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TA mustn't be our Toy Army

Wednesday, 20th July 2011

The government’s decision to reduced the regular army’s numbers to around 85 000 is, like so much other government policy ill conceived and not thought out, writes UKIP's Lawrence Webb.

Over the last ten years the TA has very much become the reserve of choice with some units having a 95% mobilisation record. The principal reason for this high level of mobilisation is that the Regular Army is overstretched and undermanned; this however is putting a significant strain on manning and retention within the TA itself.

Whilst it is true that the role of the army has changed significantly since the end of the cold war: smaller, high-tech, high-intensity conflict is now the norm. There is no longer a need for large numbers of reserve infantry troops, but a greater need for specialists who can deploy for short periods.

The down side of this is that people who are not full time (regular) troops juggle their Territorial commitment with others such as work and family and cannot easily drop everything to deploy for war, in my case I received my call up papers just three week before my wedding with a deployment date two days after I was due back from my honeymoon. Being self-employed I did not have enough time to complete those contracts I was already committed to.

Similarly, where once it was seen as boon to have staff in the TA, ongoing mobilisation has very much made it a burden. Where a reservist is employed by a small business it can put an impossible strain on the company as it must continue to function and it must keep the job open for the reservist whilst on deployment.

It is clear to anyone with any sense that current manning levels are insufficient to keep up with the Armed Forces ongoing commitments as it is; this folly of reducing overall numbers in favour of reservists is nothing more that a cynical cost cutting exercise which will see the once revered British Army reduced to little more than a militia.

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