Question: Michael Alford  is a British figurative painter who  completed a commission for the 1st Battalion of a regiment that was founded in 1992 through the amalgamation of the Royal Irish Rangers and who? 

The Brigade of The Guards is a Mechanized Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army.  It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry regiment of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that recruit from specific regions, ethnic groups or religions.  The Brigade of Guards was raised on the lines of the elite 'Guards' units of the world, particularly, the Coldstream Guards of the British Guards Division.  The Regiment was raised to implement the government's policy of encouraging Army recruitment from classes and regions which had been under-represented in the forces.  Raised as The Guards Brigade, the old system of class composition was replaced with recruitment open to all regions, castes, creeds, and sections of society.  Three of the Army's oldest and most distinguished battalions — 2nd battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment, 1st battalion Indian Grenadiers Regiment and 1st battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles were converted as Guards battalions in 1949.  Later, they were joined by the 1st battalion Rajput Regiment.  It was the only regiment of foot guards in the Indian Army.  Though the Brigade of The Guards is only 50 years old, its constituent battalions go back as far as 225 years and between them share 93 battle honours earned around the globe.  The Brigade of The Guards distinguished itself by being awarded the most number of Battle Honours post Independence.  The Regiment was the brain-child of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa or Kodandera "Kipper" Madappa Cariappa OBE (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) who was the first Indian commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army.  He raised the Brigade of the Guards and coined the phrase; "The Guards, The Elite". <SEP>  The regiment was founded in 1992 through the amalgamation of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment. The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) (R IRISH) is an infantry regiment of the British Army.  Their oldest predecessor; the 27th Regiment of Foot; was first raised in June 1689 to fight in the Williamite War in Ireland.  Other notable regiments in their lineage include the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's). <SEP>  Mostly self-taught, he has studied and the Slade and the Chelsea School of Art.  Early in his career he had an annual show at the Duncan Campbell Gallery in Mayfair and lived in Spain for extended period where the cost of living was reasonable.  He also worked as a muralist. Michael Alford (born 15 September 1958 in Cookham, England) is a British figurative painter whose work includes landscapes and cityscapes, figures, portraits and nudes.  In 2010 he served as official War Artist to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards during their tour of Helmand, Afghanistan.  More recently he has painted nudes, cityscapes, a portrait of Vaughan Smith and completed a commission for the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. <SEP> The 2nd//11th (County Armagh) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1991 as a result of an amalgamation between the 2nd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment and the 11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment.  The resultant 2/11 UDR was subsumed into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 as part of the Options for Change amalgamations and was renamed the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment.