Editing Ulster Defence Regiment (section)

===Command structure===
{{See also|List of battalions and locations of the Ulster Defence Regiment}}
[[File:Stable Belt Colours - UDR.png|thumb|right|200px|UDR stable belt colours]]

Unlike the USC, who were controlled by the [[Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland|Stormont government]] in Belfast, the UDR was under the direct command of the General Officer Commanding [[HQ Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland]] (GOCNI), the commander of the British Army in Northern Ireland.<ref>Ryder, p31</ref> A six-man UDR Advisory Council (three Protestant and three Catholic) was formed and chaired by the [[colonel commandant]]. Its brief was "to advise the GOCNI on policy for the administration of the Ulster Defence Regiment, in particular on recruitment; and on such specific matters as the GOCNI might refer to the council."<ref>{{hansard|1970/jan/21/ulster-defence-regiment|house=written|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref>

The regiment would be commanded by a regular army brigadier. Battalions were to be commanded by "local members of the force".<ref name=Potter19/>

Commanding officers were initially former County [[Commandant]]s from the disbanded USC. All were men of previous military experience, such as [[Dublin]]-born Desmond Woods who had at one time been the youngest winner of the Military Cross (serving with the Royal Ulster Rifles)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1406161/Lt-Col-Desmond-Woods.html |title=Lt-Col Desmond Woods |newspaper=The Telegraph|date=2002-09-04 |access-date=2013-07-17 |location=London}}</ref> and [[Michael Torrens-Spence]] DSO, [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|DSC]], [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|AFC]]. All were appointed [[lieutenant colonel]] on a one-year contract.<ref>Potter p44</ref> However, some of these men were already past retirement age and after their year's contract was up they were replaced by lieutenant colonels from the regular army, the first of these being Lt Col Dion Beard of the [[1st Royal Tank Regiment]] (1 RTR) who took over at 3 UDR on 15 February 1971.<ref name="Potter-p45">Potter p45</ref> The policy of appointing regular officers was not universally popular within the regiment, with the public or with some politicians,<ref name="Potter-p45" /> but the British Army persisted in replacing former USC commanding officers and by the time of amalgamation, around 400 regular army officers had served in these posts, some of whom went on to achieve [[general officer]] rank.<ref name="Potter-p45" />

A newspaper for the regiment was published, called "Defence".<ref name="Ryderp">Ryder p66</ref> Commanders were able to communicate their views through this as well as through Part 2 Orders (routine orders) which, as with every British Army unit, were displayed on company noticeboards and were compulsory reading.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regimentalrogue.com/srsub/army_customs_1956_sect8.htm |title=Customs of the Army (1956); Section 8 |publisher=Regimentalrogue.com |access-date=2013-08-18}}</ref>