Former UUP leader Doug Beattie MLA retires from Royal Irish army reserves as major as 43 years military service - gives views on Hamas, Iran and Gaza peace plan

He joined the Royal Irish Rangers, aged sixteen, and served for 43 years, until his 60th birthday, 13 October 2025.

He carried out three tours of Afghanistan - two as a regular and one as a full time reserve – and was awarded the Military Cross

He them transferred to become a part time reservist so he could stand become an MLA in 2016

Now, he has been obliged to resign altogether from the armed forces on account of hitting his sixtieth birthday.

At one point, as a politician, he was a reserve major in with 2 R Irish, with responsibility for keeping 160 reserve soldiers in battle ready condition.

"But I was able to stay as a reservist up until now. But because it's my birthday, you have to retire at 60. There's no choice."

As a reservist he took part in many exercises overseas.

"One of the most interesting was being deployed to Uganda to train the Ugandan army for deployment with the United Peacekeeping Forces in Somalia, around 2017.

“But the biggest responsibility I was as sub unit commander. So I commanded a company, a company of about 160 men, all through Covid.

"So that's quite difficult, to make sure their careers are on track and their welfare is good and their training comes up to speed."

This would have included putting them through realistic battle experiences with explosives, rockets and grenades in Wales.

He was captain for much of his reservers career and was promoted to major after going to Staff College in 2019.

As a part time reservist he served with 2 Royal Irish as a subunit commander, then went to 38th brigade to work in planning. He finished off his career at Army Headquarters, looking at terms of service for people who serve in the Army Reserves.

“The older you get the more time they give you behind a desk,” he added.

But he has no regrets about his military career.

"There's always things that you remember which were great, there's always things which were bad. I had a wonderful career in the military. I wouldn't have changed a thing, although some of the things I saw and did in later years on combat operations, they're never easy to talk about, but they're part of the role that you take on."

He confirmed he was talking about "grenade duels with the enemy and hand to hand combat” in Afghanistan.

"Having to take life in any circumstances is pretty horrific, but it has to be done. But the thing that sticks with you most whenever you're in any any form of combat, is the casualties… it's the civilians who pay the biggest price."

He too served with stabilization force and implementation force of both Bosnia and Kosovo.

And he believes the peace deal will hold in Gaza - but he does not think it will be the end of Hamas.

"I think it will reinvent itself as a as a terrorist organization which will work globally, that will still be funded by Iran - what most people miss in is that Iran is the real malign influence in the region.”