026," explained Officer Commanding 64 Headquarters & Support Squadron Major Sean Buckley. "Our mission was to train civilian Ukrainians to become soldiers before returning them to the front line to defend their country against Russian aggression.

"Despite being based in the UK, our soldiers were unable to see their loved ones, even at weekends. Most rotated through three to four month deployments, but many of my Squadron, our enablers with specialist qualifications, were deployed for the entire duration. In truth, it feels as though we’ve been away from our families for most of the year."