corporal Christopher Balmforth of B Squadron for his actions during an ambush in Basra. April 2006 saw the regiment deploy once again to Iraq on Operation Telic 8 and December 2008 saw the regiment deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 13. As the final Operation Telic The Queen's Royal Hussars were intimately involved in the drawdown from the main British base and spent many hours escorting convoys to and from Kuwait. In 2011 the regiment deployed on Operation Herrick 15 as a ground holding Battle Group to Afghanistan in the infantry role: they worked with the Afghan National Police handing over control of checkpoints. On return from Afghanistan in 2012 the regiment was called on to support the security for the London Olympic Games. The remainder of the year was used to return to the armoured role. 2013 saw C Squadron training with 5 Rifles on Exercise Bavarian Charger, mounted on Challenger 2. The Queen's Royal Hussars Battlegroup, comprising sub-units from 5 Rifles and 1 PWRR deployed on Exercise Prairie Thunder 2 between July and August 2013. In June 2014, the regiment deployed C Squadron to Operation Herrick 20 in Afghanistan, as the Warthog Group. This role involved crewing Warthog armoured tracked vehicles and operating with dismounted infantry from 5 RIFLES to disrupt insurgents in Helmand during the draw down of British troops from Camp Bastion. They were the last British combat units on the ground in Helmand. The regiment moved to Tidworth with 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade, forming the senior of three Type 56 heavy armoured regiments of British Army's Reactive Force, in 2019. Organisation The regiment is equipped with 56 Challenger 2 tanks. In addition the Regiment also fields a squadron with a close reconnaissance troop mounted in eight FV107 Scimitars. HQ Squadron A Squadron (The Devil's Children) B (Balaklava) Squadron (reformed as a command and reconnaissance squadron in October 2020, previously an armoured squadron) C Squadron (Fighting C) D Squadron (The Black Pig) Victoria Cross Holders of the Victoria Cross included: James Champion (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars) Samuel Parkes (4th Queen's Own Light Dragoons) Clement Walker Heneage (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars) George Hollis (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars) John Pearson (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars) Joseph Ward (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars) Cornet William Bankes (7th Queen's Own Hussars) Major Charles Fraser (7th Queen's Own Hussars) Colonels-in-Chief 1993–2002: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 2002–2021: F.M.