The **Territorial Army (TA)**, also known as the **Army Reserve**, is the part-time volunteer force of the British Army. Here are some key points about the TA:
1. **Role and Composition**:
- The TA forms approximately **a quarter** of the overall manpower strength of the British Army.
- TA soldiers serve on operations, either with TA units or as individuals attached to regular units.
- Reservists in the TA come from various backgrounds and work part-time alongside full-time Regular soldiers.
- Regular Reservists are former Regular army personnel who can be recalled in times of need to join operations alongside Regular soldiers.
2. **Responsibilities**:
- The TA has **two primary roles**:
- **Supporting the Regular Army**: Highly trained TA soldiers work alongside Regulars on missions both in the UK and overseas.
- **Specialist Skills**: The TA provides opportunities for people with specialist skills (such as medics and engineers) to use their expertise in new ways.
- Over the next few years, the role of the Army Reserve will expand, leading to more opportunities for those who want to experience the challenges of being a Reservist.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 25/02/2024
(1) The Army Reserve | The British Army. https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/the-army-reserve/.
(2) . https://bing.com/search?q=territorial+army+UK.
(3) Territorial Army. https://www.army.mod.uk/.
(4) Army Reserve (United Kingdom) | Military Wiki | Fandom. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Army_Reserve_%28United_Kingdom%29.
(5) BBC NEWS | UK | Territorial Army: Factfile. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2040274.stm.
(6) Formation of the Territorial Force. https://www.royalhampshireregiment.org/about-the-museum/timeline/formation-territorial-force/.
