1998 Onwards
After the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the TA's size of around 56,200 was further reduced. The Infantry suffered most, with 87 companies in 33 battalions reducing to 67 companies in 15 battalions. As of 2006 the Territorial Army has an authorised strength of 42,000 though recruiting difficulties put the actual strength of the TA below that figure (manning is currently at approx 82% which equates to 34,000).
TA soldiers have seen service in a number of conflicts that the UK has been involved with since 1945. However, they served in particularly large numbers in two conflicts. The Korean War and Suez Crisis, which were during the 1950s when the entire TA was called up. Throughout the Cold War however, the Territorial Army was never regarded as a particularly usable force overseas, either by the Government of the day or by the Regular Army. This was due to the fact that the entire Territorial Army had to be mobilised by Royal Prerogative in a wartime scenario, as occurred in the World Wars, with no flexibility to use smaller formations or specialists if required and as a result relied purely on Territorials willing to volunteer their services. Therefore, its role was, at least unofficially, seen as home defence and as a result the TA was not used in conflicts such as the 1982 Falklands War and 1991 Gulf War (205 Scottish General Hospital were mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 1991 Gulf War and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East.) However, the Government passed the Reserve Forces Act 1996, which enables individual TA personnel to be compulsorily called up for deployment, with certain caveats exempting those in full-time education and other compassionate reasons, as well as providing protection by employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised, which has led to the TA increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas.
In 2003, 9,500 reservists, the vast majority of them from the TA, were mobilised to take part in Operation Telic, the invasion of Iraq, in contrast only some 420 Regular Reservists were called-up. Approximately 1,200 members of the TA have continued to deploy annually on tours of duty in Iraq, Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and elsewhere, normally on six month-long roulements. They cannot be used in operations for more than twelve months in any three-year period - making most of those who have already served ineligible for call up for two years afterwards. However, given the relatively small size of the Regular British Army, coupled with the current high rate of operational deployments, it is inconceivable that the TA will not see further extensive overseas service.
TA members have a minimum commitment to serve 27 training days per annum. This period normally includes a two-week period of continuous training either as a (TA) unit, on courses or attached to a regular unit. Territorial soldiers are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their regular equivalents. Soldiers of the Territorial Army are often serving along side their regular counterparts, including operations in Afghanistan where 1,000 out of the total 10,100 deployed are reservists, around 10% of the total.
The annual budget of the Territorial Army is approximately £350 million – around 1.3% of the total defence budget.
While Territorial soldiers may train as a unit, when mobilized to supplement the regulars they often do so as individuals. Under the "Future Reserves 2020" (FR20) plan outlined by Defence Secretary Liam Fox on 18 July 2011, the Ministry of Defence will provide more money to train more TA soldiers with the objective of more frequently deploying entire TA units (much like Army National Guard units in the United States.) Currently, only units of the Territorial Army Medical Services are deployed as formed units. Under the reform plan the Total Force will be restructured so that by 2020 the British Army will have 120,000 soldiers, of which 84,000 will be regulars and 36,000 TA (a ratio of 70/30).
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