[5] The 1957 Defence White Paper announced the end of National Service, resulting in a number of reductions and changes across the armed forces.

[5] The pattern of life was determined by the BAOR training cycle and the demands of higher formation exercises as politicians and military commanders considered how best to face the threat of a Soviet invasion.

Brigade troops frequently found themselves supporting multi-national NATO exercises, often working alongside the fledgling Bundeswehr (German Army).

In October 1961, the Brigade participated in Exercise Spearpoint which was designed to demonstrate that the BAOR was able to conduct large-scale intensive operations under both conventional and nuclear conditions.

[6] In September 1959, The Royal Corps of Signals reorganised all of their independent squadrons into a single numbering system from 200 upwards.

These task forces could command any grouping of units from within their division and were designated sequentially Alpha through Hotel.

[7] Further unit rotations continued throughout this period with many famous regiments and battalions of the British Army converting to the armoured role to serve within the brigade.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the anticipated peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, the British government announced a series of cuts in defence spending under the 1990 "Options for Change" programme.

[6] The Brigade's first two-months of the deployment was dominated by low-level battles against fanatical Fedayeen and foreign fighters infiltrating across the border with Iran who were actively supported by Iranian Al Quds forces, post-operational reports also mention former Ba'athist regime loyalists.

During the seven month summer tour, the troops contributed to the successful handover of security in two of the four Iraqi Provinces within the Multinational Division (South East) [MND(SE)].

It became the last British brigade to serve in Iraq at the end of the UK's six-year combat mission in the country on 30 April 2009.