The Rifles The Rifles ( RIFLES ) is a light infantry rifle regiment in the British Army . Formed in 2007 , it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions , plus a number of companies in other TA battalions , Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light Division ( with the exception of the 1st Battalion , which is an amalgamation of two individual regiments ) . Since formation the regiment has been involved in combat operations , first in the later stages of the Iraq War and currently in the War in Afghanistan . History . The Rifles was created as a result of the Future Army Structure . Under the original announcement , the Light Division would have remained essentially unchanged , with the exception of the Light Infantry gaining a new battalion through the amalgamation of two other regiments , and both gaining a TA battalion . However , on 24 November 2005 , the Ministry of Defence announced that the four regiments would amalgamate into a single five - battalion regiment . The Rifles was formed on 1 February 2007 by the amalgamation of the four Light Infantry and Rifle Regiments of the Light Division : The two existing battalions each of the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets were renamed , while the single battalions of the DDLI and the RGBWLI were merged into one battalion . This brought the whole of the Light Division under a single cap badge . On formation , The Rifles became the county regiment of the following counties : As a rifle regiment , a private soldier in The Rifles is known as a " Rifleman " and Serjeant is spelt in the archaic fashion ; the regiment wears a Rifle green beret . A number of " golden threads " have been brought into the new regiment from each of its founder regiments : In addition , the new regiment ' s " Double Past " march ( the music used when marching past at the double ) is an amalgam of the Light Infantry ' s ( " Keel Row " ) and the Royal Green Jackets ' ( " Road to the Isles " ) . In addition to the uniform distinctions the Rifles march at a faster pace than the rest of the infantry , 140 paces per minute rather than 120 . ( RGJ 160 ppm DLI 140 ppm ) Organisation . The regiment has 5 regular and 2 Territorial Army battalions , each configured for a specific infantry role : In addition to the seven battalions above , a further two companies are also cap badged as The Rifles but are attached to other TA infantry Battalions : Approximately one third of all cadets now wear The Rifles cap badge . There is one Combined Cadet Force unit that still carries the RGJ cap badge and that is Pangbourne College , Berkshire . HRH The Duke of Edinburgh ( ex - Colonel - in - Chief , RGBWLI ) is the Colonel - in - Chief of the Regiment whilst each battalion has its own Royal Colonel : The Band and Bugles . The Rifles maintains a single regular regimental band , the Band and Bugles of The Rifles . This was formed by renaming the Band and Bugles of the Light Division , which in itself was an amalgamation of four separate bands : In addition , the two TA Battalions maintain their own bands : There are also a number of Cadet Force Bands including The Silver Bugles Band of the Somerset Cadet Battalion ( The Rifles ) Army Cadet Force , The Corunna Band & Bugles of Oxfordshire ( The Rifles ) Army Cadet Force and The Borneo band of Durham Army Cadet Force , as well as the Peninsula Band and Bugles of the Cornwall Army Cadet Force Battalion ( The Rifles ) and the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force trowbridge Band and Bugles . Robin Hood Rifles Corps of Drums of the Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force . More recently E ( The Rifles ) Company ( Yorkshire N & W ) ACF have formed a Bugle & Drum section - Minden Bugles & Drums . Bands also exist in Combined Cadet Forces including the Band and Bugles of The Thomas Hardye School , and The Band and Drums of Adams ' Grammar School CCF . For a number of years from just after the Second World war until the early 80 ' s Kings College , Taunton in Somerset had a Combined Cadet Force Drum and Bugle Corps with the CCF associated with the Somerset Light Infantry . In the period 1968 - 1970 , the Drum & Bugle Corps had a particularly active period beating retreat in places such as Honiton Barracks ( then home of one of the Light Infantry Battalions ) , Ottery St Mary , Sidmouth and in Taunton itself , where for two years it was given permission to form up and then marched from Kings Taunton to the St Mary Magdalene Church in the town centre to participate in the Annual Remembrance Day services where it was one of the bands that led the parade . The Drum & Bugle Corps consisted of 12 side drummers , two tenor drums , a bass drum , a cymbals player and 12 buglers . Battle honours . The following battle honours are a representation of the total honours awarded to the regiments which formed The Rifles . These are inscribed on the regiment ' s belt badge :