Military Stabilisation Support Group

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Tri-service British military stabilisation unit, merged into the 77th Brigade in 2015

Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG)

Type Tri-service British Army-led stabilisation and civil–military unit
Headquarters Gibraltar Barracks, Camberley (2010); Denison Barracks, Hermitage (from the 2013 basing plan)
Remarks Also referred to as the Military Stabilisation Support Unit in 2013 basing reports; brought into the Security Assistance Group, renamed 77th Brigade in 2015


The Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) was a tri-service British military unit that provided military support to the UK government's Stabilisation Unit, deploying teams with front-line battle groups in Helmand, Afghanistan. In 2010 the Ministry of Defence described it as "a tri-Service unit based at Gibraltar Barracks, Camberley", made up of regular officers, warrant officers and senior NCOs from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force and reserve personnel from the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.[1] Under the Army 2020 restructuring it was placed in the Security Assistance Group at Hermitage, which was renamed the 77th Brigade in 2015.[2][3]

The name Military Stabilisation Support Unit (MSSU) was used in March 2013 local press reports of the Hermitage basing decision.[4][5] The Army's own July 2013 structure table uses "Military Stabilisation Support Group".[2]

Role

According to the Ministry of Defence in 2010, the MSSG trained and deployed "teams of 40 personnel on every Op HERRICK rotation to accompany front line battle groups where they co-ordinate between military and civilian organisations, gather and analyse civil information, provide assistance to planning operations, and identify and aid in the delivery of consent-winning activities and reconstruction and development projects".[1]

An August 2010 Ministry of Defence report by Tristan Kelly said "the people are the prize" was the mantra driving the group, then led by Colonel Greville Bibby. It said the MSSG had "evolved out of the experiences of the CIMIC (Civil Military Co-operation) forces deployed to the Balkans, Sierra Leone and Iraq". Bibby was quoted as saying an insurgent's "battlefield, is the population", and that countering him was "about outwitting and out-influencing the insurgent". Members served two years, beginning with a minimum nine-week course, and deployed in six-person Military Stabilisation Support Teams (MSSTs) as "the local representatives" of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), with cultural awareness training on Afghanistan.[6]

In November 2013 the Ministry said MSSG teams had been the PRTs' "eyes and ears on the ground", at first paying compensation for damage after fire fights, taking over land and compounds needed by ISAF and building "databases of trustworthy contractors". By Herrick 18 their role was "signposting" local people to Afghan government departments, and the MSSG was expected to continue "until probably March 2014". At one time it had "as many as 50 MSSG personnel working in teams of 6".[7] The Ministry published a structure chart of the group in April 2012.[8]

Award

In November 2010 the MSSG received the Firmin Sword of Peace for its work in Afghanistan in 2009, presented by Lieutenant General Barney White-Spunner, Commander Field Army. The citation described the MSSG as "planners, facilitators, advisors, co-ordinators and influencers".[1]

Hermitage and the 77th Brigade

In March 2013 the defence secretary Philip Hammond announced £10 million to expand Denison Barracks at Hermitage to house the Military Stabilisation Support Unit, the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit, the Land Intelligence Fusion Centre and 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group.[4] The Army's July 2013 update listed the "Military Stabilisation Support Group (Hermitage)" with 15 Psychological Operations Group and the Media Operations Group as the specialist support units of the Security Assistance Group.[2] In March 2015 a defence minister told Parliament that "77th Brigade is the new name for the Security Assistance Group", with a role including support "to efforts to build stability overseas" and "Special Influence Methods".[9]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ministry of Defence, MSSG awarded for humanitarian work in Afghanistan GOV.UK, 30 November 2010, accessed 7 November 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 British Army, Transforming the British Army: An Update July 2013, p. 13, House of Commons deposited paper DEP2014-0042, accessed 7 November 2026.
  3. ↑ Ministry of Defence, Freedom of Information response FOI2018/06239 6 June 2018, accessed 7 November 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Reading Chronicle, Troops move to barracks Reading Chronicle, accessed 7 November 2026.
  5. ↑ Newbury Today, Denison Barracks to continue as military base Newbury Today, 7 March 2013, accessed 7 November 2026.
  6. ↑ Tristan Kelly, Stabilisation in Afghanistan: winning the population from the insurgent GOV.UK, Ministry of Defence, 4 August 2010, accessed 7 November 2026.
  7. ↑ Ministry of Defence, Military Stabilisation Support Group leaves lasting legacy for Afghanistan GOV.UK, 27 November 2013, accessed 7 November 2026.
  8. ↑ Ministry of Defence, Structure of the Military Stabilisation Support Group GOV.UK, 1 April 2012, accessed 7 November 2026.
  9. ↑ Mark Francois, 77th Brigade written answer UIN 225283, UK Parliament, 3 March 2015, accessed 7 November 2026.
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